Annia Faustina Tooling question

[kirispupis]

Hello everyone,

In the spirit of learning more about what's tooled and what's not, I'd like opinions on this coin.

In full disclosure:

• I waited until it was sold before mentioning it here in case someone was interested in it
• I did not bid on it, even though I've been interested in an Annia Faustina provincial, mainly because I didn't have the budget. However, had I the budget, I would have wondered.

To my untrained eyes, it looks suspicious based on a search of the few others of the type, but I'd appreciate the opinions of those more qualified to make such judgement. What makes me curious are her eyes and the relative details gives the rough surface, but if I'm wrong I'd appreciate learning.

[CPK]

I'm probably the least qualified here to offer an opinion, but to me the surfaces seems pretty uniformly rough on both the high and low surfaces, across the entire design. Wouldn't tooling tend to create a more noticeable contrast? Also, with the high points of the cheek and forehead affording some protection against wear, I don't think that the eye is unduly detailed. The coin looks okay to me.

But again, I'm nothing like an expert on spotting tooling. I'd be interested in hearing other people's opinions too.

[shanxi]

In comparison with a die match, I don't see any "invented" structures, only the left side of Mount Argaeus looks different.  I think it's also hard to tool such a rough coin without it showing. 

 

Double die match: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/244252

 

The other thing is the patina. Chemically cleaned and repatinated ?

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by shanxi

[kirispupis]

1 hour ago, CPK said:

I'm probably the least qualified here to offer an opinion, but to me the surfaces seems pretty uniformly rough on both the high and low surfaces, across the entire design. Wouldn't tooling tend to create a more noticeable contrast? Also, with the high points of the cheek and forehead affording some protection against wear, I don't think that the eye is unduly detailed. The coin looks okay to me.

44 minutes ago, shanxi said:

In comparison with a die match, I don't see any "invented" structures, only the left side of Mount Argaeus looks different.  I think it's also hard to tool such a rough coin without it showing. 

Thanks! So it appears my suspicions were incorrect. These comments do help me though improve in determining which coins are tooled vs not, so I appreciate the help.

In terms of the coin, the highest bid was 220 when I noticed it last night. After looking at comparables, I felt a bid of 750 was appropriate, but that was way over my budget for a low priority coin and with several major targets coming up. I debated putting a low ball bid of 300, but if I won I felt that would put my auction total still too high, so I skipped it.

When I lost out on my top target for the auction along with most of my others, I reconsidered putting a bid in, but I was concerned about the potential for tooling and I was still worried about major targets at other auctions, so I didn't even bother looking at the latest bid.

The coin wound up going for 1700, so at least under no situation would I ever have been in play... 🙂 

[Kali]

The coin looks fine to me too. I would add it to my collection, but not for 1700.

[Steppenfool]

I am also totally unqualified. I can see why you are concerned. There's a certain element of "pop" to this example on both the portrait and the reverse design which doesn't seem present on the surrounding legends. It seems more likely to me that there has been some very subtle removal of material in the fields around the devices to produce that pop. However, the rough surfaces on the fields might disqualify that, unless a real master has been at work? I am only speculating though, and as I stated, I am not qualified to make any statements, nevermind definitive ones.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Steppenfool

[maridvnvm]

I am far from expert here. I don't see any evident tooling but it looks as thought it has been stripped back to bare metal and chemically toned.

[seth77]

Very nice coin but 1700 is extreme. It would have been a great 300EUR coin though.

[Praefectus]

Here is an example of a more affordable Annia Faustina: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/praefectus_coins/130/product/phrygia_hierapolis_annia_faustina_augusta_221_ae_25_very_rare/2005567/Default.aspx

 

[shanxi]

I got this one for 240 Euro. The portrait is nice and the important part of the legend "...A ΦΑΥϹ..."is readable. Good enough for a "head collection".

 

Annia Faustina, Augusta

PHRYGIA. Hierapolis.

Obv.: Diademed and draped bust of Annia Faustina to right; ΑΝΝΙΑ ΦΑΥϹΤЄΙΝΑ ϹЄΒ D.

Rev. Tyche standing front, head to left, holding patera in her right hand and cornucopiae containing infant Plutos with her left; to left, flaming altar., ΙЄΡΑΠΟΛЄΙΤΩΝ ΝЄΩΚΟΡΩ/Ν T

AE,  9.55g, 26.39mm

Ref.: Johnston 35-7. RPC VI online 5444