I just discovered a coin I purchased fairly recently is a plate coin for the type in RPC volume VI. CILICIA. Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Severus Alexander (222-235). Ae. Obv: ΑV Κ Μ ΑVΡ СЄΟVΗΡ ΑΛЄΞΑ, with remaining part of legend ΝΔΡΟС right field inside legend. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: СЄΛЄVΚЄΩΝ ΚΑΛVΚΑΔΝ, with remaining Ω of legend in upper right field. Tyche, holding branch, seated left on rocks between two columns; river god Calycadnum to lower left. Weight: 13.99 g. Diameter: 29 mm. Plate coin # 30225 : https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/search/browse?q=Severus Alexander&page=109 (AC Search) ex Numismatik Naumann (formerly Gitbud & Naumann). Auction 79, Lot# 439, 07/07/2019. Purchased from Marti Classical Numismatics, Spain, 2023.
I confirmed that this 1836 Henry Clay medalet is the plate piece from DeWitt's book that was published in 1959. The pictures in that book are better than many of the photos in the Sullivan book. The Sullivan book photos have a "xerox copy" look to them. I have a number of coins that were used for the plates other U.S. coin references.
The collection of Erlanger is considered the standard reference for the medals of Nuremburg. I picked this up several years raw but with the Erlanger provenance: I tracked down the auction catalog for piece of mind. and sent it in to NGC with my "proof". They agreed and attached the provenance to the label. It's a beautiful medal without the provenance but now it has a little of the cool factor (in my opinion). Now I don't have to worry about loosing or separating the provenance now either.
That's a nice big Provincial Bronze! I see why RPC picked it to illustrate the type. One of my favorite things about Roman Provincials is that there are so many published specimens available (affordably!). Plate coins are my jam, so I'll try to just pick the two most relevant ones to the original post coin. I don't have any Severus Alexander-from-Seleucia ad Calycadnum "plate coins"... But I do have one Seleucia ad Calycadnum & several Severus Alexanders (just not together)... Here's my Cilicia, Seleucia, struck for Philip II, published as SNG Levante 777. Also a big bronze. It's in RPC Online, but not the primary plate coin. (SNG Levante 777 = Merani Coll. Part II, 109 = AsiaMinorCoins 2739 = RPC VIII 70283 Temp. (5th specimen)). Below is my favorite Severus Alexander "plate coin." One nice thing was finding it "in the wild," like the OP coin. Originally, both CNG and RPC thought it was the second known specimen. But I recognized it as being the only published specimen, which is from the Giovanni Dattari (1853-1923) Collection. (They were going off Dattari's pencil rubbing, but I have a bunch of those, and am pretty good at recognizing them.) So now it's also the RPC "Plate Coin" (the only coin) for it's type (called "specimen #2" though, because they originally thought it was different!): Dattari-Savio (1999, 2007) 12335 / 9892bis (this coin illustrated) = RPC VI Temp 10362 (this coin illustrated online) = Emmet 3101 (7), pp. 153 & 254 (this coin cited). I think of those kind of coins as a sort of "bibliographic collection": the coins representing notable pieces of literature and interesting old collections and important sales. Sometimes it's actually harder to acquire the books than the coins published inside!
One of my only plate coins, a happy discovery long after purchasing the coin in a group lot! This coin is illustrated and described in Emilio Favorito's reference work The Bronze Coinage of Ancient Syracuse, a copy of which I was happily able to procure. See this thread for the whole story.
