Thracian Wine & Coins

Here is another from Thasos that I like even more :

 

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I have a few as well.

Thrace, Apollonia Pontika [now Sozopol, Bulgaria], AR Drachm, ca. 450-500 BCE. Obv. Upright anchor with large flukes and curved stock; “A” [for Apollonia] to left and crayfish to right between flukes and stock / Rev. Facing gorgoneion (Medusa), wavy hair parted in middle, 16 thin, open-mouthed snakes around head as additional hair or crown, puffy cheeks, mouth open, tongue protruding (but not extending below chin), all within shallow incuse. Goldsborough Type 3 [Goldsborough, Reid, Apollonia Pontika Drachms (see https://web.archive.org/web/20141115000124/http://medusacoins.reidgold.com/apollonia.html), Catalogue of Types]; Seaby 1655 var. (crayfish to left, A to right) [Sear, David, Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. 1: Europe (Seaby 1978); Topalov 41-42 [Topalov, Stavri, Apollonia Pontika: Contribution to the Study of the Coin Minting of the City 6th - 1st c. B.C., Catalogue of Apollonia Coins, 7th-1st c. B.C. (Sofia, 2007) (English Translation, Kindle edition)]; BMC 15 Mysia 8-10 [Wroth, Warwick, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 15, Mysia (London, 1892) at pp. 8-9]; SNG.BM.159; see also id. Nos. 154-158 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain, Volume IX, British Museum, Part 1: The Black Sea (London, 1993)] [online ID SNGuk_0901_0159 ]. 14 mm., 2.96 g., 3 h.




Thrace, Istros. 400-350 BCE. AR Drachm. Obv. Two facing male heads, left head inverted / Rev: Sea eagle on dolphin, ISTRIH [partially off flan] above eagle, globule under eagle’s tail; letter “A” ligatured with [archaic Π with shortened right stem, or sideways Γ ?] beneath dolphin. SNG.BM.249 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain, Volume IX, British Museum, Part 1: The Black Sea (London, 1993)] [online ID SNGuk_0901_0249 with Rev. Monogram No. 49]; AMNG I/I No. 417 var. [no globule], see also No. 422 [Pick, Behrendt, Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. I/I (Berlin, 1898) at pp. 161-162]; BMC 3 Thrace No. 6 var. [no globule] [Poole, R.S., ed. A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, The Tauric Chersonese, Sarmatia, Dacia, Moesia, Thrace, etc., Vol. 3 (London, 1877) at p. 25]; Seaby 1669 var. [Sear, David, Greek Coins & their Values, Vol. I: Europe (Seaby 1978)]. 19 mm., 5.36 g.



Rhoemetalces and Augustus, AE 22 mm., 11 BCE-12 AD, Thrace. Obv. Jugate heads of King Rhoemetalces and his queen Pythodoris right, ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΟΥ / Rev. bare head of Augustus right, ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ. ); RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I 1711 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1711 ; Sear GIC Thrace 5396 [D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (Seaby 1982)]; BMC 3 Thrace 4-6 [Poole, R.S., ed. A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, The Tauric Chersonese, Sarmatia, Dacia, Moesia, Thrace, etc., Vol. 3 (London, 1877)]. 22 mm., 8.93 g., 7 h. Ex. London Ancient Coins.



Gordian III with wife Tranquillina, AE 26 mm., 241-244 AD, Thracia, Anchialus [Pomorie, Bulgaria]. Obv. Confronted busts of Gordian III right, laureate, draped and cuirassed, and Tranquillina left, draped and wearing stephane; ΑVT Κ M ANT / ΓOPΔIANOC AVΓ clockwise around; CEB TPAN // KVΛΛINA in exergue; border of dots/ Rev. Apollo standing left, holding patera in right hand; left arm resting on column; ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝωΝ / ΑΓXΙΑΛEωΝ clockwise around; border of dots. RPC Online VII.2 48961; Moushmov 2939 [H. Moushmov, Ancient Coins of the Balkan Peninsula (1912)], Varbanov II 668 [Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Vol. II, Thrace (from Abdera to Pautalia) (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria 2005)], AMNG II 656 [F. Münzer & M. Strack, Die antiken Münzen von Thrakien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. II (Berlin, 1912)]. 26 mm., 11.91 g.



