mc9 Posted December 31, 2024 · Member Posted December 31, 2024 (edited) Here a very common coin from Constantinus II, Does enyone have an idea why the first E in Exercitus is written in mirror writing. The other letters seems to be wright. Was this a joke from the die cutter to work symmetrical iaExErc ? obv : CONSTANTINUS IVN NOB C : Bust laureated and cuirassed right rev : glor - ia Exerc - itus // SMALA : 2 soldiers standing facing another, holding reverse spear and resing hand on shield, between them, 2 standards RIC VII 59, Alexandria, folles, 2,32 gr, 18 mm Thank you for looking, wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous 2025. MC9 Edited December 31, 2024 by mc9 5 Quote
ambr0zie Posted December 31, 2024 · Member Posted December 31, 2024 Normally, there are 2 possibilies - human error when engraving the die - unofficial issue WIthout being a specialist in LRBs, I think this is the first option. The style appears official. I don't think the die cutters had time (or mood) for this kind of jokes. Plus, remember that A LOT of people were illiterate so few would get the joke. So just a human error in my opinion. As this type had an enormous number of dies, I don't think anybody cared or noticed. About the barbarous/unofficial, here is an example of a GLORIA EXERCITVS - but this one is unofficial. Other letters are incorrect + difference in style. And here is my favorite unofficial issue, a Domitian denarius. 7 1 Quote
Tejas Posted January 1 · Member Posted January 1 (edited) I see a third possibility: I think this is a regular E, but with strong serifes, which - given considerable surface corrosion - make the E look inverted. Edited January 1 by Tejas 2 Quote
ambr0zie Posted January 2 · Member Posted January 2 Very likely - new it looks like the inverted E is an optical illusion. Quote
mc9 Posted January 3 · Member Author Posted January 3 (edited) Well, i don't think so. On the left side of the first letter E you can clearly see the same " ends" as on the end of the right letter E. This coin came from a " restlot " of 63 coins i bought 15 years ago, ( 38 gloria exercitus ( 24 from Alexandria ), 15 Constantinopolis Victoria on prow and 10 she wulf and the twins ), found around Tobtouck in Afrika in 1943. I found one more inverted E gloria exercitus with 2 standards and 1 with 1 standard with the same inverted E. All of the same mintmark. Edited January 3 by mc9 Quote
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