Egyptian Tetradrachm: Aelius Caesar, Homonoia

This coin had everything I liked. Rare emperor, check. Early Alexandrian tet of higher fineness, check. Superb bust, check. Well-struck reverse, check. Pedigree, check. Attractively crusty, check.

From what I can see, this type only comes up once or twice a year for auction, some years none at all...



EGYPT, Alexandria. Aelius. Caesar, AD 136-138.
BI Tetradrachm (23mm, 13.16 g). Dated Cos. 2 (AD 137).
Obv.: Bare head right.
Rev.: Homonoia standing left, holding cornucopiae and patera over garlanded altar. Köln 1271; Milne 1539; Reference: Emmett 1350. VF, toned, light deposits.
From The John A. Seeger Collection, CNG 172 lot 136, 2007.

Post your coins of Aelius, or any RARE Egyptian tetradrachms.

 

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I like it! It would be a very nice upgrade to my diobol (or a nice addition of a different denomination)...


EGYPT, Alexandria. Aelius
year 2, CE 137
diobol, 24.5 mm, 11.5 gm
Obv: ΛA IΛ IOCKAICAP, bare head right
Rev: ΔHMEΞOVC VΠAT B, Homonoia standing left, holding patera and corn
Ref: Emmett 1353.2, R2

I could fill a page or two if "book rarity" is sufficient..

Here are a few


Hadrian tet, year 9, Isis Pharia. Emmett 868.9 (R5)


Hadrian tet, year 4, Serapis. Emmett 889.4 (R4)


Hadrian tet, year 8, Serapis-Ammon. Emmett 895.8 (R5)


Hadrian tet, year 2, Tyche. Emmett 901.2 (R4)

 

Coin I would love to own, need the emperor too.

 

I never get tired of seeing your Alexandrian type set!

 

A few more which are at least "book rare":


Faustina Jr tet, year 8 of Marcus Aurelius, Helios. Emmett 2277.8 (R5)


Severus Alexander tet, year 12, Alexandria standing. Emmett 3088.12 (R4)


Julia Mamaea tet, year 13, Serapis and Cerberus. Emmett 3226.13 (R4)


Claudius Gothicus tet, year 3, Tyche. Emmett 3896.3 (R4)


Diocletian tet, year 11, Selene. Emmett 4080.11 (R5)

 

That Julia Mamaea is amazing - looks like it was stashed away into a collection the day it was minted.

 

Love the OP coin. Very, very nice. My only example of him worn down to almost just a disk. Almost.

 

Not a rarity but is a Tet. Seller pics waiting arrival.
Aurelian, Alexander- Provencal 270-275
273/4 year 5
Obv. Laureate bust right
Rev. Eagle left head right with wreath

 

My Aelius is a hemidrachm, Emmett R3 compared to its larger brother drachm which is R1 as is the tet. Does book rarity mean anything to you?


At R4 is tet of Julia Domna / Nike in 4riga year 2 (only year for the type) which is as common as her year 2 tets get. The others are R5. It is my favorite Alexandrian coin.


My other Domna is year 4 with Eusebeia and rated R5 but Emmett lists them from four different years. I really would like to see any photos any of you find for Domna Alexandrian tets.


The remains of a Volusian flying right tet is also R5. It has a nice face but that is about all. All Volusian tets are year 3. I paid $10 for this one. Was that a mistake? How bad does a R5 tet have to get before it is just uncollectable?

 

You of course know how much I love your Severan coins of Roman Egypt.

Someday I hope to manage a Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. Caracalla and Geta would be nice too but they seem to come up even less frequently. I have two pitiful Elagabalus tetradrachms and hope to find acquire at least one better example in the future. His are far more common although usually in terrible condition.

Speaking of Caracalla, check out this remarkable drachm with facing bust of Serapis! It was sold by CNG three years ago and realized a predictably high price. I don't foresee ever owning one.

http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=240236

 

Great coin JA ... looks like you may have a few nibbles come auction day, eh?

Great coins, gang ... curious TIF? => are those Sererus Alexander & Julia Mamaea examples from CNG auctions?

 

Yep, CNG.

 

They're gorgeous ... weren't you a bit worried about the patina and whether it would hold-up okay down there in your hot & humid conditions? (hopefully they still look as amazing as they do in your thread-photos)

Hi

 

I really like the OP coin and aalso need this emporer. My piggybank
is backing away nervously.

 

IMHO, that Caracalla was a bargain at only $8500. As far as I am concerned the best Alexandrian tet is the Mrs. Pertinax that belongs to the British museum but I have not found its photo online. Years ago, Roger Bickford Smith sent me a plaster cast of it but I can't find it now along with all the others he sent (this bothers me greatly - they have to be here somewhere). There is a copper fake that every so often shows up on eBay usually doctored to look old but it is a terrible replica. All Pertinax family coins are R5.

 

Yes, I worry about that with all my bronzes and with Egyptian tetradrachms in particular. I check them frequently-- at least every month or two. They're stored in a sealed safe with two rechargeable Eva-Dry desiccants. So far they're okay.

 

Great portrait John Anthony, it looks like the Egyptians got better with the emperors portraiture on Tets over time.

 

@TIF You have great taste. Seems rare if ever that I've seen a sub par quality coin you've posted since I crossed over to what I've seen called the "dark side".
Yeah I just go with it, it sounds kinda scifi-ish.

 

It's actually the reverse. The earlier, 1st-century tets have fairly lifelike busts. They gradually become stylized to the point that when you get to Diocletian in the late 3rd-century, they are practically caricatures.

 

Thanks! I've got plenty of "dogs", especially in provincials. I love 'em anyway

Scroll through my Romans gallery and you'll hit a bunch of Roman Egyptian tets that will make most people yawn, and I have many more to still to add.