recently bing and DS posted their coins of the type in this thread.. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/talk-about-last-minute.257401/#post-2050696 mine arrived today! my second coin of 2015, and it's pretty dang cool. antioch city issue ("persecution issue") (under maximinus ii daia) 312 AD o: GENIO ANTIOCHENI, Tyche of Antioch seated facing on rocks, turreted and veiled; upper body of river-god Orontes below r: APOLLONI SANCTO, Apollo standing left, patera in right, kithara in left, H right, SMA in ex 15 mm 1.4g vagi 2954 i was expecting this to be a larger coin (20-25 mm), but it's quite small. the seller didn't list the size, and i didn't pick up on it in the post by bing. according to a little write up i found at forum for a coin of this type, the people of antioch went to maximinus and ask for support with various anti-chirstian measures. he went along with it (initially), and this coin....festooned with pagan imagery, commemorates the whole affair. ugly businesses...but aint it a pretty coin?
Great shape and good patina/details. There is more to the story behind these little coins, but I will have to wait to post it. I have business to attend. Great pickup! Love these little fellas.
A falling out between Neo-Platonist philosophers, specifically Iamblichus and Porphyry, lit the spark that fueled the Great Persecution. In the aftermath of this falling out, a group of influential pagan priests and philosophers began writing and speaking against Christians, urging them to forsake Jesus-worship and to rejoin traditional cults while Porphyry used his access to Diocletian to advocate persecution of Christians on the grounds that they were a source of impurity and impiety within the empire. In 311, after the death of Galerius in late April or May, representatives from Nicomedia presented themselves before Maximinus, bringing images of their gods and requested that Christians not be allowed to live in their city. Late in 311, an embassy from Antioch, led by their curator Theotecnus, also requested permission to banish Christians from their city and its territory. Other cities followed with the same request. Maximinus support for Antioch's requests is advertised by this coin type. Fearing his co-emperors, however, Maximinus changed his mind. His edict in May 313 restored privileges and property to Christians. Later in 313, Licinius captured Antioch and executed Theotecnus.
I agree with the rest of Our Gang => the coin is very cool ... It has eye-appealing desert patina (yup, that always seems to catch my eye)
hu...yeah, where did i get h? i think i copied that from the attribution of another coin by mistake. Z it is. that's a very nice one 7C, yours has great details.
Nice coin, hey size is not the most important thing. Some small coins has some amazing details on them. I'm also wondering what makes that desert patina look, is that the natural color of the coin or has it changed throughout the years?
i don't know IR. ive seen coins with just a "sandy" stuff on them described as desert patina, which of course comes from the environment. is seems like many coins from the levant and turkey have this "black and tan" coloration.