Transcript Counterstamped and Chopmarked Coins From Around the World

Countermarked Coins
From Around The World
Introduction
The marking of coins after minting:
•Common practice for as long as coinage has existed
•Define Countermark
• Reasons for adding marks and stamps
•Look at the design, form and meaning
Definition
Counterstamp/Countermark:
• A mark added to a coin
• Subsequent to minting
• With a purpose
•Usually incuse into the design
• Bears some kind of recognizable
design, text, initials, or picture.
Reasons to add a Counterstamp
•Assayer’s mark-Validate weight, metal content and purity
•Satisfy a shortage- use someone else’s coins
•Political or Economic Takeover
•Establish Independent State
•Status- Indicate ownership
PART 1- Ancient Greece and Roman Empire
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC- Aegina
Aegina- Island Nation south of Athens, Greece
http://www.ancient-greece.org/images/maps/ancient-greece101.swf
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC- Aegina
Aegina- “Greek Turtle” Silver- 550 BC
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC
Aegina- Greek Turtle circa 500 BC
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC
Aegina- Greek Turtle with counterstamp
Archaic Greek - 6th BC to 479 BC
..
Aegina- Greek Turtle with arrow counterstamp
Archaic- Coin from Lydia - Darius III 450 -330 BC
Kneeling King with bow- No countermark
http://worldcoincatalog.com/AC/C4/Lydia/Lydia.htm
Archaic- Kingdom of Lydia 450 BC
http://worldcoincatalog.com/AC/C4/Lydia/Lydia.htm
Archaic- Siglos of Lydia 450 BC
http://worldcoincatalog.com/AC/C4/Lydia/Lydia.htm
Archaic- Siglos of Lydia- 450 BC
http://worldcoincatalog.com/AC/C4/Lydia/Lydia.htm
Archaic- Siglos of Lydia 450 BC
Archaic Period
Siglos- Lydia- 450 BC
Classical Greek- -Pamphylia
Pamphylia
Classical Period- Pamphylia (Turkey)- City of Perge
http://www.mapofturkey.info/d/3_1.asp
Greek Classical Period Gold Stater- Side
.
Side c.400-380 BC, Stater Athena/ standing left, rev
Pamphylian legend, naked Apollo standing left2 counterstamps- four legged animal
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm-Pamphylia- no counterstamp 300-200 BC
Athena/Nike
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- Pamphylia 333BC Obv-Athena facing
right, Nike Advancing- Rev Seleukid Counterstamp (anchor)
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- Pamphylia – Anchor C/M
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- Pamphylia (Side)
Anchor C/M
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- Pamphylia
Counterstamp- Bow in Bowcase
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- C/M- Bow in Bowcase
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- Pamphylia (Side) C/M- Lyre
Classical Period
Silver Tetradrachm- Pamphylia Countermark-Bee & Bowcase
Classical Period
.
PAMPHYLIA Side. 3rd - 2nd century B.C.:
AR drachm (3.76 g). Bee countermark.
Classical Period
KINGS of MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC.
Tetradrachm . (195/4 BC).
Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin/ Zeus enthroned left.
TRAL and bowcase in circular incuse
Classical Period- Alexander the Great- Tetradrachm (190 BC)
•The TRAL countermark was applied in Tralles, Lydia.
•Other bow and bowcase countermarks on to Pergamon, Ephesos,
Sardes, Tralles, Laodikeia, and Apameia.
•Linked to the introduction of the cistophoric coinage circa 180 BC.
•Permitted the circulation of Attic weight coins in the years
following political reform.
Classical Period
MACEDONIAN KINGS Alexander the Great. 336-323 B.C.:
AR tetradrachm (28 mm, 16.82 g). Aspendus mint. Head of
Heracles/ Zeus enthroned left, holding eagle and sceptre.
Countermark: head of Helios facing front
Hellenistic Period
.
Tetradrachm- 320 BC Basileos
Hellenistic Period (336 BC-30 BC)
.
305 BC Paphos Mint-Basileos Ptolemy I and II AR Tetradrachm
Multiple Bankers Marks Date: 305-284 BC
Obverse: Diademed bust righteverse: Eagle standing left 26.97 mm
Hellenistic Period
After 250 BC. AR Didrachm (8.16g). Turreted head of Nymph Sinope
left; countermark: radiate head of Helios facing, ΣΙΝΟΠΕΩΝ
Rev Poseidon sitting on throne left, holding dolphin and trident;
countermark: laureate head of horned Poseidon left.
