Famous Rulers Alphabetically, Let's do our ABC's!

Magnentius!

 

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The short answer is we have no clue! Except that he ruled in the Silk Road area sometime before his city's fall to Muslim armies in the early 8th century, in or near the current location of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Turkic? Sogdian? Maybe.

There's a good post on the coins of Chach here. I quote: "Shagalov and Kuznetsov suggest that the hair style conforms to rock paintings at Balalyk-Tepe. If so, we may be dealing with a Buddhist king with strong Chinese influence. The crown with the moon-shaped central ornament is back." (That crown is also seen on another ruler with the Turkic title "tegin".)

Here's the coin with reverse included (showing Nirt's tamgha):


And here's the Nirtanak (a different ruler, so a different tamgha):

 

Oooh, I've been unwillingly busy the last few days and have missed a hundred posts! There is a great array of coins shown in this thread

Catching up, I'll try not to post every coin that fits

Hadrian

Had to have this one because of the rare bear . Hadrian was an avid hunter and this probably celebrates a successful hunt in this eponymous city.

MYSIA, Hadrianothera. Hadrian
After CE 123
Æ 16 mm, 2.30 gm
Obv: AΔPIANOC AYΓOYCTOC; bare head right
Rev: AΔPIANOΘHPITN; head of she-bear left
Ref: AMNG 565; SNG France 1091; RPC 1629. Rare.

This was a no-brainer because of the exceptional rendition of the Osiris canopus.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 11, CE 126/7
billon tetradrachm, 26 mm, 12.6 gm
Obv: AVTKAITPAI AΔPIACEB; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
Rev: L ENΔ EKATOV: Canopus of Osiris right
Ref: Emmett 827.11, R3; Milne 1205

J... Did we do Julius Caesar under C? I'll put the Julias under their other names.

Justin I


Justin I
CE 518-527
AE Pentanummium, Antioch. Diameter of each is ~13 mm.
Obv: DN IVSTINVS PP AV; pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: Tyche of Antioch, turreted, seated left within columned shrine with half submerged figure of river-god Orontes swimming at her feet; retrograde epsilon to left
Ref: SB 111, DOC 57

Justinian I


Justinian I, CE 527-565
AE half follis, 32 mm, 9.7 gm
Constantinople mint, struck regnal year XII
Obv: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, helmeted, cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe and shield; cross in right field
Rev: Large K, ANNO to left, cross above, XII (regnal year) to right, officina letter below (E?)
Ref: SB 165

Justin II


Justin II, CE 565-578
AE 12 nummi, 14 mm, 2.9 gm. Alexandria
Obv: DN IVSTNVS PP AV, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: Large I-cross-B, mintmark ALEZ.
Ref: SB 389, DOC 188

Kleopatra VII Theo Neotera


EGYPT, Ptolemaic dynasty. Kleopatra VII Thea Neotera
51-30 BCE
AE 40 drachmae
Obv: Diademed and draped bust right
Rev: KΛEOΠATPAΣ BΑΣΙΛΙΣΣHΣ, Diademed and draped bust right / Eagle standing left on thunderbolt; double cornucopiae to left, M (mark of value) to right
Ref: Svoronos Svoronos 1872; Weiser 184-5; SNG Copenhagen 422-4

Lucius Verus


EGYPT, Alexandria. Lucius Verus
year 4, CE 163/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 13.51 gm
Obv: ΛAVPHΛI OVHPOCCEB; bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust left
Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident behind shoulder; ∆/L in right field
Ref: Emmett 2360 (4), R1; Köln 2148; Dattari (Savio) 9420; K&G 39.77

Leo VI "The Wise"


Leo VI (The Wise), CE 886-912
AE follis, 26 mm, 8.5 gm
Constantinople mint
Obv: +LEOn bASILEVS ROM*; Leo, crowned and wearing loros, seated facing on lyre-backed throne, holding labarum and akakia
Rev: +LEOn EnΘEObA SILEVSR OMEOn legend in four lines
Ref: SB 1728; DOC 5

...

Oops, must get ready for work. More catch-up later

 

N for Nassir-El- Din Mahmud. Abbasid- Islamic era. The obverse shows an eagle with two heads. Dirham- Ayyubid time.

 

N for Najmeddin, Artuqid Sultan. Dirham.. Halbi- Mardin. This Islamic coin imitates Byzantine style perfectly.

 

N for Noureddin-El-Zinky (Zenghid). I owe our great coin-friend and teacher
Ardatirion to have identified this worn but extremely rare and historical Islamic coin. Reverse in left field exhibits the name of this ruler who reigned over Damascus during the Ayyubid era. It's read in 2 lines from down upwards. He was renown for his numberless battles against the Crusaders and the Fatimid.

 

Is it cause you speak of the pompitous of love?

 

TODAY the famous person's letter is brought to you by the letter O & P:




Post your O's & P's

I will start with:

O is for Orodes !


PARTHIA Orodes II 57-37 BCE
AR Drachm 18mm 3.3g - Ekbatana mint
Obv: stars crescent
Rev: Arsakes bow anchor
Ref: Sellwood 48.9
- killed Crassus (one of first Triumvers with Caesar & Pompey) by pouring molten gold down his gullet.

Post as many of your Ancient Coins featuring any person starting with the letter O & P !

