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Roman Republican Denarius of L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus - My First Scooped-Out Al Marco (maybe)
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<p>[QUOTE="Marsyas Mike, post: 4353786, member: 85693"]Until a couple years ago, I had no idea what an <i>al marco</i> coin was. But thanks to several examples and explanations and theories in Coin Talk postings, I have been able to learn a few things. This week I got what I think might be my first example of such a coin, and wanted to share it. It was issued by L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus in 62 B.C. and shows Perseus of Macedon and his sons as captives with a trophy and the moneyer's ancestor L. Aemilius Paullus.</p><p><br /></p><p>The bust of Concordia on the obverse shows what looks to be a long, shallow "scoop" made in order to reduce its weight. Or is it just random circulation damage? I've never actually seen one of these in person.</p><p><br /></p><p>The <i>al marco</i> weight adjustment topic has come up several times over the past couple of years on CT, but the only post with "al marco" in the title I could find is this one started by David Atherton from January '18:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/domitian-al-marco.309866/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/domitian-al-marco.309866/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/domitian-al-marco.309866/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a fine explanation of what <i>al marco</i> is, by Clive Stannard (which I found via Andrew McCabe's site <a href="https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Mints.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Mints.html" rel="nofollow">https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Mints.html</a> )</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Weight adjustment <i>al marco</i> in Antiquity, and the Athenian decadrachm</b></p><p>by Clive Stannard</p><p><br /></p><p>"Minting technology responds to one or both of two objectives regarding weight: to make coins that are individually of a certain weight, within a narrow range (the ‘tolerances’); and to obtain a fixed number of coins from a fixed weight of metal. Weight adjustment of individual coins is <i>al pezzo</i>; adjustment by relating a fixed count of coins to a fixed weight of metal, without overmuch care about the weight of individual coins, is <i>al marco</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 1993 I showed that many Roman Republican denarii issues between 123 and 49/48 BC were adjusted <i>al marco</i>; this was possible because of the visible traces of the technique used to adjust the flans before striking, by gouging slivers of metal off the surface with a scorper. This produces characteristic undercut lunate ‘judder’ marks, belly forward across the cut. The metal of the judders folds over, and the judder is usually visible, even when the cut itself has been quite obliterated (Pl. I, 1)."</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.academia.edu/1443037/Weight_adjustment_al_marco_in_Antiquity_and_the_Athenian_decadrachm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.academia.edu/1443037/Weight_adjustment_al_marco_in_Antiquity_and_the_Athenian_decadrachm" rel="nofollow">https://www.academia.edu/1443037/Weight_adjustment_al_marco_in_Antiquity_and_the_Athenian_decadrachm</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I think mine shows the appropriate "judders" but if I am mistaken, corrections always welcome. Share your al marco'd coins, further information, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1101610[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1101609[/ATTACH]</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Roman</b> <b>Republic Denarius </b></p><p><b>L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus</b></p><p><b>(62 B.C.) </b></p><p>Concordia veiled & diademed r., PAVLLVS LEPIDVS CONCORDIA / TER PAVLVS above and under L Aemilius Paullus standing r., trophy, Perseus and two sons captive on the left.</p><p>Aemilia 10; Crawford 415/1.</p><p>(3.83 grams / 19 mm)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Marsyas Mike, post: 4353786, member: 85693"]Until a couple years ago, I had no idea what an [I]al marco[/I] coin was. But thanks to several examples and explanations and theories in Coin Talk postings, I have been able to learn a few things. This week I got what I think might be my first example of such a coin, and wanted to share it. It was issued by L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus in 62 B.C. and shows Perseus of Macedon and his sons as captives with a trophy and the moneyer's ancestor L. Aemilius Paullus. The bust of Concordia on the obverse shows what looks to be a long, shallow "scoop" made in order to reduce its weight. Or is it just random circulation damage? I've never actually seen one of these in person. The [I]al marco[/I] weight adjustment topic has come up several times over the past couple of years on CT, but the only post with "al marco" in the title I could find is this one started by David Atherton from January '18: [URL]https://www.cointalk.com/threads/domitian-al-marco.309866/[/URL] Here is a fine explanation of what [I]al marco[/I] is, by Clive Stannard (which I found via Andrew McCabe's site [URL]https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Mints.html[/URL] ) [B]Weight adjustment [I]al marco[/I] in Antiquity, and the Athenian decadrachm[/B] by Clive Stannard "Minting technology responds to one or both of two objectives regarding weight: to make coins that are individually of a certain weight, within a narrow range (the ‘tolerances’); and to obtain a fixed number of coins from a fixed weight of metal. Weight adjustment of individual coins is [I]al pezzo[/I]; adjustment by relating a fixed count of coins to a fixed weight of metal, without overmuch care about the weight of individual coins, is [I]al marco[/I]. In 1993 I showed that many Roman Republican denarii issues between 123 and 49/48 BC were adjusted [I]al marco[/I]; this was possible because of the visible traces of the technique used to adjust the flans before striking, by gouging slivers of metal off the surface with a scorper. This produces characteristic undercut lunate ‘judder’ marks, belly forward across the cut. The metal of the judders folds over, and the judder is usually visible, even when the cut itself has been quite obliterated (Pl. I, 1)." [URL]https://www.academia.edu/1443037/Weight_adjustment_al_marco_in_Antiquity_and_the_Athenian_decadrachm[/URL] I think mine shows the appropriate "judders" but if I am mistaken, corrections always welcome. Share your al marco'd coins, further information, etc. [ATTACH=full]1101610[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1101609[/ATTACH] [B] Roman[/B] [B]Republic Denarius L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus (62 B.C.) [/B] Concordia veiled & diademed r., PAVLLVS LEPIDVS CONCORDIA / TER PAVLVS above and under L Aemilius Paullus standing r., trophy, Perseus and two sons captive on the left. Aemilia 10; Crawford 415/1. (3.83 grams / 19 mm)[/QUOTE]
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