Featured Devastated SYRIA

Since my two favorite hobbies are coin collecting and astronomy, I'm always trying to share my spare times equally between them. But sometimes the opportunity presents itself to join the 2 together. In war-torn Syria, a white trail streaked the night sky above the ruins of the deserted city of Ariha, devastated by violence.


The appearance on Saturday before dawn of the Milky Way, a rare phenomenon that occurs especially in summer by moonless sky, created a striking contrast between sky and earth, immortalized by an AFP photographer through long exposure photos.



Beneath this vast cloud of stars, the skeletons of buildings, the rubble, the gutted facades and roofs seem all the more appalling.



The conflict in Syria, sparked in 2011 by the suppression of pro-democracy protests by Damascus, has already killed more than 380,000 people (including more than 115,000 civilians) and forced millions to flee. What a sad, very sad story my friends...
Now a note about Syria and coinage ; This magnificent region had, for
ages before its subjugation by republican Rome, been governed by a succession of indépendant kings, conspicuous among whom were the Seleucidae. The epoch when Syria became a Roman province is not precisely known ; probably it was Pompey the Great who reduced it to that condition, as he appeals to have invested its municipal authorities with the privilege of coining money (autonomes). It stands afterwards recorded amongst the provinces of the empire, under Julius Caesar and Augustus. The Syrians were especially devoted to the worship of the Sun ; at the same time acknowledging Jupiter and Apollo as the chief, if not only, divinities.
Syrians held considerable amounts of power during the Severan dynasty. The matriarch of the family and Empress of Rome as wife of emperor Septimius Severus was Julia Domna, a Syrian from the city of Emesa, whose family held hereditary rights to the priesthood of the god El-Gabal. Her great nephews, also Arabs from Syria, would also become Roman Emperors, the first being Elagabalus and the second, his cousin Alexander Severus. Another Roman emperor who was a Syrian was Philip the Arab, who was born in Roman Arabia. He was emperor from 244 to 249, and during his reign, he focused on his home town of Philippopolis and began many construction projects to improve the city, most of which were halted after his death. Now please show us your coins of Syria !

Diadumenian
Antioch,Seleucis & Pieria Syria

Geta
Heliopolis Syria


Philip the Arab
Damascus, Coele Syria Syria

 

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Caracalla
Tetradrachm of Antioch

 

Love your write up @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix . Here are a few of mine from Syria.

 

@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, those photos have quite the contrast within in them with the beautiful and distant stars of the night sky and the close-up destruction of war-torn Syria.

Here are a couple of Seleucid coins that were minted in Syrian Antioch (Antioch on the Orontes):


Antiochos IV Epiphanes


Antiochus IX Philopater

 

SYRIA


RI Publius Quinctilius Varus 5-4 BCE AE20 8.0g Tetrachalkon Zeus Tyche Orontes Antioch Yr ZK RPC 4252 SNG Cop 92



Seleukid Demetrios I Soter 162-150 BCE AE 17 serrate 16.8mm 3.9g Antioch on Orontes mint Horse Hd L - Elephant Hd R- SC 1646 SNG Spaer 1299-1304

 

MILITARY MINT IN SYRIA


RImp Antony-Octavian AR Denarius 41 BCE 3.65g 18.7mm Military mint Syria star Craw 528-2a Sear 1507

 

As we’re into space too here, let me share a good article about astronomical symbols on ancient coins:
https://tjbuggey.ancients.info/astro.html

And a coin with stars....

 

I just saw @TIF and @Bing in the "like this thread list". Just wanna tell you ( and other members I certainly missed) we do not forget you who live in the "devastated states". Please be careful with the damn virus in Texas and Florida, take care of you & your family!

 

CASTOR & POLLUX / POLYDEUKES / DIOSCURI



Roman Republic
AR Sestertius
After 211 BCE
12mm 1.0g
Rome mint
Obv: Roma r IIS -
Rev: Dioscuri riding stars in
ex ROMA
Sear 46 Craw 44-7 RSC 4

 

Haunting and sobering images, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix!

Thank you for the well wishes. Things are certainly heating up here, COVID-wise. I can't believe the arguments erupting over the mask wearing, of all the stupid things to fight about!

...