Hellenistic Period
Bythinia-228BC Three Countermarks:
Altar, Lyre, Goddess
Hellenistic Period
Lycia Termessus Minor AE22 / Bee Counterstamp
Date: 1st century BC
Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right, sceptre behind
Reverse: Legend above and beneath winged thunderbolt, Bee
countermark Size: 22.8 mm weight: 3.9 grams
Roman
Tiberius-(Twelve Caesars) Countermarks
Roman Counterstamped Coins
Counterstamped Roman Coins are of great historical value.
•Help trace the movement of Roman Legions across Europe
•Shed Light on political uprisings and successions
•Edwin Howgego- British
• Museum of Countermarks on Roman Coins
Roman
Æ Sestertius (24.75 gm). Struck 8-10 AD..XLI for countermark.
Æ As (10.63gm). Struck 12-14 AD. TIB in incuse oval.
Roman
AUGUSTUS. A Pair of Augustan denarii, both with Vespasian
counterstamps. Countermarked at Ephesos, circa 74-79 AD. both
with bold counterstamps. Both Howgego 839
Roman
CILICIA, Tarsus. Hadrian. 117-138 AD. AR Tetradrachm
Countermarked under Caracalla, 215-217 AD. laureate head of Caracalla right,
AMK:Prwth Megisth Kallisth (First, Greatest, Most Beautiful), epithets granted
to the city of Tarsus upon Caracalla's arrival there in 215 AD.
Roman Coin Expert- Christopher Howgego
Project director, Roman Provincial Coinage in the Antonine Period
University Lecturer in Numismatics, Reader in Greek and Roman
Numismatics., Faculty of Classics
Senior Assistant Keeper, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK.
1994: ''Coin circulation and the integration of the Roman economy'',
1995: ''The circulation of silver coins, models of the Roman economy”
1995: Ancient History from Coins, Routledge, London, 176.
Chris Howgego Book
Roman- X Legion
"X" for LEGIO X GEMINA on Nero Dupondius, Pannonia Superior,
possible applied later during Vespasianus
Roman- XII Legion
Two well-worn coins with XII Legion Fulminata Countermark (Turkey)
For List of Roman Legions:
http://www.romancoins.info/Legions.html
Roman- 42 Nummi
Denominational
Counterstamp
"XLII" on Galba As, such countermarks are known to have been
used by the Ostrogoths and Vandals to mark Dupondi
as 42 Nummi (XLII). They prove coins being in circulation some
400 years or more after their initial issue.
Roman- Thrace
THRACE Imbros. Augustus 27 B.C. - A.D. 14.: AE 14.
Bare head right. COUNTERMARK (Howgego 431)
Museum of Countermarks on Roman Coins (online museum)
http://www.romancoins.info/Countermarks-start.html
PART 2- Spain, Mexico and the New World
Starting in 1500’s
• Coins used for trade
•Banker’s marks
•Chopmarks
•Assayer’s marks
Spanish Cobs
Pillar Dollars
BustDollars
Mexico Eagle Dollars
U.S Trade Dollar
Assayer’s marks
Chinese chopmarked foreign silver
coins to:
•
Identify the payers who handed
out the coin as payment
•
Guarantee the fineness of the
coins by the merchant or local
bank who chopped
•
Assay the coin for its silver
fineness and authenticate it by
deep chopping
http://www.sycee-on-line.com
http://www.chopmarks.com/stai/stai2/stai2-3.htm
Assayer’s marks- Cob Coinage 1580-1732
1730 Cob- Mexico 8 Reales- With Countermarks from Island of
Madura, Sultnate of Soumanap
Assayer’s marks- Cob Coinage 1530-1732
1653 Cob- Mexico 8 Reales
Assayer’s marks- Cob Coinage 1530-1732
Spanish Colonial Mexico, 4 Reales Cob. Cast from 1634-1665
http://www.sycee-on-line.com/Spanis38.jpg
Assayer’s marks
Spanish 8-reales Cob
http://www.sycee-on-line.com/Spanis38.jpg
Mexico- Pillar Dollar 8 Reales (1732-1789)
1733 Pillar Dollar- Without Countermarks
Assayer’s marks- Pillar Dollar (1732-1789)
1736 Pillar Dollar- Mexico- Oriental Chopmarks
Assayer’s marks-Pillar Dollar- (1732-1789)
1744 Pillar Dollar- Mexico- Oriental Chopmarks
Assayer’s marks- Pillar Dollar (eight Reales- 1732-1789)
Countermarks - Pillar Dollar (eight Reales- 1732-1789)
Mexico 1757 8-Reales Pillar Dollar
Jamaican George III Countermark-both sides
Assayer’s marks- Pillar Dollar (eight Reales- 1732-1789)
Piece of eight with Curacao countermark- Large 3 in
serrate incuse punch – Applied circa 1819-25
Assayer’s marks- Bust Mexico Eight Reales (1772-1821)
1776 Charles III 8-Reales- No Countermark
Assayer’s Marks- Bust Mexico 8 Reales
1778 8 Reales-Mexico. Counterstamped-Java
1775 – 8R- Sumatra
Assayer’s marks- Bust Mexico Eight Reales (1772-1821)
