Featured Animals on Philip I coins, including SAECVLARES AVGG coins

Breathtaking knowledge and analysis, Curtis!

 

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How does one distinguish the 249 Eastern coins? I always understood the early separation of Eastern coins by type and legends including PM but there is quite a bit of style difference in the later ones. Were all these from the 249 Eastern trip? I have trouble convincing myself which Philip (father/son) is intended using the standard beard/no beard clue. It seems there are coins of fine style and and 'lesser' coins with fewer of the 'lesser' showing beards. I'd be interested in a survey of the Eastern coins parallel to the one you provided for Rome.

 

Exciting analysis, Curtis! History books would have to be rewritten if we could indeed date Decius´ arrival at Rome to late 248. On the other hand this would result in an uneasy division of rule between east and west of seven months, similar to Diocletian and Carinus 284/285



MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG - Draped bust of Otacilia Severa right, seen three quarters from front, wearing Stephane
SAECVLARES AVGG, S C in exergue - Hippopotamus walking right, head raised
Sestertius, Rome, 4th officina, 9th emission of Philip I, AD 248
30 mm / 18,37 g / 6 h
RIC (Philip I) 200a; Cohen 65, Banti 13, Hunter 26

 

Doug,

Dating Philip's Eastern antoniniani would be a tough job. It's unlikely that the types will fall into such a neat and systematic sequence of issues as at Rome.

The only types that can definitely be attributed to 249 are those using the Eastern mint's own TR P VI rev. legend, P M TR P VI COS P P, with types Felicitas standing, copied from Rome, plus three original types that Rome didn't use for Philip, namely emperor sacrificing and lion walking left or right.

Otherwise, virtually every Eastern type copies a Roman type, so cannot have been struck in the East before the mint of Rome introduced that same type.

However, should we believe that the other explicit dates on Eastern antoniniani, TR P III (rare) and TR P IIII (common), were really struck in those named years 246 and 247? Or might they have been struck later, in 248 or 249, the Eastern mint merely having copied Rome-mint coins that were already a couple of years old?

I find that the beard-no beard criterion generally works quite well for separating father and son. There are some differences in facial features also. I would assume you have no difficulty attributing the three antoniniani you illustrate to Philip I followed by two Philip II?

 

Nah, this one is of Gallienus. He also had a big issue of animal coins.

 

does anyone know if this is considered the first true collectible set? in coins or otherwise? i know there were previous themed sets like hadrian's travel series but i mean as a truly planned out numbered set akin to how collectible sets are today.

 

Interesting question. I don't know the answer, but Trajan Decius issued his famous "Divi" series of deified emperors before Gallienus did his zoo series

 

You have a really great Phillip 1000th anniversity issue piece

 

I have a little trouble with the beardless TRP IIII since P2 was not TRPIIII but copying reverse inappropriately in the East was common in the Severans so this is now big thing.

I would consider the first set made for collectors the REST series by Trajan which is rare enough that most of us will never see one let alone own one. The British Museum has a few.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/colle...eyword=GER&keyword=DAC&keyword=P&keyword=REST

Trajan, as I understand it, demonetized old coins and provided favored people with these souvenir reissues.

 

Sadly, I reported the coin below to the BM in 2004 and it still is not listed at that link:

Trajan; 98-117 AD. AR denarius (2.8 gm). Restoration of Q. Fabius Maximus. Obv: ROMA (Q) FAB MAXIMUS (......?). Laur. hd. of Apollo, r., "star" under chin, lyre before. Rev: IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GE(R) (D)AC PP REST. Cornucopia upon thunderbolt, all within wreath. Restoring RSC Fabia 6. All coins of this series are exceedingly rare, and rarely listed for auction. When they are, they command very high prices. This coin is apparently UNIQUE, as verified by the British Museum on 17 August 2004.

 

Does the BM site list what exists or only what they have in their collection? Their books listed other things using symbols but the numbered coins were theirs.

 

I don't know.

 

Here's my humble Otacilla sestertius, hippo reverse. I am not sure why a hippo was chosen for Philip I's wife's commemorative coin. Did they run out of animals for the games?

13.6 grams



I did get a sestertius of Philip I commemorating 1,000 years for Rome, with a SAECVLVM NOVVM reverse, but no animal....unless you've had a few beers. Then, if you look closely you might see a Roman Chihuahua peeing on a column of the octastyle temple....

14.54 grams

 

It has been a while since I posted something. Since then a few additions to my Saecvlares series: Philip II and Philip I saecvlvm novvm temple coins and the stag standing left variant.

 

Since my previous picture wasn't that great a closer look at Philip II portrait:

 

My latest addition...