3 solidus of the same Basil the Macedonian was sold in the last pecunem auction: They are all the same. The first one looks like it has been swelled unlike the second which looks “normal”. The second has a scar on the right side of Jesus’ face. The third looks like it has been grinded so heavily on the reverse side. So I have 3 questions in which I am not entirely sure if they would be answered: 1) Why does the first and third solidus look like they have been swelled? Did they once look like the second solidus before they transformed? Bad struck? Different diet? Bad flan which was too warm when strucked? Was it on a house that burned and thus it melted a bit? 2) The scar on Jesus on the second solidus. That was done by someone with a knife to ensure it was not a fourree? Right? I know a couple of Athen’s silver-owl-drachme-something have such thing. But this is first time I see it on a Solidus. 3)Why should anyone grind the third coins so bad on reverse side? They all are 19mm. In weight respectively: 4,09g 4,40g 3,75g
Its called "style". Its one of the most difficult things for modern collectors to understand. Ancient coins were not massed produced from a single master hub like modern coins. Each die was crafted individually. So, naturally, there are large variations in artistic talent shown in each die. Many would say advanced collectors are distinguished by their collecting only high style, or artistically superior examples. If you look @AncientJoe and @TIF and some other collectors here, I would say you will find that to be true.
Thanks for the nod, @medoraman . I definitely have some "fine style" coins but also buy many that other people wouldn't look at twice. I've posted this example before but it perfectly illustrates the vast differences in style seen in some series of coins. These are tetradrachms of Agathokles. The first is of the finest style and is very uncommon. It is owned by AncientJoe, lucky dog : The next coin is also a tetradrachm of Agathokles (image from CNG's archives). Eww! Kore looks like a hag and the overall style and execution is comparatively terrible: Obviously, there is a tremendous price difference between the two.
Which makes ancient coins and even Medieval so much more enjoyable to collect. I know thats why I got more into ancients because even though they may have the same subjects on both sides, they really don't look the same. Even same dies used can be different thanks to strikes. I think that's why U.S. collectors have their VAMS/OVERTON and whatever else they can come up with to differentiate the same designs of a particular coin & try and make them "worth more".
Man I love Joe's collection. I showed his site to my son and now he actively collects ancients. He knows more than me about them, but that is still about nothing. The good news is now I can drag him to coin shows with me, but the bad news is that he has really great taste and is dipping into my coin budget. Better than spending it on a video game I guess.
Gold wears differently than silver or bronze often looking a bit squashed. Being so soft makes it easy to mark, scratch or damage.
Just read about Vams/Overton numbers. My God. It really is a case of obsessive compulsive disorder if people care about this level of minutiae. I can understand appreciation for ancient coins better - it really is an appreciation of art and history.
Herberto => I'm lovin' all three of your OP-goldie examples, but I think that the 2nd example is probably my favourite (I guess it merely depends upon the dude that's making the dies => I'm guessing that sometimes you get the master's examples and sometimes you get the pupil's stuff?) Oh, and I'd die to have TIF's lower-end example!! (one man's Eww, is another man's Wow!!)
If I had never seen AJ's coin, I probably wouldn't be so negative about the lower-end example. For the right price I wouldn't turn up my nose at the less artistic version.
I've always thought myself quite able to see beauty in something lacking Classical artistry, but Steve is clearly more evolved in this regard. My face when I saw the second example after taking in AJ's...
Absolutely not little brother. It's gorgeous. But sometimes when you compare our patrician coins to the likes of AJs, it makes you cringe. Your coin is a beauty. To put it in context, it's like comparing our beautiful wives to: http://wackymania.com/top-20-most-beautiful-women-in-the-world/
And so it should be. My wife does not think she is beautiful or even pretty. But in my opinion she is a 10 in all ways.
