The Worst Flans of the Ancient World

I wonder if the celator ever got sad that their excellent art get butchered on the worst flans possible..

 

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An artist never truly appreciated.

 

Yeah, with medievals, 'striking crack' is a term of art. Got to second you on that point.
Except, @furryfrog02 nailed it regarding the engraving and absence of wear. ...And what the celator would have thought of the net result.
The first ancient I ever got (age 6) was a Victorinus. Overpriced, but who knew? Same for the flan. ...Just lately, people here have gone deeper into the weeds about Gallic Empire flans than I could on the basis of one example. But in an otherwise good example, like yours, the engraving style is kind of compelling. Only most conspicuously where Postumus and Victorinus are concerned.

 

This could almost serve as a bottle opener

 

I guess if the coin is in the Georgian National Collection it must be genuine. However, my experience with these coins suggests that it is a modern reproduction, i.e. I don't think that it dates to the time of Queen Tamar and Georgi Lasha.

 

Pseudo-Attic drachm, Gaza or Raphia, 353-343 BC. AR 4.27 g.


Pseudo-Attic drachm, Gaza or Raphia, 353-343 BC. AR 4.31 g. This one is funny, the owl seems to go out of the coin.

Not my coins ! From the Qasr el-Pasha Museum, Gaza City.

 

Surprisingly, my next addition is Claudius II. Not really known for awful flans, but they do happen.
Trumps my "tumorous" Claudius II I posted previously.

 

Latin Emperors of Constantinople, AD 1204-1261. Æ (20x22mm, 1.19g, 6h) Small Module, Constantinople mint. Obv: MP-OV; The Virgin nibate, wearing tunic and maphorion, seated upon throne with back; holds beardless, nimbate head of Christ on breast. Rev: Full-length figure of emperor, wearing stemma, divitision and chlamys; holds in right hand labarun on long shft and anexikakia in left. Ref: SB 2044; Doc IV.-Pl. LII-B30.2. Good Fine, nice patina, small striking area on a highly uneven flan.

 

Not the worst, but this is quite sharp and could easily cut its way out of a money purse.

 

I have a soft spot for ragged flans. The one below was one of my earliest ancient coin purchases & I bought it at the time for the flan. Little did I know it is good silver for him & heavy for the type.


Gallienus (253 - 268 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right.
R: IOVI CONSERVA, Jupiter standing left, head turned right, holding scepter in right and thunderbolt in left.
5.1g
24mm
RIC 143F (Rome) Sear 10237

 

Gallienus is a victim of the "more silver, worse flan" disease

 

I forget about this one. Although not ancient, it's still hammered. It's one of the raggiest flans I own. Has a lovely hole to boot.


Charles I (1625 - 1649)
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