That was good work tracking down the previous listing! I've seen that happen before -- even with published coins and coins from important collections. Scanning group lots for similar situations is one of my provenance hunting strategies. Speaking of which, here's one of my favorites (also one of my cheapest), which I grabbed from a group lot. The collector name was mentioned, but not that it was published in one of her articles. From a Naville group lot, only 10 GBP per coin! Ex Elvira Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001, probably also Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli, 1914-1982), important numismatists & curators of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian (Washington, DC). (Among my favorite collections to collect! I have a few dozen of their coins and a few pieces of literature.) It's a rare type -- a Hemilitron (7mm, 0.31g) from Bruttium, Rhegion, c. 440 BCE -- very tiny! (Naville had it cataloged as the much less rare Litra.) There are only a few of these published (e.g., ANS 654 = Prinz W. = Herzfelder = Newell = HN Italy 1026), and none with these controls on the rev. The top right coin here: The article is: Clain-Stefanelli, Elvira E. 1987. "On Some Fractional Silver Coinages of Sicily and Magna Graecia during the Fifth Century." Revue Belge de Numismatique CXXXIII: p. 39-64, Pl. VIII-XIII. [PDF Available via Belgian Royal Numis. Society website]
PLATE COINS Potamikon Campania, Neapolis, c. 275-250 BCE; AE (g 4,99; mm 18; h 6); NEOΠOΛITΩN, laureate head of Apollo l.; r., Θ, Rv. Man-faced bull advancing r. crowned by flying Nike, below IΣ. Sambon 663; HNItaly 589; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG ANS 474. Beautiful light green patina PLATE COIN - Listed Potamikon pg 232 Plate 343 Dattari Collection Egypt, Alexandria. In the name of Livia, wife of Augustus Diobol circa 1-2 (year 31), Æ 23.5mm., 7.46g. Draped bust r. Rev. Athena standing l., holding Nike and leaning on shield; L-ΛA. Dattari-Savio Pl. 3, 60 (this coin). RPC pag. 692, 5 (this coin cited). Very rare. Nice brown-green tone. Very Fine From the Dattari collection. Naville Comments: In our opinion is correct the interpretation of Dattari on this coin and the date shown on the Rev. is L-ΛA and not LMA as suggested from RPC. ex Dattari-Savio Pl. 3 60-this coin RPC page 692-5-this coin RARE Ex: Naville Numismatics
I don't really consider online databases to be "plate" coins but here are a few of mine: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/1233 https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/pontos/amisos/RecGen_63.jpg https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/pontos/amisos/RecGen_63.txt https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/464700 https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/8205 https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/1105 https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/453172
plate in Coin Hoards from Roman Britain 10 (#238) and not listed in RIC. Crispus A.D. 321- 323 18mm 2.3gm IVL CRISPVS NOB C; bust l., helmeted, cuir., shield on l. shoulder, Victory on globe presenting wreath to Crispus in r. hand. BEATA TRANQVILLITAS; globe set on altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX; above, three stars. In ex. [P]TR crescent RIC VII Trier -- ; RMBT 247; Chapmanslade CHRB X 238 (this coin) This hoard was discovered on 18 January 1993 in Chapmanslade in Wiltshire. It comprised 5,200 coins with all but 12 issued after A.D. 317 and the latest coins were from A.D. 337. In CHRB, this coin is listed as unofficial, but it is official and a die match to the coin in “Die Römische Münzserie Beata Tranquillitas in der Prägestätte Trier 321-323” (RMBT #247) According to RMBT (though hesitatingly with ?'s) the shield is engraved with Constantine I seated beside Crispus with Constantine II in between. plate coin in "Le monnayage de Maxence" by Vincent Drost Maxentius A.D. 310- 311 Half follis 20mm 2.9g MAXENTIVS P F AVG; Helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding spear over right shoulder and shield on left. VICTORIA AETERNA AVG N; Victory seated right, inscribing VOT/ X on shield set on pillar; to left, captive seated left, head right. In ex. RQ RIC VI Rome 232; Drost 122c/17 Issued for the quinquennalia (5 year anniversary) of Maxentius plate coin in "Roman Bronze Coins: From Paganism to Christianity 294-364 A.D." Licinius II A.D. 317- 318 23mm 4.0g LICINIVS IVN NOB CAESAR; laureate head right. VIRTVS MI-LITVM D D N N; Mars advancing right carrying spear, trophy over shoulder. in ex. •TS•Є• RIC VII Thessalonica 22; Failmezger 292LII Plate coin for Bikić-Do Hoard #403 Sirmium VIII. Études de Numismatique Danubienne: Trésors, Lingots, Imitations. Monnaies de Fouilles IV au XII Siècle (Rome: Ecole francaise de Rome, 1978) This hoard was discovered in Serbia in 1952. There were 10,590 coins, mostly from Eastern mints. 