Can't Resist Alexandria Billon Tetradrachms

Here's a new one to my collection - Vespasian, as I continue to add to my Roman Egypt sub-genre. It also represents the 7th of my 12 Caesar coins to date.

Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt. 26mm 11.98 grams

Obverse: Laureate bust right, LB in front (Year 2, 69-70 A.D.)

AYTOK KAIΣ ΣEBA OYVEΣΠAΣIANOY

Reverse: Nike Advancing Left, holding wreath and palm branch

Reference: RPC 2412, Koln 276, Milne 393, BMCGr 236, Emmet 205.2, Dattari 360

Feel free to post any Vespasian coins of Alexandria or other tets

 

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Nice one ancient coin hunter, with a great portrait. I have one from 69 AD .

 

Vespasian is one of my favorite emperors. Here's a bronze Alexandrine diobol of his featuring Isis on the reverse:

 

I, too, am fond of the coins of Alexandria but I am not at all fond of billon as a metal. There are tetradrachms of each period that suffer less from the alloy from which they were made and the circumstances that they encountered over the centuries. Most people judge coins by wear but I have a fondness for solid looking, smooth surfaced and disease free examples whatever their color or alloy. In Alexandrians, this seems especially important.
Hadrian


Commodus


Septimius Severus


Maximinus


Philip I


'Ovaballathos' and Aurelian


Diocletian

 

I'm with Doug-- I don't particularly like billion or potin but I love the coins of Roman Egypt, especially the interesting reverses.

I was just re-photographing a handful of coins, among them a billion tetradrachm of Trajan. Aside from the flan flaw (or maybe a scrape of some sort), the metal is the best I've seen for that era in Roman Egypt tetradrachms. I'll post it after editing the images.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of bronze denominations from Vespasian.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Vespasian
year 4, CE 71/2
Diobol (very underweight; thin flan), 25.4 mm, 5.45 gm
Obv: AVTOKKAIΣΣEBAOVEΣΠAΣIANOV; laureate head right
Rev: bust of Isis left; LΔ in right field
Ref: Emmett 217.4


EGYPT, Alexandria. Vespasian
year 5, CE 72/3
obol, 21 mm, 5.2 gm
Obv: AVTOKKAIΣΣEBAOVEΣΠAΣIANOV; laureate bust right
Rev: hawk standing right; LE in left field
Ref: Emmett 222(5) R1, Milne 430

 

I would have to agree with both of you that the bronze coins are more pleasing in hand when regarding the constituent metal. I guess the varying alloys in the tets makes them kind of unpredictable - but the higher silver content in the earlier issues gives them a grey appearance...

 

there are some very nice coins on this thread. Here is my contribution-a Dattari plate coin of Vespasian.

Egypt, Alexandria. Dattari. Vespasian, 69-79 Diobol circa 70-71 (year 3), Æ
( 26.5mm., 9.15g.)
Obv: Laureate head r.
Rev. Bust of Isis r.; in front, LΓ. RPC 2430 (this coin cited). Dattari-Savio Pl. 14, 382 (this coin).
Brown tone. Very Fine.
From the Dattari collection.
Naville Numismatics Auction #30, Lot 283, April 02, 2017.
Coin depicted in the Wildwinds.com database.

 

Vespasian Tetradrachm

ΑΥΤΟΚ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒA ΟΥΕΣΠΑΣΙΑΝΟΥ LB
Laureate head right

Dated LB Year 2 (69/70 AD).

Nike walking left, holding wreath and palm.

EGYPT. Alexandria.
69-79 AD
Billon Tetradrachm
24mm - 13.12g

Köln 276; Dattari 360; Milne 393; Emmett 204; RPC II 2412.

VF, gray toning,

ex-Vauctions sale 243 lot 58 Barry P. Murphy

Vespasian was proclaimed Emperor at Alexandria on July 1, 69 AD. This cut short the coinage of Vitellius at the Egyptian capital which had begun only two months before

The billon coins are usually tough to photograph to appear as they do in hand. This one looks nothing like it does Iin hand



Galba billon Tetradrachm

Λ OYKΛIBΣ OYΛ Π ΓAΛBA KAIΣ ΣEB AVT
laureate bust of Galba, right, LB (year 2) before

PΩMH
Helmeted, draped bust of Roma right, holding spear & sheild

Alexandria, September 68 AD-January 69 AD

13.44g

Scarce

RPC 5330; Emmett 174

Ex-ANE

In hand it has a wonderful dark consistent toning

 

Can't resist them either

Nero, Roman Empire (Egypt)
Billon tetradrachm
Obv: ΝΕΡΩ ΚΛΑΥ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡ, radiate head right
Rev: AYTO-KPA, draped bust of Serapis right, LI ([year] 10) before
Mint: Alexandria
Date: 63-64 AD
Ref: Milne 222

 

That is a nice Galba. Mine is a year earlier (LA) and lacks the even toning and refined style of Jay's coin. All it has going for it is fortunate selection of the letters that survived. YΛΠ ΓAΛBA at obverse top

 

With billon you can see some funky patinas. Look at this reddish one of Nero!

 

Nice Vespy @ancient coin hunter. This is one of my favourite Vespasian Alexandrian tets, basically because of the severe portrait.



Vespasian
AR Tetradrachm, 12.56g
Alexandria mint, 69 AD
RPC 2403 (9 spec.).
Obv: AYT TIT ΦΛAYI OYEΣΠAΣIAN KAIΣ; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r., date LA before neck
Rev: PΩ-MH; Roma standing l., with spear and shield
Ex Roma E16, 28 February 2015, lot 268.

 

I don't think I've ever shown this billion tet before, partly because I just can't seem to take good pictures of it. The coin is weighty and aside from the abrasion or flan flaw on the obverse, the metal is pretty nice-- smoother than these images suggest. Trajan's portrait is also unusually pleasing.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Trajan
Regnal year 18 (114/5 CE)
billion tetradrachm, 24 mm, 12.8 gm
Obv: AVTTPAIANAPICEBΓEPMΔAKIK; laureate bust right, star in right field
Rev: draped bust of Nilus right, crowned with taenia and lotus bud; cornucopia at left shoulder; LI-H
Ref: Dattari 670 (this coin); Dattari-Savio plate 26 #670 (this coin); RPC 4851.16 (this coin cited); Emmett 387.18, R4.
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)

 

Hey that portrait of roma looks a lot like Galba!

 

Great tet of Trajan @TIF! Thanks for sharing it.

 

I'm new to the Alexandrian tetradrachms, but I have to say that once I got a couple in hand, I was really impressed. You all have some really nice ones.

This one is probably not going to thrill anyone, but I am really exited about it - Julia Mamaea and Serapis. There are some obvious problems here, but sometimes I find damage compelling, especially if it costs $4.74.



Egypt Potin Tetradrachm
Julia Mamaea
Year 11 (231/232 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
[ΙΟ]ΥΛ ΜΑΜΑΙΑ СΕΒ ΜΗΤƐ СƐΒ Κ СΤΡΑ draped bust right with stephane / Sarapis bust right draped and wearing kalathos; date LIA left; palm branch right.
RPC 10456; Dattari 4511.
(11.95 grams / 22 mm)

 

Five bucks is a heck of a deal!

 

Oh yeah - less than the price of a BigMac!