Augustus Semis from Philippi - Oxen Plowing with Countermark

I am still quite new at Roman Provincials, and am at the bottom of a long learning curve. Just got this one, an Augustus from Philippi (maybe). It has a countermark which I was actually able to track down, though it wasn't easy. The rather blotchy patina makes it a bit hard to see, but it looks to be a fairly respectable specimen based on the others I've seen online.

I was hoping more experienced collectors could provide additional information, and answer two questions I had:

1. My example seems rather heavy for this issue (5.69 grams), although the diameter is about the same (mine is rather thick). Is this normal? Is it a "semis" as it is sometimes called?

2. Are those priests or colonists plowing? Different sources have different descriptions. Or are these different types altogether?

Also, please share any other examples! I really like this type, now that I have one in hand.

Found a nice one on FORVM (where I got most of my information, though I cross-checked as much as I could elsewhere)
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=546&pos=331

Here is mine, with an "enhanced" countermark view (my "TR" is similar, but not the same as the 2 other examples I could find; my R has a more closed-up loop):





Augustus Æ 15 (Semis)
(27 B.C.-14 A.D.)
Roman Provincial - Macedon, Philippi (or Mysia, Parium)
AVG Bare head right / Two priests ploughing right with yoke of two oxen; countermark TR monogram (Howg. 657).
BMC 86-88 (Mysia. Parium); RPC 1656.
(5.69 grams / 15 mm)
eBay Aug. 2018 Lot @ $2.02
Countermark: Monogram TR (or plow) in circular punch, 5 mm. Howgego 657 (4 pcs). Note: The monogram may refer to Troas, but may also be a stylized plough.

 

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Sweet coin Mike! I like the countermark. Looking on acsearch the weights range from 3.9g to 6.1g. So they seem to be all over the place.
I have two examples of the type and they're over a gram apart. The first is 5.25g and the second 4.01.

 

Thank you Ajax, that is reassuring about the weights - and nice examples you have there.

My countermark is interesting, but it obscures the oxen - nice to see what they're supposed to look like!

 

The thing is, these Roman provincials are just a continuation of Greek bronzes. I'm painting with a broad brush here, but Greek bronzes were generally much thicker than similarly-sized Roman bronzes. I have some small Augustus provincial bronzes on flans that are much more similar to, say, those of Phillip II of Macedonia than to the LRBs of the 4th century.

 

Here's mine, 4,5 gram 17mm

 

Mine's 4.28g. I like these for their historical significance: the battleground @Andres2 mentions in his caption.

 

Thank you all for sharing these examples - and their weights. This is indeed a pretty interesting coin from a pretty interesting place.

 

Thank you all for sharing these examples - and their weights. This is indeed a pretty interesting coin from a pretty interesting place.

 

Interesting countermark, haven't seen it before. Thanks for sharing, always something new to learn
Mine is 5.07 g; 17 x 18 mm; no countermark

According to
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Caligula - Provincial Coinage there seem to be some open questions regarding this issue:
"Augustus or Gaius Caligula. Unpublished for Caligula. As there is no readable legend on the obverse of this coin, attribution as Caligula is conjectural and based strictly on the style of the portrait, which resembles Caligula. As we know, there is only one pre-principate portrait of Caligula from Carthago Nova with Tiberian portrait. I thought this portrait was Caligula years ago and at one time was said to have been Augustus in catalog."

 

That is very interesting, cmezner - thanks for sharing. I noticed a lot of variation in the portraits on these (mine has a kind of "square head" look - more like Tiberius, perhaps?). I had not heard about the Caligula possibility.

 

Neat counter mark! I read more often that they are priests with oxen. Here is an example of mine with a minty fresh patina.

Augustus
Æ17 of Philippi, Macedon.
27 BCE-CE 14. AVG, bare
head right / Two priests
ploughing right. RPC 1656;
Varbanov 3770. 3.2g,

 

I like this type and have one example to share:

Obverse: Bare head of Augustus right, AVG behind.
Reverse: Two priests (pontiffs) plowing pomerium (sacred boundary) right with two oxen.
References: Varbanov 3226; RPC I 1656
Size: 17mm
Weight: 4.36g

 

The weight range of this type appears to be rather large. Mine is 3.39g:

 

I hadn't either.

