From the Gemini IV Auction, Closed January 8, 2008.



                  Lot # 452 - Auction is closed.Estimate: US$2000 / Unsold: 
                  Available at opening bid of US$1200 + Buyers Fee 
                  Pupienus antoninianus overstruck on Balbinus denarius. Silver 
                  antoninianus 



             



            Pupienus antoninianus overstruck on Balbinus denarius. (238 AD). 
            Silver antoninianus (2.85 gm). Rome. IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG, 
            bust radiate, draped, cuirassed right / CARITAS MVTVA AVGG, clasped 
            hands. BMCRE 80. Cohen 4. RIC 10a. Overstruck on a denarius of 
            Balbinus, BMCRE 37, RIC 8, with types IMP C D CAEL BALBINVS AVG, 
            bust laureate, draped, cuirassed right, seen from front / VICTORIA 
            AVGG, Victory standing right, head left, holding wreath and palm. 
            Mint state. 

            The undertypes are clearest on the reverse of the antoninianus, 
            which was struck right side up on the reverse of the denarius: we 
            see Victory’s chest, head, and right arm above the clasped hands and 
            her legs below the knees and the groundline below the clasped hands; 
            VICT. . And. .GG of the original legend are also faintly visible. 
            The Pupienus obverse, in contrast, was struck upside down on the 
            Balbinus obverse: the outline of the back of Balbinus’s head is 
            visible before Pupienus’ face and cuts through Pupienus’ beard to 
            continue to his neck; the outline of Balbinus’ nose intersects with 
            Pupienus’ wreath ties, and Balbinus’ eye is faintly visible on the 
            back of Pupienus’ neck. Before Pupienus’ face are faint traces of 
            the beginning of Balbinus’ obverse legend: IMP C D CAE[L]; and, on 
            and below the back of Pupienus’ bust, the LBI of BALBINVS. This is, 
            as far as we are aware, the first observed case of an antoninianus 
            of Pupienus or Balbinus being overstruck on an earlier denarius; 
            that explains the low weight of only 2.85 grams. Perhaps, when the 
            mint was instructed in the course of the reign of Balbinus and 
            Pupienus to discontinue the denarius and begin striking antoniniani 
            instead, the workers decided to simply restrike as antoniniani a 
            small stock of freshly minted denarii that they still had on hand, 
            without melting them down and recasting the flans. The heavy weight 
            of virtually every antoninianus of Balbinus and Pupienus in the 
            British Museum collection, between 4.0 and 5.6 grams, proves that 
            they in contrast, and doubtless most other surviving antoniniani of 
            Balbinus and Pupienus too, were struck on freshly cast larger flans, 
            not on existing denarii.. 




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  ... Lot 452 was unsold.
 

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