Pierced Through the Eye?

[John Conduitt]

Holed Roman coins are a puzzle, even if they are most likely the remnants of jewellery made sometime in the last 2000 years. I suspect this Magnentius was used as jewellery, given the location of the hole, although it is not particularly neatly done. It’s odd that it’s a coin of Magnentius, given once he’d lost to Constantius II you wouldn’t have wanted to flaunt your support for him lest you got a visit from Paulus Catena (Paul the Chain). Still, he was popular in Britain in the few years he reigned.

Magnentius Centenionalis, 350-353

Ambianum. Bronze, 24mm, 3.38g. Bust of Magnentius, bareheaded, draped, cuirassed, right; A behind bust; D N MAGNEN-TIVS P F AVG. Magnentius, draped, cuirassed, galloping right, spearing barbarian kneeling below horse with outstretched arms with right hand and holding shield on left arm; below horse, shield and broken spear; GLORIA ROMANORVM; AMB-palm branch right (RIC VIII, 4). Found during excavations of the Fell Mill site, Shipston-on-Stour, 12 September 1999.

This coin, however, is less explainable. The hole is straight through the eye. It’s a small coin but the hole is very precise - it seems someone made a particular effort to gouge the emperor’s eye out. Surely, it wasn’t for jewellery. Other explanations – nailed to a shrine, sewn onto armour, used as a button – do not fit. Were they just bored? It must have been done in Roman times because it was found in a hoard from around 400, just before the Romans left Britain. The Saxons were particularly keen on piercing coins, but it wasn’t them. Being in a currency hoard also seems to rule out it being used decoratively or for a practical purpose.

4th Century Nummus, 364-378

Uncertain mint. Bronze, 15mm, 1.22g. Emperor (Valentinian I-II, Valens or Gratian), pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right. Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm; SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE (cf. RIC IX, 19a). From the Winterslow Hoard, buried around 400.

In the same hoard there is another coin, seemingly of the same type, with a hole that also goes through the eye, although less neatly. Why pierce such small coins, and why through the emperor’s eye? I don’t know who the emperor is, but it would be strange for it to be some sort of damnatio memoriae aimed at the eyes. But you never know, if it’s Valentinian II, the British might still have been upset about the execution of Magnus Maximus...

4th Century Nummus, 364-378
Uncertain mint. Bronze, 13mm, 0.91g. Emperor (Valentinian I-II, Valens or Gratian), pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right. Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm; SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE (cf. RIC IX, 19a). From the Winterslow Hoard, buried around 400.

Does anyone else have coins with holes in the eyes?

[Victor_Clark]

 

 

holed in antiquity, perhaps for use as a sieve

 

 

Magnentius
A.D. 350-3
25x27mm 8.7g
D N MAGNENTIVS P F AVG; bare-headed, draped & cuirassed bust right
SALVS DD NN AVG ET CAES; large Chi-Rho flanked by A-W
In ex. PAR
RIC VIII Arles 194

[Heliodromus]

Here's my Constantine "Festival of Isis" amulet, also "pierced through the eye", although I hadn't previously thought of it as such, and in this case at least I'd say it was just a matter of the wearer not caring about the hole placement.

I've written before about the Festival of Isis amulets, and they are probably the most frequently holed series you'll find, reflecting them commonly being worn as protective amulets (presumably by sailors). The hole placement on these is varied - typically at top or bottom with little regard to what part of the design the hole goes through, othertimes more carefully placed to avoid design elements, and othertimes yet just bang through the emperor or deities' head presumably with no ill will intended!

Edited December 18, 2024 by Heliodromus

[Deinomenid]

54 minutes ago, John Conduitt said:

Were they just bored?

I see what you did there!

 

[John Conduitt]

2 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

Here's my Constantine "Festival of Isis" amulet, also "pierced through the eye", although I hadn't previously thought of it as such, and in this case at least I'd say it was just a matter of the wearer not caring about the hole placement.

I've written before about the Festival of Isis amulets, and they are probably the most frequently holed series you'll find, reflecting them commonly being worn as protective amulets (presumably by sailors). The hole placement on these is varied - typically at top or bottom with little regard to what part of the design the hole goes through, othertimes more carefully placed to avoid design elements, and othertimes yet just bang through the emperor or deities' head presumably with no ill will intended!

