Now this isn't a provincial coin but it is a very interesting radio programme on Hadrian Wall broadcast on BBC Radio 4 this afternoon that may interest people. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08y0wsl
Hadrian Denarius 128-32 AD Minerva standing right Eastern mint Reference. cf RIC 330; Strack *36a; Obv. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P Laureate head right. Rev. COS III Minerva standing right, holding spear in right hand, left hand resting on shield set on ground. 3.39 gr
Oh! I didn't realize these Eastern mints were not official. Hmm. Is classifying these Eastern mint coins (of this era) widely accepted as Provincial? Do some scholars and books call them Imperial? The legends are latin and the coins are otherwise essentially exactly the same as their Imperial counterparts. Seems like a gray area to me, or perhaps a point only pedants would fight over
I was under the impression that the Hadrian denarii were like the Flavians before and the Severans after and considered official denarii of a branch mint. If they are not official, they are not Provincials (local issues by local officials) as I understand the term. I have not studied them but did not know anyone considered them unofficial.
That has been my understanding as well. RIC II.1 considers imperial branch mints as 'official' because their products circulated empire wide. For instance, Antiochene denarii are found in British hoards. Cistophori struck in Rome are considered 'official' imperial issues too even though they circulated locally in Asia Minor.
IONIA, Miletus. Hadrian Ae 36 Zeus standing Reference. BMC - ;SNG von Aulock- ;SNG Copenhagen -; SNG France- ;RPC - ; RPC III, Obv. AΔPIANOC KAICAP ΟΛΥΜΠΙΟC Laureate head right. Rev: POVΦOV TO B ΜΙΛΗ- CΙΩΝ ΕΠΙ Zeus standing right, wearing chlamys, holding thunderbolt, and resting hand on hip. 26.25 gr 36 mm 6h Note. The worship of Hadrian as 'Zeus Olympios' in the east of the empire was also practiced in Miletus. A proof of this is this coinage, which the emperor explicitly names as 'ΟΛΙΜΠΙΟC'. In addition, the archaeological excavations in Miletus have been used to discover a large number of household altars who had been consecrated to Hadrian, who had inscriptions such as "The Caesar Trajan Hadrian Sebastos Zeus Olympios" (Friesen, Imperial Cults, p. 177) Just in today what a big whopper
PHRYGIA, Acmoneia Hadrian AE 17 Artemis standing Reference. RPC III, 2612; Lindgren A860A; Wa 5498 Obv. ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟС ΚΑΙСΑΡ Laureate bust of Hadrian, r., with aegis Rev. ΑΚΜΟΝΕΩΝ Artemis in short chiton standing facing, drawing arrow from quiver with her r., holding bow in l.; in field, l., eagle-tipped sword. 2.70 gr 17 mm Thx John Anthony
Welcome @Nikos P. You would get more answers if you started a new thread. More will see it and respond. Good luck.
I am looking to buy an ancient coin from the time of John the disciple eith a portrait of Jesus. Can you please tell me Gabriel Vandervort and ancient resources is s reputable dealer
Welcome @Andress. Sorry, I can't help you. I don't collect that era of coinage. But others here do and they will chime in soon.
The first coin with a portrait of Jesus was well into the Byzantine period six hundred years after the time of John. The first nation ruled by a Christian king was Aksum in Africa who only predated the conversion of Constantine by a few years. Neither of them put Christ on coins. The matter of what Christ had looked like and whether it was acceptable to represent him in human form was very much in dispute then. See: https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=120506
PAMPHYLIA, Side Hadrian Ae 24 Athena standing left Reference. unpublished Obv. [ ] [ ] ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟС? Laureate, draped, bust right Rev. СΙΔΗΤωΝ Athena standing facing, head left, holding palm frond and pomegranate. 8.80 gr 24 mm 12h Note. From the Steve Cooper Collection.