As I have been collecting coins of Septimius Severus, I have wandered into the provinces as I have noted in my posts about Nikopolis ad Istrum and Markianopolis in Moesia Inferior. I have also bought some interesting coins from Antioch in Pisidia in the last few months. Ruins of Antioch in Pisidia: Antioch in Pisidia is located in modern day Turkey. The western two thirds of modern day Turkey was known as Anatolia. Anatolia has been continuously inhabited as far back as the 24th century BC. An important center of trade and sandwiched between the Black, the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas, there was good reason for many cultures to inhabit the area. Hittites, Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians all tried to wrest control of the area with limited success. Mycenaeans and Ionians settled there as well. Alexander the Great defeated the Achaemenid Empire and then after his death the area fell to Seleucos I Nicator. Seleucos founded Antioch with settlers from Magnesia ad Meander and named Antioch after his father Antiochus as he did with apparently 15 other cities of the same name. Control passed to Rome in 133 BC when the last Attalid king bequeathed the kingdom to the Republic. The arrows are from something else, but are helpful, to distinguish from Antioch in Syria. In any case, there is a particular attention paid in the Antiochian culture to Men Askaenos, a god of the Moon and all things lunar. He is typically depicted wearing a Phrygian cap as well as horns and a crescent moon. There is also a rooster prominently displayed at the feet of Men on several coins. I am unsure why that is. If anyone has any insight into that, I would be interested to know. Now for some coins. (Note rooster at feet to right on reverse.) Provincial, Antioch, Pisidia, AE22, ANTIOCH COLONIA AE22 Roman Provincial: Antioch, Pisidia Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD Issued: 22.0mm 5.21gr 6h O: IMP [T] S-εV; Laureate head, right. R: ANTIOCH COLONIA; Men standing right, with foot on bucranium, holding scepter and Victory; cock standing right at feet. Antioch, Pisidia SNG BnF 1119 var. (Head laureate, cock to right) Provincial, Antioch, Pisidia, AE22, ANTIOCH FORTVNA COLON AE22 Roman Provincial: Antioch, Pisidia Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD Issued: 22.0mm 5.11gr 7h O: L SEP SE-V PERT AVG; Radiate head, right. R: ANTIOCH F-ORTVNA COLON; Tyche standing left, holding branch and cornucopia. SNG France 1120 (Note the left facing bust and the rooster at feet, left on reverse. Both uncommon.) Provincial, Antioch, Pisidia, AE23, ANTIOCH COLONIAE AE23 Roman Provincial: Antioch, Pisidia Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD 25.0 x 23.0mm 5.68gr 6h O: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG; Laureate bust, right. R: ANTIOCH COLONIAE; Men standing right, Victory in left hand, scepter in right hand, left foot resting on bucranium, cock at feet, right. Krzyzanowska II/4; SNG Paris 1117-8; Lindgren 1205; BMC 23; SNG von Aulock 4927 Provincial, Antioch, Pisidia, AE23, ANTIOCH GEN COL CA AE23 Roman Provincial Antioch, Pisidia Genio Colony I Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD 23.0 x 21.5mm 5.70gr 6h O: IMP CL SEP SEVERVS P; Laureate head, right. R: ANTIOCH G-EN COL CA; Genius, modius on head, standing left, holding branch in right hand, cornucopiae in left hand. Antioch Mint SNG Cop 30; Krzyzanowska SEV 23.40. Provincial, Antioch, Pisidia, AE23, ANTIOCH GENI COL CAE AE23 Roman Provincial: Antioch, Pisidia Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD Issued: ? 23.0mm 6.58gr 0h O: IMP CA SEP SEVERVS; Laureate head, right. R: ANT-IOCH G-ENI COL CAE; Genius wearing modius on head, standing facing, head left, holding branch and cornucopia. SNG Cop 30; Krzyznowska 39 I'm interested in learning more about the coins and the area. It seems that the information in general about Roman Provinces is not exactly put together in the same place. I may be missing some important resources. If that is the case, please point me in the right direction. Please share your coins of Antioch in Pisidia! Even precursor cultures to Roman! Nick
Nick, nice grouping of coins from Antioch, Pisidia. Last night while watching an auction by Heritage I spotted a handsome large bronze from Antioch, Pisidia, struck in the reign of Gordian III, that sold for $180. The coin is 34 mm, & this type usually weighs around 25 gm. Despite the slight doubling on the obverse the coin is well struck. The reverse design with two Victories crowning a trophy & two captives at the base is well done too. This coin would look better raw instead of encapsulated.
Here's mine from Antioch in Pisidia, bought thinking it was from the Syrian Antioch lol (did Sept Sev issue much from the Syrian Antioch?) Similar to you bottom coin's reverse, but I can't quite make out the obverse legend sequence... Maybe L SEPT SE-V AVG PERT? I noticed also your bottom coin's obverse didn't match the ID, but is PIVS AVG SEVERVS instead...
OK, your text covers mine well except my leftie is a Tyche reverse. I enjoy the great variations in style from this mint. The type also comes in sestertius size AE31. These also come in versions for the other family members. Should we mention that they did coins for Julia Domna as well?