Yes perhaps mine is for the same purpose, but someone just got more creative with where they stuck the hole.

[Harry G]

4 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

Here's my Constantine "Festival of Isis" amulet, also "pierced through the eye", although I hadn't previously thought of it as such, and in this case at least I'd say it was just a matter of the wearer not caring about the hole placement.

I've written before about the Festival of Isis amulets, and they are probably the most frequently holed series you'll find, reflecting them commonly being worn as protective amulets (presumably by sailors). The hole placement on these is varied - typically at top or bottom with little regard to what part of the design the hole goes through, othertimes more carefully placed to avoid design elements, and othertimes yet just bang through the emperor or deities' head presumably with no ill will intended!

Here's my Isis example! It's also holed.

DEO SERAPIDI - Draped bust of Serapis r., left arm outstretched.

VOTA PVBLICA - Anubis standing l. with sistrum and caduceus.

[Heliodromus]

27 minutes ago, Harry G said:

Draped bust of Serapis r., left arm outstretched.

Quite a rare obverse - I've only seen one other with Serapis with his hand extended like this.

Sternberg XII.875 Nov. 1982.

Reverse here is Isis and her sister Nephthis (both winged, with Uraeus headgear). Obverse is Sol-Serapis per Serapis's minimally radiate depiction. I think yours may be Sol-Serapis too. This one also holded, this time carefully done.

[JayAg47]

Reminds me of this coin I recently got at a coin show! 
There’s a tradition in India, particularly rural Tamil region where people ‘sacrifice’ coins for their vows to gods by cutting it in half, thus ‘killing’ it. It’s effectively a cheaper way to perform sacrifices than buying a goat or a bull or a chicken. So I guess people sacrificed these coins by making a hole through the emperors eyes thus rendering the coin invalid, I mean who dares to spend a coin that has a mutilated emperor or even a god like with this drachm? Provided it occurs within the borders of the kingdom or the empire. 

Edited December 18, 2024 by JayAg47

[John Conduitt]

13 minutes ago, JayAg47 said:

Reminds me of this coin I recently got at a coin show! 

The definitely meant to do that - the exit hole is at the back. And it can be a pendant!

[panzerman]

Talking about holes....

 

There is an IDE-MAR Aureus that some ninkonpoop punched a hole thru🤐 stupid or what?

[Aziz]

On 12/19/2024 at 5:18 AM, panzerman said:

Talking about holes....

 

There is an IDE-MAR Aureus that some ninkonpoop punched a hole thru🤐 stupid or what?

Here you go 

[Gallienus]

8 hours ago, Aziz said:

Here you go 

Well that nickompoop was possibly a Roman legionary who fought with the forces of Pompey or other Roman Republican forces. Obviously against Marc Anthony/  Octavian and was proud of the assassination.

At a latter time Germanic chieftains holed Roman auerii to wear around their necks. When the supplies of Roman aureii ran out they minted their own imitatives ones with holes & later mounts for wearing. 

Edited December 21, 2024 by Gallienus

[Heliodromus]

2 hours ago, Gallienus said:

Well that nickompoop was possibly a Roman legionary

Probably some grubby-fingered individual like this:

[panzerman]

Just irks me....I want MS Bulgarian AV 4 Dukaten Ferdinand I (1916/7/8) and Boris III 1926. Every bloody coin when they appear on auction s either holed or skillfully repaired (pluged)

Why would anyone want to desecrate beautifull coins? Just like some dumb noble etching "X" value on a 10 Dukaten piece.

Also just looked at Fugger gold coins. They struck 10//11/12/ 13/ 14 D. coins/ yet no value. How would someone tell difference between a 12 & 13 D coin? So if someone would buy a horse for 12D in 1614/ Germany/ would horse seller need a weigh scale? I know the Bohemia 1629 series 100D/ 50D/ 40 D had value on bottom of obv. This ex. was in Adams Coll.

now in ??????

[Sulla80]

This guy seems to have been handy with an awl.

Edited December 21, 2024 by Sulla80