In
numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects.
Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...
, an overstrike describes a situation in which an existing coin rather than a blank is struck with a new design. This practice is now obsolete and generally occurred for two purposes. Overstriking was sometimes done for technical reasons when a first strike is unsatisfactory, or accidentally if the blank slips out of place or if the
dies judder, resulting in a slight doubling of the design. However, sometimes old or worn coins were overstruck with new designs by later rulers or foreign states.
In the ancient world, use of overstrikes was not uncommon, since the manufacture of
flans was resource consumptive; thus a foreign or outdated coin could be overstruck with less investment than new
mintage. Evidence of overstriking appears as early as about 500
BC when coins of
Aegina
Aegina (; ; ) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina (mythology), Aegina, the mother of the mythological hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king.
...
were overstruck by the ancient city of
Kydonia
Kydonia ( or ), also known as Cydonia (, ''Kydōnía'') was an ancient city located at the site of present-day Chania near the west end of the island of Crete in Greece. The city is known from archaeological remains dating back to the Minoan e ...
on
Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
. In this case and many others, the overstrike can be a valuable aid to dating an ancient coin, an era when dates were not commonly affixed to the design.
[M.Crawford, 1983]
Due to a shortage of silver coinage and bullion in late-18th century
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
, the
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the Kingdom of England, English Government's banker and debt manager, and still one ...
in 1804 issued ''Bank of England Dollars'' bearing the image and legend of king
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
and valued at five
shilling
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...
s; these were produced by
Soho Mint
Soho Mint was created by Matthew Boulton in 1788 in his Soho Manufactory () in Handsworth, West Midlands, England. A mint was erected at the manufactory containing eight machines, to his own patent design, driven by steam engine, each capable of ...
on their modern, steam-powered coining presses by overstriking
Spanish silver dollars.
See also
*
Punch-marked coins
*
Planchet
A planchet is a round metal disk that is ready to be struck as a coin. An older word for planchet is flan. They are also referred to as blanks.
History
The preparation of the flan or planchet has varied over the years. In ancient times, the ...
*
Chop marks on coins
Chop marks on coins are Chinese characters stamped or embossed onto coins by merchants in order to validate the weight, authenticity and Fineness, silver content of the coin. Depending on particular technique coins said to have been "chopmarked ...
*
Countermark
A countermarked, punchmarked or counterstamped coin is a coin that has had some additional mark or symbol punched into it at some point after it was originally produced while in circulation. This practice is now obsolete.
Countermarking can be ...
*
Counterfeit
A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original ...
Line notes
Reference sources
* Michael Crawford, Emilio Gabba, Fergus Millar and Anthony M. Snodgrass (1983) ''Sources for Ancient History'', Cambridge University Press, 250 pages
* C. Michael Hogan, ''Cydonia'', Modern Antiquarian, Jan 23, 200
* Otto Mørkholm, Philip Grierson and
Ulla Westermark (1991) ''Early Hellenistic Coinage'', Cambridge University Press, 273 pages
External links
Overstrike (numismatics)at The British Museum
Numismatics
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