al marco

[Sulla80]

This must have been one overweight flan - the mint worker appears to have removed more than a few scoops of silver from the obverse of this coin to try to improve the average weight of his batch of denarius flans.

An explanation for this technique was published by Clive Stannard in "The adjustment al marco of the weight of Roman Republican denarii" by Clive Stannard in Metallurgy in Numismatics, Volume 3 (RNS Special Publication No. 24, 1993), pp. 45-70.

Notes: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/attis-cybele

On this particular coin the depth of the correction and nicely centered strike overall makes this coin more interesting and appealing.

Post your "al marco" examples and anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Sulla80

[Kali]

Publius Furius Crassipes (84 B.C.)

AR Denarius
O: AED CVR, turretted head of Cybele right. Long oval gouge and tool mark across Cybele's head (al marco weight adjustments).
R: Curule chair inscribed P FOVRIUS, CRASSIPES in exergue.
Rome Mint
3.9g
20.5mm
RCV 275

Publius Furius strikes here not as moneyer, but as a special issue in his role as Curule Aedile, hence the curule chair bearing his name. 

 

[DonnaML]

46 minutes ago, Sulla80 said:

This must have been one overweight flan - the mint workers appears to have removed more than a few scoops of silver from the obverse of this coin to try to improve the average weight of his batch of denarius flans.

And explanation for this technique was published by Clive Stannard in "The adjustment al marco of the weight of Roman Republican denarii" by Clive Stannard in Metallurgy in Numismatics, Volume 3 (RNS Special Publication No. 24, 1993), pp. 45-70.

On this particular coin the depth of the correction and nicely centered strike overall makes this coin more interesting and appealing.

Post you "al marco" examples and anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

 

Just curious as to what the coin weighs after the adjustment. My four M. Volteius types, including my example of this one, range from 3.84 to 3.96 grams.

[Edessa]

Roman Republic. Mn. Fonteius C.f. 85 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 3.78g, 1h). Rome mint. Obv: Laureate head of Vejovis (or Apollo) right; MN•FONTEI downwards behind; C•F below chin; thunderbolt below head. Rev: Infant winged Genius (or Cupid) seated on goat, which is standing right; pilei of the Dioscuri above; thyrsus with fillet in exergue; all within laurel wreath. Ref: Crawford 353/1c; Sydenham 724a; Fonteia 10; RBW 1351. About Very Fine, nicely toned, adjustment mark on reverse. 

[maridvnvm]

I have a couple of weight adjusted coins of Lucius Papius.

L Papius Denarius Serratus

Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, cooking pot with hook.
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, triple flesh-hook
Minted in Rome from B.C. 79.
Reference:– RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC 13. Babelon 13. BMCRR 35. CNR: 1/049.

3.44 gms

An ugly, corroded example

Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, base of column.
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, corinthian capital
Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79.
Reference(s) – RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC 21. Babelon 81. BMCRR 21. CNR 1/034

3.41 gms

[Sulla80]

21 hours ago, DonnaML said:

Just curious as to what the coin weighs after the adjustment. My four M. Volteius types, including my example of this one, range from 3.84 to 3.96 grams.

I should have included that: 3.77g

[Sulla80]

Notes on this coin : https://www.sullacoins.com/post/attis-cybele

[Limes]

Thanks for sharing. Never heard of 'al marco' before. 

[Sulla80]

Experimenting with AI image generation DALL e 3 - found this original image to be somewhat impressive....

Edited November 8, 2023 by Sulla80

[Marsyas Mike]

Interesting post @Sulla80.  A few years back I got an al marco'd denarius very cheap, I think because the seller thought it was outright damage:

Roman Republic Denarius L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus  (62 B.C.) Rome Mint Concordia veiled & diademed r., PAVLLVS LEPIDVS CONCORDIA / TER PAVLVS above and under L Aemilius Paullus standing r., trophy, Perseus and two sons captive on the left. Aemilia 10; Crawford 415/1. (3.83 grams / 19 mm) eBay April 2020  

Note:  Al marco marks obverse:  "...many Roman Republican denarii  issues between 123 & 49/48 BC were adjusted al marco...adjust the flans before striking, by gouging slivers of metal...with a scorper. This produces characteristic undercut lunate ‘judder' marks, belly forward across the cut. The metal of the judders folds over, and the judder is usually visible..." Clive Stannard

Another view of the mark - note the "judder":

 

 

[Alegandron]

Roman Republic
C POBLICIUS Q f 80 BCE
AR Denarius serratus 3.94g Rome mint
Flan weight control gouge reverse (Stannard al marco Scoop)
Hercules strangling Nemean lion, club, quiver
Craw 380-1 Syd 768