That is definitely a die clash. Anyon interested in the difference is invited to see my page on the subject which includes my example of a restruck brockage, something I once thought did not exist. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/brock.html Since I updated that page I did get one more coin that should have been shown there. Die clashes usually are found with damage on the reverse die (the upper die). This one shows damage to the obverse. Note the arm of Juno right of Mamaea's nose. My guess is that the strike without a blank between the dies was so strong that the reverse die was destroyed completely and replaced with a new die of the same design. You can decide if that makes sense or if I am just guessing.
Carthage-LIBYAN UPRISING - Mercenaries issue Mercenary War 241-238 BCE 7.36g AR DiShekel Herakles Head in Lion's Head- Lion walking; Punic M above; LIBYA below R SNG Cop 240f Overstrike Coins were struck in the name of Libya and "M", which has been taken as either "machanat" - the Camp (of the mercenaries), or perhaps Matho, their leader @TIF was the savior with some incredible detective work to SOLVE the overstrike / Understrike coin https://www.cointalk.com/threads/overstrike-detective-work.335938/ “ The wheat grains are partly off flan on the example host coin but I think in total it is enough to declare it a definite match for the undertype .” She ultimately came down to the Understruck coin... and I actually had an example in my collection! Bizarre coincidence. Carthage Zeugitania Libyan Revolt AR Shekel 24mm 7.34g 241-238 BCE Wreathed Tanit Horse stndg control mark and Punic M SNG Cop 236
To make that kind of imprint on the anvil die would require a good deal of pressure on the punch on the reverse but this die shows no degradation. I suppose this could have been a case with the reverse on the anvil or early pincher dies but I am imagining that the easy answer is that this reverse was not the same one that made the clash mark. I gather you disagree? Below is a strongly clashed Clodius Albinus with a good size chunk missing from the reverse die but I see no obverse damage. My guess is that the reverse would have been more damaged to make that mark on the Mamaea obverse assuming that the portrait were on the bottom and normally hardened (perhaps too much to assume?). Am I wrong that coins of this period were still being made with the revrse on top? I have seen bronzes of the Aurelius period that I believe were made with portrait on top but not Severans. Is that wrong? When did they start using hinged dies that could be struck either side up? I do wish that the clash imprint could be shown to be a different design but my guess requires them to have replaced a Juno with another Juno. How do you read this coin?
Here is one of my favorites-- an unofficial FEL TEMP overstruck on a posthumous issue of Constantine I, both types from Antioch. Ex-Collection of Ralph Van Deman Magoffin, eminent American Classical scholar and archaeologist, 1874-1942 and now it's mine...all mine! the first pic with the coin rotated to show the undertype what it looks like without an overstrike now rotated to show the unofficial FEL TEMP and what the official type looks like
Victor makes a good point here. It is helpful and fun to shoot overstrikes rotated to favor the undertype as well as the last use and, when possible, to have an undertype specimen that was not overstruck as a reference. Favoring the Anonymous A3 obverse Rotated to show the Gordian III as undertype I have not yet found an as of the correct reverse as a reference coin but this is the sestertius of the type. I have so far failed to get a good photo of the reverse to show the undertype. There are only a couple weak letters. It will require making an overlay to point out where to look. Someday? Soon??? Top is the reference coin; middle is the overstruck coin; bottom is the middle image with letters added to show where I see undertype. Obverse is left; reverse right.
Are we quite sure the undertype here is Gordian III... I see a rather fasionable lady pig wearing a medieval conical headdress...
Great overstrike! There is a "prequel" for your "undertype" shekel. If you look at the lower right reverse, there is the remains of a horse's foreleg, back of neck and ear. Here is my example of the same type: Libyan Revolt 241-240 BC AR Shekel 7.3 gm O: head Tanit left R: horse standing right, Punic M and 3 pellets below SNG Cop 237 Overstruck on SNG Cop 187 (Obv with Tanit forehead, nose and chin lowe left; Rev with horse foreleg to right) Here is the undertype: Carthage 255-241 BC AR Shekel 7.2 gm O: head Tanit left R: horse standing right with head turned back SNG Cop 187 So, some of the SNG 236-237 (head Tanit/horse standing) were overstruck on earlier Carthaginian SNG Cop 187 shekels, either by Carthage to initially pay the mercenaries in 240 BC or by the mercenaries after being paid with the SNG Cop 187 coins. Some SNG 236-237 coins were subsequently undertypes for SNG Cop 239-242 (head Herakles/lion walking right) by the mercenaries when joined by Libyans. Overall, an interesting sequence that follows the events of the Libyan Revolt.
Great coins! Congrats. Oh, man what a nasty war that Carthage stupidly got themselves in to. I know they were trapped by the huge indemnities that they had to pay Rome, then still had to cash out the Mercenaries... but to transport them outside of Carthage just made it a madhouse for them! Horrible and cruel 3yr long war... Even the Romans gave up their Carthage prisoners of war back to them, so they could have troops to fight the Mercenaries... Rome felt bad for them, and were appalled by the atrocities! Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT 241-238 BCE Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears SNG Cop 252 Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT Rebels 241-238 BCE 9.63g 24mm Shekel Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears Crescent SNG Cop 247
Sort of cheating on an ancients thread, but this just came in the mail today. I don't really "do" Swedish coins, but I noticed the overstrike and saw in Krause that the early dates for these 1/2 skillings were overstruck on 18th century 1 Or coppers. I thought it looked interesting and the price was right ($7). The host coin's date 176[?] is visible on the obverse around 2 o'clock: Sweden Æ 1/2 Skilling Gustav IV Adolf 1803 Avesta Mint Crowned CAIV monogram flanked by three crowns / 1/2 SKIL-crossed arrows-LING 1803 KM 565. Overstruck host coin: Sweden 1 Öre of Adolf Frederick Crowned AF monogram flanked by three crowns / [1·ÖR] crossed arrows S·M, First three digits of date visible: 176[0/1/3/8/9] KM 460