Provincia Arabia: Julia Mamaea/Tyche, Bostra, AE22

This is a recent acquisition spurred by my interest in Arabian coinage. It features Julia Mamaea on the obverse and Tyche on the reverse.

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Julia Avita Mamaea was a niece of Julia Domna and Septimius Severus, and mother of emperor Severus Alexander. Her relationship with her emperor son was of the creepy Oedipal type, if you will. Alexander held his mother in such high esteem that he named her consors imperii (imperial consort). But that's not all. From wiki...

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Eventually, momma's boy Alexander found a fitting end in his mother's arms...

This bronze was minted in Bostra (modern-day Bosra in Syria), just south of Damascus.

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There are some spectacular Roman ruins in Bosra, particularly the amphitheater.

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Super-cool coin, brother ...

=> oh, and super-cool write-up ... thanks for the effort!

Cheers!!

:cheers:

 

Thanks Jerry. I've found that it's difficult to collect this particular type in grades higher than F. They just aren't on the market right now. You can find plenty of VF Mamaeas in the imperial coinage, but when it comes to Provincia Arabia, F is as high as it gets. Here's the page on Wildwinds for example...

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/arabia/bostra/t.html

This is more or less what you'll find on eBay, vcoins, and a handful of ancient dealers. I looked at every example of this type that I could find on the internet, and found only one in XF. I'm going to guess that museum-quality pieces are condition rarities, and when they do come on the market, probably only museums can afford them.

 

Part of the reason it is hard to find these in high grade is they were originally cast, as opposed to struck like almost all Roman and Roman provincial coins. Cast pieces do not have the sharpness of a good strike. You can find these cast types for Julia Mamaea and Severus Alexander, but not easily.

 

Not to mention that many Arabian provincials are hopelessly damaged by arid conditions. I like an attractive desert "patina" but a lot of these coins are unacceptably weather-beaten. I'm quite pleased with the condition of mine.

 

I'd be pleased too.

 

Great addition! I bought a similar one listed as Julia Mamaea but turned out to be Tranquillina. A damaged though.

Tranquillina, Augusta 241-244 A.D., Singara, Mesopotamia


Bronze AE 26, S 3867, BMC 14, Singara mint, 180°, 241 - 244 A.D.; obverse CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CEB, diademed and draped bust right; reverse CVP CEΠ KOΛ CINΓAPA, veiled and turreted bust of Tyche right, centaur Sagittarius above, discharging bow; rare

 

Nice find Randy!

My type comes in draped and diademed varieties, but I can't tell the difference on this coin.

 

Thanks. I was surprised how heavy and solid it feels.

 

This coin arrived today, and I'm quite pleased with it. It's larger and heavier than I expected: a solid coin with solid, if not great, details. It's a thrill to hold this piece of history from a metropolis of Arabia Petraea...

 

Nice

 

Nice coin and nice write-up JA. I appreciate the history and the context behind the coins. When it's written up the way you did, it adds to the enjoyment of the hobby imo.


I have yet to add any emperor's wives/mothers to my collection, but that is coming soon.

 

I hope it is okay to resurrect such an old post, but much of the information here pertains to a coin I got in the mail yesterday, and a question I had.

The coin I just got is the same as the one in John Anthony's original post - a Julia Mamaea bronze from Bostra with Tyche. I spent a lot of time looking at other examples on line yesterday (there are many out there), and learned a lot - especially from coin talk posts (special thanks to John Anthony).

My concern has to do with the weight of my specimen - at 8.89 grams it seems to be the heaviest one around! Most seem to be around 4-5 grams, although a few close to 7 grams came up. Mine falls within the normal diameter, so I am guessing it is too thick (a bit over 2mm but I don't have calipers to be more precise). Mine looks brassy, almost like an orichalcum sestertius).

Since these were cast to begin with, a cast fake will be hard to detect, I'd guess. Any ideas? Any other heavy ones out there?






Julia Mamaea Æ 21
(222-235 A.D.)
Roman Prov. - Bostra, Arabia
IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust, right / COLONIA BOSTRA, turreted and draped bust of Tyche left, cornucopia over shoulder.
Refs: SNG 1231; Kindler 40; Spijkerman 54; Rosenberger 46
(8.89 grams / 21 mm)

 

The weights of cast coins tend to be far more variable than the weights of struck coins. There is no way to prepare their flans to the right weight in advance. I would not be worried by a cast like this one that weighs more than others.

 

Thank you for the reassurance, Valentinian. I feel a lot better about it.

 

Here's mine, with size and weight info. I did a write up about Bostra and this coin last year:


Julia Mamaea, AD 222-235
Roman provincial Æ 23
Arabia, Bostra; 4.86 g, 22.45 mm, 5 h
Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust, right
Rev: COLONIA BOSTRA, turreted and draped bust of Tyche left, cornucopia over shoulder
Refs: SNG ANS 1231; Kindler 40; Spijkerman 54; Rosenberger 46.

 

I have a BOSTRA coin, but it is from a MUCH better Era of Roman History... that Mommy-stuff with SevAlex is why Later Roman Emperor history is just...plain...CREEPY.


RI Trajan CE 98-117 AR drachm Struck CE 114-116 Arabia Petraea Bostra - Camel SNG ANS 1158

 

i have one too! ^^(now famous)..but i'm looking at a lulia mamaea bronze or two even as we ..type.. it's actually JA's coin, i'm just holding it for him

 

I'll take it back now, thanks.