1791 Charles IIII 8-Reales- With Villa Gran (Mexico??)
Countermark
Assayer’s marks- Bust Mexico Eight Reales (1772-1821)
1894 Charles IV 8-Reales with “16-Bitt” countermark both sides and
serrated punch- From Dominica (Santo Domingo)-1813 issue
Assayer’s marks- Bust 8-Reales (1772-1821)
1794- 8-Reales from Mexico with George III Countermark (England)
Assayer’s marks- Bust 8-Reales (1772-1821)
1806- 8-Reales from Lima with Minas Gerais (Brazil)
Countermark- both sides
Assayer’s marks- Bust 8-Reales (1772-1821)
1809- 8-Reales with Chopmarks
Chopmarks- Mexican Eagle Dollars (1824-1897)
1895 Mexico Eagle Dollar- Without Chopmarks Cap and rays
Chopmarks- Mexican Eagle Dollars (1824-1897)
1868 Mexico Eagle Dollar- Chinese Chopmarks
Assayer’s marks- Mexican Eagle Dollars
1885 Mexico- Eagle Dollar
Various Chopmarks
http://www.chopmarks.com/catalogo/serie_c/c.htm
U.S. Trade Dollar- 1873-1885
1880 Trade Dollar- No Chopmarks
U.S. Trade Dollar- 1873-1885
1880 Trade Dollar- Chopmarks (China)
Chopmarks- U.S. Trade Dollar- 1873-1885
1874 Trade Dollar- Deeply Chopmarked
Chopmarks- US Trade Dollar
Chopmarks- US Trade Dollar
Assayer’s marks- Half Eagle
Rare 1880 U.S. Half eagle with Counterstamp
Assayer’s marks
1766 Portuguese “Golden Joe” King John V of Portugal
Counterstamped by Ephraim Brasher
A Brasher Doubloon- 1787 A Counterstamped coin
Ephraim Brasher was authorized to issue coins- this is an
original design- Brasher is designer and assayer
Brasher Doubloons- 1787
Yale, National Numismatic Collection, and Garrett Specimens
Countermark placement varies
Assayer’s marks
8 Escudo 1797 Gold
Assayer’s marks-William Hollingshead
Brazilian 6400 Reis dated 1751 minted at Rio De Janeiro.
Counterstamped on the reverse "WH“ for William Hollingshead
Part 3- Other Countermarks
•Monarchial
•Political
•Shortages
•Independent State
•Ownership
Monarchial Succession- Brazil
The coat of Arms of Joao- Prince Regent 1799-1818 on Earlier
1796 Maria “The Widow” 20 Reales Coin
Monarchial Succesion
1812- 960 Reis- Brazil- The Coat of Arms of JoaoSeen as Counterstamp on 1796 Coin (Prior Slide)
Political
1761- North Wales “Fox” Half Penny with inscription “LIBERTY”
Political
Mexico- 1812- 8 Reales with Morelos Counterstamp and Cut-out
Shortages- Britain- George III
“The head of a fool in the neck of an ass”
“Two heads not worth a crown”
Mexico 8 Reales 1795 with
British Counterstamp
Shortages and Trade- Guatemala over Peru
1888 Peru One Sol- Guatemala Counterstamp
Independent State- Republica de Piratina (Brazil)
Brazil Gold 20,000 Reis, 1726, Countermarked 1835
Independent State:
Anguilla
Independent States-State of Hejaz (Lawrence of Arabia)
T. E. Lawrence, (Lawrence of Arabia), assisted Husain ibn Ali, the
Amir of Mecca, lead a revolt against the Ottoman Turks during
WW I. 40 Para Coin with Counterstamp of Hejaz (1916-21)
Ownership
Renaissance times- Eagle of Gonzaga on Æ Sestertius PLOTINA,
wife of Trajan. Augusta, 105-123 AD. Struck 112 AD.
The Gonzagas were the rulers of Mantua, a city with an important
ancient Roman connection
Countermarked Coins
A Broad ,interesting theme
for collecting and studying