22 coins dated before A.D. 318 and 9 after A.D. 324. There were no Licinius IOVI types retarrifed to 12 and a half. Licinius II A.D. 319- 320 18mm 2.9g LICINIVS IVN NOB CAES; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. VICT•LAETAE PRINC PERP; two Victories stg., facing one another, together holding shield inscribed VOT PR on altar inscribed with an S. In ex. ΔSIS• [workshop not in RIC] RIC VII Siscia 105 Ex-Peter Weiß https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Weiß_(Historiker) not a plate coin; but this coin was specifically written about. Constantine I A.D. 318-19 20x21mm 3.7g IMP CONSTAN-TINVS MAX AVG; laureate helmet and cuirassed bust right. VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP; two Victories stg., facing one another, together holding shield inscribed VOT PR on altar. in ex. PT RIC VII Ticinum 82 The Bourton-on-the-Water Hoard was discovered in 1970 in England. The main part of this Constantinian hoard consisted of 2,707 coins and the majority were Sol issues from London and Trier. It was probably buried shortly after the coin reform which introduced the VLPP series, so circa A.D. 318-19. This coin was part of the scattered hoard- #590 (this coin) "Bourton-on-the-Water (Gloucestershire) Hoard of Constantinian Folles", Numismatic Chronicle 1973 this coin was likely the last one added to the hoard "The inclusion of a VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP piece from the mint of Ticinum is of considerable interest. The presence of this coin in a hoard of 'Sol' folles adds weight to the theory that some of these pieces were issued earlier than the date of 318- 319 given to them in RIC-- perhaps in early 317. But at the time of concealment of the hoard it is probable that these pieces had not circulated very widely. Taking this into account, a date of 318-19 for the burial of the hoard seems reasonable." NC 1973 pg 101
I usually call them "digital plate coins" in my notes. Keep in mind that RPC is also a print reference, so some of them may be published in print as well. (You usually have to actually check the volumes to see.) There are also the RPC Supplements, several of which were published in print before being replaced by RPC Online (maybe the last two were PDF only? all five can be found online as PDFs). I've got several cited in those too.
Here's a plate coin for a book that is not out yet. Paul DiMarzio's book on the London mint is due out soon. I don't remember what it is called; but it is abbreviated RML, so I believe it is Roman Mint of London. Constantine I A.D. 319 17mm 3.4g CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate helmeted and cuirassed bust right. VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP; two Victories stg., facing one another, together holding shield/ wreath inscribed VOT PR on decorated altar. In ex. PLN RIC VII London 161; LMCC 9.01.011; RML 902 (plate coin) We will probably have too many references for London coins now. The book "London Mint of Constantius and Constantine" (LMCC) by Cloke and Toone has a 2nd edition coming out shortly. Here is a plate coin from the 1st edition. Constantine I A.D. 315 20x23mm 3.2g CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and trabeated bust left. SOLI INVICTO COMITI; Sol rad., stg. L., raising r. hand, globe in l., chlamys across l. shoulder, across fields S-P. in ex. MSL RIC VII London 73 correction; LMCC 8.07.015 (this coin) RIC lists this coin as cuirassed, when it is actually trabeate. redated to 315 because Constantine celebrated his 4th consulship that year; which is why this issue is trabeate.
Beauty! I noticed that one and thought it was a really interesting style. I didn't realize RML was DiMarzio's book! Funny that he's publishing his own, considering that he was so involved in Cloke & Toone's LMCC. (I wonder how many of his coins already published will appear in RML? And in LMCC2?) You probably know his Yorkshire Numismatist 4 (2012) article. (A very interesting issue overall, I thought.) CNG's descriptions did not seem to mention those plate coins, but they did sell them (or at least many of them). There were even a few in the group lots illustrated in his YN article.
I've submitted most of my Provincial collect to RPC Online, along with die match information for coins posted there, and I've also been working with Dane at Wildwinds to get a variety of coins into their database. I wish OCRE would open its database for public submission as I have numerous unpublished RIC coins, as I'm sure others do as well.
I must have made up the bit about DiMarzio...the author is actually Ken Elks. Here is a link to his website-- https://www.kenelks.co.uk/coins/london/londonmint.htm
