420, Lot: 420. Estimate $150. Sold for $190. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

A. Postumius A.f. Sp.n. Albinus. 81 BC. AR Serrate Denarius (19.4mm, 3.96 g, 11h). Rome mint. Veiled head of Hispania right / Togate figure standing left, raising hand, between aquila and fasces. Crawford 372/2; Sydenham 746; Postumia 8; Type as RBW 1393. Good VF, toned, obverse die bulge with resulting depression.

From the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex Roma Special Auction May 2013 (21 May 2013), lot 1237; Bolaffi Ambassador (26 May 2011), lot 37.

The depression on the obverse shows signs of the struck design within the incuse. This may be the result of a die that bulged after it was engraved; impurities in the metal of the die itself caused it to “bubble,” creating the die bulge. Or perhaps the bulge was already on the face of the die, and instead of planing off the face of the die, the engraver simply engraved over it. [KKW]