CILICIA, Tarsos. Valerian I
253-260 CE
AE 32 mm, 19.06 gm
Obv: AVKΛΙΠOVΛΙOVAΛЄPIANOCCЄ; Π - Π; radiate, draped, and cuirassed (?) bust right.
Rev: TAPCOVMH TP OΠOΛЄΩC; A/M/K - Γ/Γ in fields; KOINOBOVΛION ЄΛЄVΘЄ__ in exergue; Athena seated left on throne, holding cornucopia and dropping a voting pebble into amphora to left; shield below.
Ref: SNG Levante 1193; SNG BN 1821-2 (I do not have these reference books; references taken from similar ex CNG coin)
ex Doug Smith


SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare. Septimius Severus & Julia Domna
CE 193-211
Æ, 31 mm 18.8 gm
Obv: jugate draped busts right of Septimius Severus, radiate and cuirassed and Julia Domna, set on crescent; countermarks: 1) C(AΓ) within rectangular incuse; 2) COL within rectangular incuse
Rev: Marsyas standing left, right hand raised, holding wineskin over his left shoulder
Ref: SNG Righetti 2114; Howgego 581 and 586
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection

 

Great post as usual, O. Here are 3 bronzes of Nerva, Domitian, and Vespasian from Antioch.





Tetradrachms of Trajan Decius, Philip I, and Philip II from Antioch

 

From the capital

Demetrios III
Mint: Damascus
Year 217, 96 to 95 BC
Obvs: Demetrios III right diademed radiate and bearded.
Revs: BA⊂IΛEΩ⊂ ΔHMHTPIOV ΘEOV ΦIΛOΠATOPO⊂ ⊂ΩTHPO⊂, Nike holding wreath and palm within dotted border. Year Iǀϵ below, Δǀ above N outer left.
AE 19x20mm, 5.97g
SC 2454.4; HGC 9, 1309(C-S)

 

A favorite:


Cleopatra Thea, Queen of Syria, with son Antiochus VIII.
AR tetradrachm; 15.85 gm, 27 mm.
Antioch mint, 125-121 BC.
Obv: Jugate busts, right.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, Zeus Nikephoros seated l., holding lotus-tipped scepter; IE outer left, A under throne.
Refs: SNG Spaer 2437; c.f. Sear 7135.
Notes: Ex-Henry Clay Lindgren. Obverse die match to an example sold in Baldwin's, Dmitry Markov and M&M Numismatics New York Sale IX, January 13, 2005.

 

Thanks for thinking of us. We are doing our best to stay safe. I hope everyone on this forum can remain safe and I just wish this dern thing would go away!!!

 

Wonderful photos, as sad as some of them are.

Here are my coins minted in Syria:

Syria, Seleucid Empire, Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (Grypon) Tetradrachm, 109-96 BCE Antioch Mint.



Trajan AR Drachm, 115-Feb. 116 AD, Arabia Bostra (or Rome) Mint. [If minted in Arabia Bostra, that town was located in what is now Syria.]



Elagabalus AR Denarius, 218-219 AD, Antioch Mint.



Philip II, billon Tetradrachm, 248-249 AD, Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch Mint.



Vabalathus with Aurelian, billon Antoninianus, 270-272 AD, Antioch Mint (3rd Officina).



Carus, silvered AE Antoninianus, 283 AD, Antioch Mint.



Diocletian, silvered AE Antoninianus, 293-294 AD, Antioch Mint (7th Officina).

 

And speaking of humanitarian disasters, let us not forget the suffering of the people of Yemen. When I think of all the challenges the world faces, I sometimes cannot help but be pessimistic.

Here's a Persian imitation of a Justin II and Sophia follis that I acquired in 2019.

Persian Occupation of Syria Æ26. AD 610-630. Imitating a Byzantine nummus of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine. Two emperors standing facing / Large M with cross above; Γ below, ANN to left, ϚII ("year 8") to right, ONIX in exergue. Pottier 39.1; EBBC Class IV(2) 20.40; cf. Roma E-Live 4, 1025. 6.90g, 26mm, 1h.



For Yemen, here is a tetradrachm, an imitation of a 4th century BC Athens tetradrachm, from the kingdom of Qataban, located in Southern Arabia, in what is now Yemen. I acquired this coin in 2016.

ARABIA, Southern. Qataban. Late 4th-3rd centuries BC. AR Tetradrachm (21mm, 16.86 g, 8h). Imitating Athens. Helmeted head of Athena left / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE to right; all within incuse square. Munro-Hay 1.0.4.

 

Maximianus, AE Follis. Antioch, ca. 300 AD.

 

For Yemen

Himyar


Arabia Felix, Himyarite Kings, Tha’ Ran Ya’ NB
Ar Unit (Quinarius), 14mm, 1.5g, 5h; Raidan mint, 2nd Century AD.
Obv.: Head right, within circular torque, monogram behind.
Rev.: Head right, scepter before, kings name and mint in South Arabian Script around.
Reference: Munro-Hay 3.25