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what's going on with this Anastasius follis?


Nerosmyfavorite68

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AnastasiusI-498-517-AEFollis-Constantinople33mm_17.63gpartiallyuncleaned.jpg.41cdeaf36e808c05c9a7b880405454bb.jpg

33mm, 17.63g.

I bought this partially uncleaned Anastasius follis, which is still en route.  What's going on with the weird cone on the front of his face?  Die break? Encrustation?

And wasn't there a similar thread somewhat recently?  A search turned up nothing for me but I recall something about a bearded Anastasius.

I haven't yet gotten around to opening the relevant Sear volume and finding what number it is.  This coin was a throw-in addition to a larger order.

 

 

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It needs to be cleaned first, what looks like a beard now might be clearer after some Verdi care. Right now, like you I see a long beard. I would not consider it conclusive until you have it in hand. IMHO

Simon

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Yes, but I have zero cleaning skills and I buy uncleaneds because I want to leave them that way.  I'll have to examine the green spots on both the obverse and reverse, but it kind of looks to me more like verdigris deposits.  The other one was a more mundane unbearded example but had more probable BD.  I normally avoid BD coins but I took a gamble with this inexpensive one.  The green in the bar of the M is more worrisome but I won't know until I get it in hand.

 

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OOOOOHHHHH!!!!! Do I have a post for you!!!!! I have your answer! I know! For real, not a guess!

 


 

 

 

(Page down for dramatic effect….)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Get ready…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Almost to the answer!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOOOOM!

AnastasiusISB19B.JPG.6f488cdae2e8f7c273520f7295956664.JPG

Your coin is either a die match to mine… or the same thing happened twice. The coin is either an over strike, or a flip over double strike. I think the chin cone is a feature from a past coin or from the reverse “M”! Cool huh?! Nice coin!

…now I feel like I should have waited and let the mystery simmer for awhile. I got excited.

Edited by Orange Julius
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Anastasius was a really amazing emperor.  Too bad his coins aren't more attractive.

My only other one (that I rememember) was a better one (but nothing world-beating) that my father purchased for me, 25 years ago.

There's something  going on, part of the left top of the reverse M is missing (and it doesn't look like corrosion took it out) and the officina letter and O from the mintmark below it are obliterated/weak.

This one might benefit by popping it into the oven, once it arrives.

I'll have to see if it's moderate bd or just leftover verdigris.  There was another, partially uncleaned one which had an undamaged face but the legends were worse and it had a more probable bd case.

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20 minutes ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Anastasius was a really amazing emperor.  Too bad his coins aren't more attractive.

My only other one (that I rememember) was a better one (but nothing world-beating) that my father purchased for me, 25 years ago.

There's something  going on, part of the left top of the reverse M is missing (and it doesn't look like corrosion took it out) and the officina letter and O from the mintmark below it are obliterated/weak.

This one might benefit by popping it into the oven, once it arrives.

I'll have to see if it's moderate bd or just leftover verdigris.  There was another, partially uncleaned one which had an undamaged face but the legends were worse and it had a more probable bd case.

He was the dude who left 28 million solidi in the Treasury.

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Yes.  Please return, Anastasius!

He survived Vitalian's rebellions and all the Constantinople riots.

One wonders why someone before him didn't think of making a larger coin.  The nummus must have been pretty worthless.  I would presume that Constantinople (and other cities) still had street vendors in the 5th-early sixth century.  Even buying a snack must have been fairly difficult. 

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