Philip I & Otacilia Severa, AE 26, 244-249 AD, Mesembria, Thrace [Nessebar, Bulgaria]. Obv. Confronted busts of Philip I, right, laureate, draped, and cuirassed, and Otacilia Severa, left, wearing diadem (or stephane), ΑΥΤ Μ ΙΟΥΛ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC Μ WΤ; in exergue (in two lines) ϹƐΒΗΡΑ-ϹƐ / Rev. Nemesis standing facing, head left, holding marked cubit rule with extended right hand and bridle* with left hand, wheel at her feet left, ΜΕ-ϹΑΜ-ΒΡΙΑΝΩΝ. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. VIII Online 48407 [temporary ID number] (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48407 ); SNG Cop. 664 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Part 6: Thrace 1: The Tauric Chersonese-Thrace (Mesembria) (Copenhagen 1942); Varbanov 4254 [Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume II: Thrace (from Abdera to Pautalia) (Bourgas, 2005)]. [Obv. Die match: Naumann Auction 49, Lot 354, Jan. 8, 2017 (RPC VIII Online ID 48407, Specimen 17; see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/obv/333697/high.] 26 mm., 10.5 g. [Footnote]

 

Here's another city to mark off:

Kardia (Cardia) Thrace (ca. 350 BC) Ae (20mm, 8.2gms)
Obv:Wreathed head of Persephone left, in triple-pendant earring & necklace
Rev: KAΡΔIA; Lion standing left, breaking a spear held in its mouth; star below, kernel of grain in exergue
Ref: SNG Cop 864

 

@Edessa, I'm far from certain, could your coin be Titus RIC 288 (Rome mint?)

Sulla, a very astute observation. Both Titus (Domitian) RIC² 288 and RIC² 507 have identical descriptions, as does RPC II 504. In fact, both are plated in RIC² and they look (more or less) identical. RIC² page 193 discusses the Thracian (?) mint and in the first sentence calls this "One of the most intractable problems of the Flavian coinage..." Apparently the flat fabric of the flan is the most identifiable characteristic of these Thracian (?) issues. Not apparent in the picture, my coin definitely has a flatter fabric than you would expect from sestertii of Rome during this period. The attribution came from the original seller many moons ago, so kudos to that individual who correctly identified this coin long before RIC² was published.

 

I would have to agree with @Edessa that his coin is an example of a Sestertius of Domitian RPC 504 from an unknown Thracian Mint. At one time the scholarship seemed to think that the coins came from Perinthus but I do not know why there has been a retreat from that position. I recently acquired a coin from the same mint however mine is a
Titus Ae Sestertius Unknown Thracian mint Obv Head right laureate Rv Pax standing facing head left. RIC 498 RPC 501 26.63 grms 31 mm Photo by W. Hansen I do have a sestertius of Titus which is roughly contemporaneous from the mint of Rome. Looking at the two coins I can see that the image of Titus on the Thracian coin is slightly in lower relief and the treatment of the hair is less refined as well.
The lettering is somewhat larger and slightly more crude. This is especially true of the reverse. The S C on the Thracian coin is much larger than on the specimen from Rome. For comparison
Titus As Caesar Ae Sestertius Rome 72-73 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv Mars advancing right holding spear and trophy RIC 500 26.92 grms 30 mm photo by W. Hansen Hope this is of assistance

 

Thanks @Edessa for the explanation and @Terence Cheesman for the confirmation and illustrations.

 

I'm reluctant to show this coin yet again, but it does fill another city in Thrace.

Head of Hermes on obverse with city name on petasos.
Goat and Pan on reverse with magistrates name around.

Tetradrachm from Ainos c. 450 BC

 

Another two Thracian cities for the pile:


MARCUS AURELIUS
AE19. 3.58g, 19.2mm. THRACE, Serdica, circa AD 161-180. Varbanov 1869 (R6) var. (obv legend); Moushmov 4752 var. (same); Corpus Nummorum 8791 var. (same); RPC Online -. O: AY KAI M AYPH ANTΩNEIN, bareheaded, draped bust right. R: CEPΔΩN, Bust of Isis right, wearing lotus crown.

THRACE, Alopekonnesos
AE13. 2.33g, 13.5mm. THRACE, Alopekonnesos, circa 3rd-2nd centuries BC. HGC 3.2, 1307; Yarkin 59. O: Helmeted head of Athena to right. R: ΑΛΩ-ΠΕΚΟΝ, Fox standing to right; ear of grain before.
Ex Thrax Collection

 

I don't think I could tire of seeing this coin - thanks for sharing again and adding Ainos the map!

The AE from Alopekonnesos is the type of coin that starts me on a journey to understand the people, place and events of "Alopekonnesos" - a pun "fox island" with the founding myth of an oracle telling them to establish a colony where they first encounter a fox with its cub - thanks for sharing.

A challenge of trying to represent 7 centuries of coins on one map: Istros falls off this map , however, is on other maps of Thrace from 5th century. It is south of the Danube about 5 hours drive to Mesembria with Odessos and Tomis along the way.

 

Reminds me of this. I really want to know the backstory here.

 

I'll drink to that!

Thrace, Thasos



Thrace, Abdera, 520-492 BC
Oktadrachm

 

Love your oktadrachm from Abdera. Haven't seen you post that before. Would like to own one of those too. Those big heavy archaic coins are great. Well done.

 

Thanks

I posted that coin before, in 2020, I believe, but perhaps 2021. That coin came from Harlan Berk many years ago, early 90s.

 

Here are a couple of wine-related Thracian coins: a tetradrachm from Thasos and a triobol from Maroneia.