I'd say based on the size and position of the visible (A)VG behind the head, that it's Augustus.

@Ryro, I'm wondering if your's might actually be Tiberius... I feel I see faint straight letters before the AVG which might be TI? And based on the high location of the AVG that there is room for a couple other letters, and the almost horizontal back/neck hair.

Here's an obverse exploration that I did comparing the style of Augustus and Tiberius in this type.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/un...pearing-in-my-collection.320061/#post-3147504

 

I always understood plowing a boundary furrow for a new Roman settlement to be a way of sacralizing space; this is why priests typically are described doing this sort of thing. Think of it like a pastor offering a blessing for a new house or community building. In a more secular vein, we still have ceremonial shovels turning over the first spade of dirt for a new building. That spade of dirt really isn’t helpful to the building process. It’s a symbolic gesture indicating that this is an important undertaking, a new and valuable thing is happening here; I think the boundary furrow is best conceived of in a similar fashion.

But when I went to a primary source on this matter, no occasion in the Aeneid specifies that priests are doing the plowing, so the question of “colonists vs. priests” must remain open.

We see this act described in Aeneid Book 1, when Aeneas spies Carthage being built: “[418] Aeneas marvels at the massive buildings, mere huts once; marvels at the gates, the din and paved high-roads. Eagerly the Tyrians press on, some to build walls, to rear the citadel, and roll up stones by hand; some to choose the site for a dwelling and enclose it with a furrow [concludere sulco].”

Later in Book 5, Aeneas helps some of his Trojan refugees establish Acesta, and Aeneas himself does the ceremonial plowing: “They enroll the matrons for the town, and set on shore the folk who wish it so – souls with no craving for high renown. They themselves renew the thwarts, and replace the fire-charred timbers of the ships, and fit up oars and rigging – scant of number, but a brave band alive for war. Meanwhile Aeneas marks out the city with a plough and alots homes; this he bids be Ilium and these lands Troy. Trojan Acestes delights in his kingdom, proclaims a court, and gives laws to the assembled senate.”

I’ll be on the lookout for other primary source references.

 

Mine



Augustus
Coin: Bronze As
DIVI F AVGVSTVS - Bare-head of Augustus right, lituus and simpulum before and behind.
CAESAR AVG / MNKANINIO ITER L TITIO / II VIR - Colonist ploughing with two oxen right.
Mint: Spain (27 BC – 14 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 9.20g / 28mm / -
References:

• RPC 322
• SNG Cop. 544

 

@Ryro, I'm wondering if your's might actually be Tiberius... I feel I see faint straight letters before the AVG which might be TI? And based on the high location of the AVG that there is room for a couple other letters, and the almost horizontal back/neck hair.

Here's an obverse exploration that I did comparing the style of Augustus and Tiberius in this type.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/un...pearing-in-my-collection.320061/#post-3147504[/QUOTE]

By the tibia of Tiberius, you're right @Justin Lee! I read this at work (can't respond when on work computer) and couldn't wait to get home and check. I don't know how I missed this thread from a couple months ago?! #twindadlife. BIG THANKS!
Anyway, here is a pic I took through my magnifying glass to show how right you are. Sorry for the flash. It just happened to capture that angle best. Man I need to up my photog game...

 

Interesting examples and information - thank you all.

The Augustus/Tiberius portrait differences are interesting - because my OP example is off center, the area where the "T" would be in the obverse legend is off-flan. At first I was trying to determine if I could figure this out by the portrait (mine has a rather "square head" that I thought could be Tiberius). Justin Lee's earlier post on the portrait styles seems to indicate Tiberius was the "blockhead" most of the time, while Augustus was the "egghead." So maybe mine is Tiberius? The 2 other countermarked issues I could find (TR or plough) were Augustus, so that could be a clue, or maybe not...

Thank you Justin Lee and Ryro for noting this Augustus/Tiberius dilemma.

 

Just don't let them catch you calling them that!

 

Augustus would probably just banish me, like Ovid. Tiberius would have me drug through the Forum with a hook in my jaw. Ouch!