Scaurus, Hypsaeus denarius - what's wrong with it?

422/1a with this different legend arrangement but (usually) no scorpion, is far scarcer than 422/1b with scorpion and the other legend layout. Because of this, those who know the coinage instinctively expect to always see a scorpion. It rings no alarm bells. However this is the no-scorpion type but with scorpion. Interesting that members have unearthed two unpublished variants of just this one coin type today.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Mine is semi-published. A longer discussion and die study of this variety will be published in a paper I co-authored with Richard Schaefer in the forthcoming issue of KOINON later this year. The variety was actually mentioned over 100 years ago by Bahrfeldt though his cited examples were all plated and it hasn't really been revisited since.

It's definitely interesting how many varieties of this type outside of the long list in Crawford seem to exist. I've noted a few more new ones in my notes on the type but I don't have photos on-hand and I haven't exhaustively searched ACSearch and other resources for new legend varieties so I'm sure there are more that I missed.

 

I assume you noticed your scorpion is short a pair of legs. Of course my new coin is only a scorpion if you stretch a point way beyond reasonable doubt. That coin really has poor style. I should be embarrassed.

 

It is one of those types one can upgrade forever due to the differences and the seeming impossibility to get a perfect one. I'm on my 3rd, selling the others as I find a better one for my collection. Here they are from current to first.

 

Latest one is pretty darn near perfect, if you ask me. I don't think I've seen one as complete, and how clear the little details like the camel's saddle are really add to it.