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<p>[QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 3420160, member: 44316"]About Class A3. Class A2 began c. 976 and lasted until 1025 or maybe 1034 [Grierson]. That's 50 years. Fifty! It is no wonder that inflation made coins become smaller. We saw it under Justinian after his coin reform when the new dated facing-bust coins became smaller over the years. It is expected. Class A2 coins also became smaller over the years. Metcalf proposed that some were from mints in central Greece (as opposed to Constantinople). They were cruder and smaller and distinguished "Class A3". The thesis by Vesso (link on my website) studied the issue and found the previous distinctions were unfounded and there were probably not separate mints. The sizes diminish, but more or less on a continuum. They were all one type, not two (so, A2 and A3 are not distinct).</p><p><br /></p><p>Collectors like bigger coins, so I suppose labeling a coin "A3" tells you it is not one of the big ones, but so would "Class A2, 24 mm [or whatever diameter it is]" which would be more informative. </p><p><br /></p><p>I agree it is difficult to justify clipping AE coins. However, look at the OP coin. From 10:00 to 2:00 the edge is pealed up the way it never is on regular coin until the medieval period when coins are punched out of sheets of metal. The side view [USER=76544]@Brian Bucklan[/USER] shows also it is pealed up. There is no way a broad die could strike a coin and make that feature. Something happened post-production.</p><p><br /></p><p>So, here is my proposal. When there is one denomination which 40 years ago was 15-20 grams and 33 mm or more and the same denomination is now 10 grams and 25 mm or less and you have one of the old ones, you might think "Why should I spend a better coin when it would still be good enough if I trimmed it a bit?" We know from many coins of the seventh and eighth centuries that Byzantine cut smaller flans from larger coins. (Think of all those triangular Justinian II coins and cut Constans II coins.) Maybe copper is not very valuable, but it is not worthless, either. So, you get out your chisel and a few whacks later you have a spendable coin and some copper to boot.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 3420160, member: 44316"]About Class A3. Class A2 began c. 976 and lasted until 1025 or maybe 1034 [Grierson]. That's 50 years. Fifty! It is no wonder that inflation made coins become smaller. We saw it under Justinian after his coin reform when the new dated facing-bust coins became smaller over the years. It is expected. Class A2 coins also became smaller over the years. Metcalf proposed that some were from mints in central Greece (as opposed to Constantinople). They were cruder and smaller and distinguished "Class A3". The thesis by Vesso (link on my website) studied the issue and found the previous distinctions were unfounded and there were probably not separate mints. The sizes diminish, but more or less on a continuum. They were all one type, not two (so, A2 and A3 are not distinct). Collectors like bigger coins, so I suppose labeling a coin "A3" tells you it is not one of the big ones, but so would "Class A2, 24 mm [or whatever diameter it is]" which would be more informative. I agree it is difficult to justify clipping AE coins. However, look at the OP coin. From 10:00 to 2:00 the edge is pealed up the way it never is on regular coin until the medieval period when coins are punched out of sheets of metal. The side view [USER=76544]@Brian Bucklan[/USER] shows also it is pealed up. There is no way a broad die could strike a coin and make that feature. Something happened post-production. So, here is my proposal. When there is one denomination which 40 years ago was 15-20 grams and 33 mm or more and the same denomination is now 10 grams and 25 mm or less and you have one of the old ones, you might think "Why should I spend a better coin when it would still be good enough if I trimmed it a bit?" We know from many coins of the seventh and eighth centuries that Byzantine cut smaller flans from larger coins. (Think of all those triangular Justinian II coins and cut Constans II coins.) Maybe copper is not very valuable, but it is not worthless, either. So, you get out your chisel and a few whacks later you have a spendable coin and some copper to boot.[/QUOTE]
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