repaired patina tooling stripped smoothing patina ect

Thanks for explaining that. I agree that CNG is one of if not the best in the business when it comes to disclosing things like smoothing and tooling and am much more inclined to accept a coin like this if CNG believed the alteration to be ancient.

 

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CNG states its now representing Vitellius or Vespasian ? Looks more like Nerva
with that hooknose.
Why would someone put so much work in a coin to Damnatio Memoriae Nero ?

it only takes a minute to do that, and it's obvious who is the victim by leaving the name untouched , in this case an As of Nero.

just my 2 cents

 

ANGER or HATRED....

... or, just plain bored!

I have couple Damnatio Memoriae... So much pragmatic effort to deface coins!

RI Fausta 325-326 CE AE3 Spes stdg 2 infants SMHA 20mm 3.48g scratch over eye damnatio memoriae by Constantine


RI Aemilianus 253 CE AE24 Viminacium mint Moesia Bull-Lion - Damnatio Memoriae

 

I don't think that is a damnatio; but rather just a scratch or perhaps just a grafitto. Plenty of coins have scratches, but coins with the damnatio treatment are usually very scratched.

for more info, there is a fairly new book out on the topic of damnatio, by Dario Calomino Defacing the Past -- Damnation and Desecration in Imperial Rome

He says that he has never seen a fourth century damnatio and explains that by the fourth century the practice of damnatio had become increasingly inconsistent.

 

I still believe my Licinius is a damnatio. Pretty rigorous defacement, which has (naturally) patinated, suggesting the trauma occurred in antiquity. Fortunately, we will never know, so I can remain comfortable in my self-delusion...

 

Still, pretty cool looking...

 

Great coin! It appears as though someone was very displeased with Master Licinius and somewhat less so with Lord Jupiter. That coin is more fascinating than one in undamaged condition because it makes us want to understand the anger of the defacer.

 

One thing that I find interesting too is the wear on this coin, suggesting long circulation. Did it circulate a long time after it was defaced? Is that common for damnationes? Or did it circulate a long time (and for a long time after Licinius's death) before its defacing, thereby undermining the argument that it's a damnatio, assuming that damnationes are defaced in or around the time that a damnatio is declared formally or at the time when someone rubs the coin owner the wrong way. Fun coin mysteries...

 

Likes and dislikes are a part of our hobby. I am reluctant to clean my coins for fear of causing or uncovering problems like pitting. @red_spork has shown that with care some coins can be improved greatly, see his staff victoriatus pics. I received interesting feedback from the author of an article on a Roman scale with an acorn weight. I sent a pic of mine and he sent back a note suggesting I remove the debris to bare metal and coat it to protect if from deterioration. It is possible my piece has added desert patina, but I like it as it is. The steelyard below was found at Paphos, the capital of ancient Cyprus.