A couple of new Alexandrian tetradrachms

Here's one I think is interesting because the reverse legend spells out the regnal year in full. The color and toning in the photo is actually pretty close to the color of the coin in hand.



Faustina Jr
Alexandria, Egypt, AD 148/149
13.82 gm, 23.2 mm
Obv: ΦΑΥCΤΙΝΑ CΕΒΑCΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: L ΔΩΔΕΚΑΤΟΥ, Dikaiosyne seated l., holding scales and cornucopiae.
Köln 1944; BMC 1317; Dattari 3238; K&G 38.7

ΔΩΔΕΚΑΤΟΥ (dodekatou) means "of twelve." L ΔΩΔΕΚΑΤΟΥ therefore means "of year twelve (of the reign of Antoninus Pius)."

 

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Nice tet, RC. Used to have a Faustina II tet. but was so bad I parted with it.

 

Today (and parts of most days) I'm organizing my coins and website. I have 100 coins of Roman Egypt . I knew it was a lot but didn't know I had that many! A third or more came from large mixed lots and there are many duplicates in the later emperors. Trade fodder

 

Taking a collecting cue from @TIF for a rare foray into Late Roman-Egypt, so I thought I'd just drop it in this thread. The Aurelian side is a tad crude, but I was really in it for the Vabalathus.


AURELIAN, with VABALATHUS
Potin Tetradrachm. 8.91g, 22.5mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 of Aurelian, RY 5 of Vabalathus (AD 270/271). Emmett 3914. O: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Aurelian right; L-B (date) in lower right field. R: Laureate, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Vabalathus right; L-E (date) across field.

 

That' a COOL example...and it's curious how the Aurelian bust is crude and that of Vabalathus much more 'refined'--- the reverse seems to be the work of a different engraver?

 

Nice detailed coin zumbly especially the bust of Vabalathus, I haven't got any late Tets but it is a field I am thinking about. I still have another 69 AD Tet, Vespasian just after the Romans had disposed of Vitellius (I believe he was dragged through the streets and thrown into the Tiber river), a little bit more scarce than his LB dated (69-70)
the LA 69 AD was squeezed in the later part of 69 AD, RPC 2401, 12.9gm.

 

This does not strike me as at all odd. The mint that produced these and the Antioch Antoniniani were under the control of Vabalathus when they were made. Aurelian was a foreign bully. They would have been better acquainted with Val and it seems reasonable that the best workers would have cut his dies. Mine:

 

Coins dated to Vespasian's first regnal year at Alexandria are much rarer than those dated to his second. They were only struck for a brief period between 1 July and 28 August.

What a nice example you have there!

 

Thanks vespasian70, surprisingly they still sell relatively cheaply when they do come up, I think because the point you brought up referring to the short mint time is not well known.