These coins of Gallienus demonstrate some of the worst lapses in quality control at the mint. This isn't post-mint damage or the effects of corrosion. These coins looked awful immediately after striking. Post your coins that illustrate shoddy workmanship at the mint!
Talk about a flan that's way too small for the die. Claudius II Gothicus, AD 268-270. Æ Antoninianus, 17mm, 3.3g, 12h; Rome mint. Obv.: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG; Radiate and draped bust right. Obv.: IOVI VICTORI; Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and scepter. Reference: RIC Va 54, p. 215 Ex: YOC Collection
Some of the best 'worst 3rd century coins' were struck during the reign of Gallienus. Here is high grade (I would call it EF) Gallienus with a weak strike and pitted surfaces. The surfaces show very little actual wear. The micro porosity intermittent around the coin reveals the thinness of the original silvering layer. This thin silver layer is intact in the bottom of large pits on Gallienus's cheek and neck area. These pits were present when the coin was struck. Likely the result of a planchet flaws or being struck through debris. I am in the struck through debris camp on most of the pitting.
i have one of those too..an unlucky strike on the obverse on a few of those Chersonesus half drachms..but yeah, Gallienus's coins reek of what seems like plain non qualified celators..it just not one or two, but all.. the very best of his coins look crappy to me.
Wow, @Roman Collector, those are some wonderful examples of what the mint workers were (in)capable of at the time. I love em!
This problem bothered Aurelian to the point that he forced the Roman mint into doing their job with a little more care. His earliest coins look like those of his immediate predecessors. Following the revolt of mint workers under Felicissimus. it is amazing what can be accomplished with a little guidance and, perhaps, a few executions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicissimus
An atypically bad specimen from Antioch. Oblong flan, off-centre, and double struck. What more could you ask for? Titus as Caesar AR Denarius, 2.98g Antioch Mint, 72-73 AD RIC V1561 (C). BMC V516. RSC 122. RPC 1933 ( 14 spec.). Obv: T CAES IMP VESP PON TR POT; Bust of Titus, laureate, draped, bearded, r. Rev: NEP RED; Neptune stg. l., foot on globe, with acrostolium and sceptre Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.
Kindom of Paeonia, Patraos, Silver Tetradrachm Obv:– Laureate head of Apollo right with short hair right. Rev:– PATRAOU, armed warrior on horse prancing right, spearing fallen enemy who holds spear and shield, EM monogram in left field Minted in Kindom of Paeonia, Patraos from . B.C. 335 - 315. Ref:– SNG Oxford 3359 (different dies) 12.646g, 27.5mm, 90 degrees Obverse struck off centre, so much so that the die alignment mark (bottom of obverse) has come into view.
To save space, I'll avoid the 3rd century and the Romano-Gallic Empire. Has anyone ever gotten a full obverse portrait on one of these? These also come in very weird shapes: Moving forward into to Rome: and into the 4th century, where it gets easier to find slipshod workmanship, to the point where it becomes difficult to avoid it:
That's interesting about Felicissimus. This is one of the most educational sites about ancient history on the web.
My Athena is close but not quite (lost most of the plume and the very tip of her nose.) I got close to a good one from Thasos.... My Rom example of your type is better but still pretty bad
Kevin in flan quality control strikes again... The coins of Tetricus I and Tetricus were a low point in Roman numismatics history, not to be repeated or exceeded until the last 4 decades of the Western Roman Empire.
How about off-centre and uneven strike. Probably saw the flan was off-centre and then adjusted the swing and blam you get this.... This image helps you see the reverse being very off centre This image helps you see the uneven nature of the strike. The flan is still full thickness on the left and more and more thin across the coin. This stretched out the flan too.... This does mean that some of the detail on the Pegasus is still there but this coin is in such a state that it would put lots of people off. I like it because it shows hints of part of the process of making these.
The great thing about poor quality control is that I can generally afford their botched efforts, thousands of years later. Workers for Roman Republican moneyers L. Valerius Flaccus, D. Junius L. f. Silanus, and Meniskos in Dyrrhachium were all having a bad day here:
A testament to the Persians at the gates in the East, the Germans on the Rhine-Danube, and a free for all of usurpers just about everywhere within the empire.