Sometimes a Hole Makes it Cooler...

I got this denarius in the mail today, and really wanted to share it. Although it's very worn and probably a familiar type, something about it is deeply intriguing to me... the hole that's been made through it!


Q. Minucius Thermus
Obverse: Head of Mars left, wearing crested helmet, ornamented with plume and annulet
Rev: Two warriors fighting; the left protects fallen comrade, the other wears a horned helmet; Q • THERM M F in exergue
Minted at Rome in 103 BC, Crawford 319/1

To my eyes, it looks like it was probably holed to display the obverse, which seems somewhat more worn. I like to imagine that it was a soldier's good luck charm, which seems fitting and not entirely unreasonable. It looks like there might be trace of bronze or some other material around the hole on that side, but I'm not sure what that might indicate.

Does anyone else have any interesting holed coins?

 

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Thasos, Thrace
AR trihemiobol
Obv: Satyr kneeling left, holding kantharos
Rev: ΘAΣ-IΩN, volute-krater
Mint: Thasos
Date: 411-350 BC
Size: 0.82 gr
Ref: SG1755v

 

I only have one holed coin, and really didn't notice it until after I had initially caught my eye (it was much less obvious in the sellers pics), when I finally saw it it didn't deter me from getting the coin at all.



Sasanian Empire. Khosrau I. AD 531-579. AR Drachm
O: Crowned bust right, Pahlavi script./R: Fire altar with ribbons and attendants; star and crescent flanking flames; RY date on left (regnal year 28, 558AD, mint signature on right, GU (Gurgon mint). 30 mm, 4.1 g

 

My only holed coin is a penny of the Anglo Saxon King Edward the Confesser of England 1042-1066.

 

Nice holy coins!





PAVLLVS LEPIDVS CONCORDIA

Veiled and diad. head of Concordia right

Rev. Togate figure of L. Aemilius Paullus standing left touching trophy to left of which stand King Perseus of Macedon and his two sons as captives
TER above, PAVLLVS in ex.

Rome 62 BC
Sear 366
3.80g
Holed in antiquity.

This moneyer was the elder brother of the Triumvir M. Aemillius Lepidus.

 

I like em too. Cool coin!

 

It was only in the 1990s that some lifetime denarii of Commodus were recognised as coming from Alexandria. There are CONSECRATIO types too. I know @dougsmit has a lifetime example. They are all rare. I was happy to obtain one despite the hole. My search for an un-holed example has been slow. Watch this space.

Commodus denarius
Obv:– M COMM ANTO - N AVG PIVS BRIT, Laureate head right
Rev:- LIR AVG R M TR P - XVII COS VII P P, Libertas standing left folding pileus and sceptre
Minted in Alexandria. A.D. 192
Reference:– BMCRE -. RIC -. RSC -.

 

Here's one, no longer in my collection, that I've often wondered about. Why--and how--would you make half a hole?

 

Most of my holed coins fall into the same category as maridvnvm's Commodus: I'd rather they did not have the hole. There are a few, however, that strike me as more interesting because of the hole making me wonder 'why'. My Divus Augustus by Nerva below might (maybe?) have been attached to a long since rotted away casket/funeral pyre/memorial for a 100 year old veteran of Augustus' army. That would be cool but we know it is not going to be proven. As it is, we have a coin with holes and guesses equally perforated.


Also, I am forgiving of holes made by iron nails that did not leave the scene. Would I rather have this Augustus denarius without the 'damage'? Yes! Would I dispose of this one were I to get a FDC specimen? No. The coin is secondary; the collectible item here is the hole.


I forget the name of the movie but there was a scene where some rough character nailed a coin to a post in a bar as prize in a bet of some sort. How many coins must have suffered such a fate in how many thousands of bar bets? Was this one? Few will care and they are the ones who will be willing to buy this coin when I am finished with it.

 

OTACILIA SEVERA
Æ Sestertius
OBVERSE: MARCIA OTACILIA SEVERA AVG, diademed and draped bust right
REVERSE: SAECVLARES AVGG, SC in ex, Hippopotamus standing right, head raised
Struck at Rome, 248 AD
18.6g, 30mm
RIC 200a, Cohen 65
ex Warren Esty

QUINTILLUS
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP CM AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: PAX AVGVSTI, Pax standing left, holding olive branch and transverse sceptre, A in left field
Struck at Rome, 270 AD
2.2g, 20mm
RIC 26

JULIUS CAESAR
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: CAESAR IMP, laureate head right, lituus & simpulum behind.
REVERSE: M METTIVS, Venus standing left with Victory & scepter, shield resting on globe; control letter G to left
Rome January-February 44 BC
3.81g, 18mm
RSC 34
ex. Andrew McCabe
plugged and ex-mount

 

I've often wondered if the ones like Doug's and mine with multiple holes were attached to a garment of some sort. To my knowledge there is no evidence of this but it reminds me of Erastus Fulman from HBO's Rome. He has a tunic with coins sewn into it (I know its just Hollywood, bring out the leather armor!) Or perhaps it was used as a replacement piece of squamata that has fallen off especially the ones with 3 or 4 holes. The placement of these holes is very similar to the placement on squamata scales.

 

My latest holey is an anepigraphic Constantius II. I'm not sure how to count the holes... one and a half?


Pretty clear which side was for display on this Abdera drachm.


Claudius sestertius... humble start to the next set I'll be working on - the Holed Twelve Caesars.

 

I'm surprised nobody posted one yet, but sometimes the hole is intentional....


Zhou Dynasty, State of Yan, 300 - 220 BC
Lead 18mm, 1.9 grams
Obverse: Yi Hua.
Reverse: Ji.

References:
Hartill 6.20
FD 384

 

Two stories from history about holed coins. On the first voyage of Columbus to the New World (or the Indies, as he saw it) to encourage the lookouts to be extra vigilant, he nailed a gold coin (500 marivades, I think) to the Santa Maria's main mast as a reward for being the first to spot land. The second involved frontiersman (and US Congressman) Davy Crocket who was invited to demonstrate his shooting ability by firing at a 50 cent piece nailed to a fence post at a hundred paces with his long rifle, Betsey. Crocket said no, he would not do that as it would pull a US coin out of circulation. What he did was trace the outline of the coin onto the post and fire at that. PS He plugged the outline dead center.

 

I don't have many with holes not intended, but when this early follis for Constantius I from Aquilea came along with a rare reverse, I did not hesitate to take the bait.

The hole is actually the same size on both sides, but since it is unevenly filled with hard soil that is not entirely uniform it only appears larger on the obverse. I like that it is naturally filled and did not want to try to clean it on the obverse. It is what it is.

 

Why not?

Like a Boss!

 

ALL of these are interesting to me

 

I don’t think I have any ancients with holes but I bought this one pretty recently. I think it was used as a button but I’m guessing at that.

 

Dated 1382, the following holed Grosso was struck in Venice. It has Christ on obverse, and Saint Marc with the Doge on reverse.

 

Charles I (1625 - 1649 A.D.)
AR Shilling
O: CAROLVS D G MAG BRI FRA ET HIB REX (Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland), crowned bust left, XII (value mark) behind.
R: CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO (I reign under the auspices of Christ), cross moline over square-topped shield coat-of-arms. Triangle-in-circle mintmark.
Tower Mint
6.16g
30mm
SCBC 2799, North 2231

Possibly holed in history as a "Touch Piece", AKA a Good Luck Charm