And please feel free to post ANY of your Catch-UP Letters!

PILE THEM ON!

 

Actually we DO have a clue. After EXTENSIVE research, we found that Nirt is a corruption of NI. The Knights of Ni were an obscure but forceful group of knights guarding the forests along the Silk Road...



https://giphy.com/gifs/film-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-ALBfFB6gP1evu

They are not to be confused with the Knights Templar... a group that France's King Philippe IV Le Bel killed off...

P is for Philippe !
FRANCE PHILIPPE IV LE BEL CE 1285-1314 AR 25mm GROS TOURNOIS À L'O ROND AR 25mm DUPLESSY 213 - Killed off Knights Templar Friday 13 October 1307

 

O is for Otho



Otho Tetradrachm
AYTOKPATWP M OΘWN KAICAP CEBACTOC
Laureate head right
ETOYC A
Eagle, wings raised, standing left on two laurel branches, wreath in beak, palm branch in left field, crescent between eagle's legs

Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch ad Orontem

69 AD

14.44g

Prieur-101, RPC-4199, McAlee-316.
Rare
ex-ANE

Amazing jet black toning

 

Philip III of Macedon


Ptolemy III


Probus

 

O is for OTHO !


RI Otho 69 CE BI AR Tet 23mm Egypt Helmeted Roma

 

THIS JUST IN!!! BREAKING NEWS!!!

This PROVES that JRR Tolkien's Azog the Orc was a REAL PERSON!!!




Here is another Evil Sword Guy:

RUSSIA Ivan IV The Terrible 1533-1584 AR Denga Moscow mint Horseman riding right brandishing sword - Inscription in lines G&K 59 Rare type

NOW! Back to our REGULARLY SCHEDULED LETTERS of the DAY!!!

 

"O" is for Orodes V


Orodes V

"P" is definitely for Philip II! The greatest king of em all.


King Philip II
Apollo / rider horse
AE16 350 BC

I'll throw in a Ptolemy III since it shouldn't start with P! Haha.



PtolemyIII
Euergetes

 

Here are Greek Emperor Ptolemy I, and Roman Empress Plautilla. Cohen 16.

 

Probus...



Ptolemy II....

 

Yes it is! It may also have to do with my picking, grinning, loving, and sinning.

Ptolemy X (probably)

 

Double P

Philip I Philadelphos
88 to 87 BC
Mint: Antioch
AR Tetradrachm
Obvs: Diademed head of Philip right within fillet border.
Revs: BAΣIΔEΩΣ ΦIΛIΠΠOY to right, EΠIΦANOYΣ ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOY to left. Zeus enthroned holding Nike and scepter.
24x25mm, 15.96g
SC 2 2463.2a

 

Still catching up...

Kay Khusraw II


SELJUKS OF RUM, Ghiyath al-Din Kay Khusraw II bin Kay Qubadh
Konya mint, CE 1241/2 (AH 639)
Silver Dirhem
Obv: lion advancing right; facing sun and star above, two stars below
Rev: legend across field
Ref: Broome 243G; Izmirlier 403; Album 1218
formerly slabbed

Lucilla


Lucilla
Empress CE 163-169, wife of Lucius Verus
AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.25 gm
Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA; draped bust right
Rev: PVDICITIA; Pudicitia, veiled, standing left, with right hand preparing to draw a veil across her face (or had she just drawn the veil off her face?), left hand at side
Ref: RIC III 780

Marcus Aurelius


EGYPT, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius as Caesar
AE obol, 20.5 mm, 6.0 gm. Alexandria.
Year 15 (CE 151/2)
Obv: MAVPHΛICKAICAP; bust right, bare head
Rev: Sphinx crouched right; LIE (date) above in left field
Ref: Emmett 1919.15, R5; Dattari 3221; RPC IV online 15684

Julia Maesa


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Julia Maesa
CE 218-224/5
AE 27, 12.71g (11h)
Obv: IVLIA MAE - SA AV[G] Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: TVRIORVM Dido (?) standing left on deck of galley sailing right, extending right hand and holding cornucopia in left; to left, helmsman bending left over rudder (?); to right, sailor extending right hand and holding curved staff in left; stern decorated with a shield and aphlaston, [two murex shells] in exergue
Ref: CNG e320, 12 Feb. 2014, lot 323 (same dies). Rouvier 2408

Julia Mamaea


EGYPT, Alexandria. Julia Mamaea
year 13, CE 233/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 14.36 gm
Obv: IOVMAMAIACEBMHTECEKCTPA; Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: Serapis enthroned left, holding scepter, extending his right hand toward Cerberus seated at his feet; on throneback, Nike standing right, holding wreath and palm frond; L IΓ (date) to left, palm frond to right
Ref: Emmett 3226.13 (R4); Köln 2540; Dattari (Savio) 4517; K&G 64.119

Maximian


EGYPT, Alexandria. Maximian
potin tetradrachm, regnal year 1 (CE 285/6)
Obv: laureate bust right
Rev: Alexandria standing left, holding the head of Serapis and a sceptre; L-A
Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 285, 10657 (this coin); Emmett 4093.1
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)

Nero


Nero
struck in Rome, CE 63
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24
Heritage, CICF World and Ancient Coin Signature Auction, Apr 2014. Removed from NGC slab.

 

Ptolemy I Soter


Philip I