Domna BONI EVENTVS Denarius--Alexandria vs. Emesa mint

New purchase today. I am going to need help from @dougsmit to attribute it though. This is either RIC 608 (Alexandria) or RIC 616 (Emesa). Oddly enough, I am unable to find another example on acsearchinfo or at the CNG archive.


Julia Domna, Augusta AD 193-211
Roman AR Denarius; 2.52 g, 16.2 mm
Alexandria or Emesa, AD 193-196
Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust right
Rev: BONI EVENTVS, Bonus Eventus standing left, holding basket of fruit and corn ears
Refs: RIC 608 (Alexandria) or RIC 616 (Emesa); Cohen 10; RCV --

 

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This is Emesa and quite a reasonable example. I believe my obverse die is a bit earlier than yours but it is the same type. They are not all that common and perfect ones are not seen often enough for them to be regulars in the high end trade circles.


Alexandria (below) has a very different style. As a general rule, Alexandria die cutters had trouble cutting eyes and letters are a bit more ragged but guidelines like that are not hard and fast rules. As Alexandria goes, the one here is better than most when it comes to the eye. After you have a dozen of each mint, the differences will strike you as obvious just as you now can recognize your own handwriting.


How do we know that this mint was Alexandria. In the 1920's a student recognized that the style on these denarii rather resembled the Alexandrian tetradrachms of that period. Do you see the family resemblance? It would be more obvious if you had a few hands full of each.

 

Thanks so much! You are a fountain of knowledge!

 

And a fountain of coins.

 

Nice @Roman Collector

 

Nice coin, RC.

I still want an Alexandria Domna, Denarius & Tet!

 

I have a double die match to Doug's first coin with the C converted to an S.



and I have one like yours with the later style but from a different reverse die.



My Alexandrian denarius is from different dies.



I don't have any Tets. and doubt that I ever will more is the pity.

 

nice one! i just paid for my 1st lulia Domna coin last nite and now waitin' by the mail box an Ae15, but hey.. it's lulia!

 

I've got a Domna Alexandria Tet that's pretty nice. Got it about 30 years ago before the prices for such things rapidly accelerated. Nice coin @Roman Collector!

 

Great coin! I love this reverse type.

Here is a very different Bonus Eventus struck over a hundred years before your coin.

Titus
AR Denarius, 3.31g
Rome Mint, 79 - 80 AD
RIC 89 (C), BMC 106, RSC 25
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: BONVS EVENTVS AVGVSTI; Bonus Eventus, a naked youth, standing l., holding patera in extended r. hand and corn-ears and poppy in l.

 

Nice one @Roman Collector . Quite a rare find on that Julia Domna, there are so many different ones out there. I need to get one from Emesa too.

 

Show please. No fair teasing.

 

Nice!