Justin Lee, Coinage from Antioch, Syria is rare under the reign of Septimius Severus. Since Antioch supported Pescennius Niger after the revolution following the death of Commodus, Antioch was stripped of its title of metropolis & that honor was given to Laodicae ad Mare who did support Severus.
Justin Lee, attached below are photos of a Tet from Septimius Severus struck in Antioch, Syria I bought long ago from Freeman & Sear, 12.86 gm, Prieur #200.
Speaking of this far off land, I recently purchased my favorite new (to me anyway) bronze Julia Domna who is from here! Pisidia, Antiochia. Julia Domna (Augusta), AD.193-217. Æ (21mm, 5.20g). IOYΛIA ΔOMNA AVG. Draped bust right, hair in horizontal waves, large bun on back of the head. / ANTIOCH MENCIS COL. Mên standing right, with foot on bucranium, wearing Phrygian cap, holding long sceptre and Nike; behind his shoulders, crescent; at feet, cock standing left. Krzyzanovska II/5; SNG France 1133 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 39.
And another Gordian III: Gordian III, AD 238-244 AE 34, 24.28g, 34.09mm obv. IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG Bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r. rev. ANTIOCHIA COLONIA CAESARIA Emperor, radiate, in quadriga l., holding eagle-tipped sceptre in l. arm and raising r. hand in greeting attitude. in ex. SR ref. Krzyanowska 90 F+/about VF, light blue-green Patina Emperor in the typical attitude of sun-god Helios.
I think you might be on the money with the obverse reading there. The problem with coins of Antioch is that the legends can start kind of anywhere. On your coin it looks like it starts at 6-7 o'clock where on my last coin, it starts at 12 o'clock. From what I can see, it looks like the SEV is broken by Septimius' head and then it looks like an A follows the V to the right. That would leave space for PERT. You know, thank you for pointing out the attribution mistake. I saw this not long after you posted it and was like "How could I be so far off?" When I woke up and came to the computer to fix it, I went to Wildwinds to check the attribution. The coin below mine fits the wrong description perfectly. Half paying attention to attributions while holding a 19 month old is probably a bad combo. Thanks @Justin Lee at least I know someone is actually reading these lol.
@Al Kowsky That is an impressive Gordian III. I have no issues with slabs in general, but I think I would also want that one free as well. Thanks also for sharing your Syrian Antioch tet. I just purchased my first Septimius tet too. I'm very excited but still working on researching. Thank you also for including the history of why Antioch in Syria did not produce much coinage under the Severans. @dougsmit I appreciate you showing your coins here Doug, as usual. It is a nice group. I haven't been lucky to find any coins of Julia Domna yet from Antioch. I have kept my eyes open but nothing yet. The left facing portraits seem to be comically rougher than the right facing ones from Antioch. I've wondered why that is so. Do you know what the "S" "R" across the reverse fields means? I am assuming something along the lines of "S" "C" for Roman Imperials? @Ryro Nice Julia! I am sad that I don't have one yet! Her portrait is strangely compelling. @Jochen Very nice coins. Both are very nice. The Julia Domna for the obverse and the Gordian for the reverse. Also, I can' seem to edit my original post to correct the error on coin #5. If anyone wants to remind me how to do that, I would be happy to do so.
@nicholasz219 Antiocheia was a Roman Colonia. Since Septimius Severus the great bronze coins has the letters S - R across the reverse as abbreviation of Senatus Romanus. Jochen
Great photo essay, @nicholasz219 ! Showing the photo of the ruins and the map really helps establish a climatical and geographical stage for our imaginary visit back in time. Exactly one year ago I received an anonymous gift from a fellow CoinTalk Ancients Forum contributor. Since it happened so close to the Saturnalia gift exchange I thought that it was from my Secret Saturn. Anyway here is the beautiful Pisidian coin with a couple of different backgrounds.
The Sep Sev and Julia Domna versions have already been shown upthread. Here's a Caracalla, my only coin from this city. CARACALLA AE33. 27.03g, 33mm. PISIDIA Antiochia. Krzyzanovska dies XXVII/–; SNG France 1173-4 var. (arrangement of rev. legend; same obv die). O: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: COL CAES ANTIOCH, S-R across fields, Mên standing facing, head right, left foot on bucranium, leaning on low cippus, holding sceptre and Nike on a globe, rooster standing left. Ex Malter XLIV (29 May 1990), lot 1149
Here's mine! ANTIOCH PISIDIA, GORDIAN III 238-244 AD O:Laureate and draped bust of Gordian III right; R: Mên standing facing, head right, foot on a bucranium, holding scepter and Nike on a globe to the right, rooster to left "COL CAES ANTIOCH SR" SNG France 1207. 35 mm, 26.0 g.
Nick, Great coins along with great presentation. I lived near Iskenderun ( Hatay) for four years in SE Turkey. The history over there is immense. I obtained many coins from simply going to their jewelry shops and asking for "Eski altin (or gumus) para" (gold or silver coins). You just have to be careful of the strict antiquity laws. You could go to the big cities in Turkey to get coins but I preferred the smaller ones like Mus, Siirt, Diyarbakir, Karaman, Erzurum, Anamur, Alanya, and Antalya. It helped out tremendously that the USAF sent me to language school to learn Turkish even before I set foot in country. It's a beautiful country and I,d go back there in a heartbeat despite of who is in power over there now.