Ancient coins of revolt - a follis of Heraclius, from Alexandretta, 608-610 AD, the Heraclian Revolt

Great coins!! There's so much on my want lost, but these are there. Fascinating. Like some of the Jewish Revolt coins, it's interesting how they're generally overstruck on the coins of the state against which they rebelled, often with undertypes visible.

 

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SOCIAL WAR / Marsic Confederation

MARSIC CONFEDERATION (Social War 90-88 BCE)

Marsic Confederation
Denarius 89 BCE
Obv: Italia
Rev: Italia seated shields, -victory crowning, In Ex: retro B
Corfinium Mint
Campana 105 HN Italy 412a
Sear 228 RARE



Marsic Confederation / Italian Allies
Social War 90-88 BCE
AR Denarius
19x17.9mm, 3.7g
Anonymous Issue, Corfinium Mint
Obv: Italia head, l, ITALIA behind
Rev: Oath-taking scene with eight warriors, four on each side, pointing their swords towards a sacrificial pig, which is held by an attendant kneeling at the foot of a standard. - Binding the Marsi, Picentines, Paeligni, Marrucini, Vestini, Frentani, Samnites, and Hirpini Tribes into the Marsic Confederation against Rome during the Social War
Comment: The reverse is based on the gold Stater and Half-Stater from the Second Punic War, and the Ti Viturius denarius...
Sear 227 SYD 621 SCARCE



Marsic Confederation
AR Denarius
Bovianum(?) mint, 89 BCE.
3.93g, 20mm, 3h
Obv: Laureate head of Italia left, VITELIA = ITALIA in Oscan script
Rev: Soldier standing facing, head right, foot on uncertain object, holding inverted spear and sword, recumbent bull to right facing; retrograde B in exergue.
Ref: Campana 122 (same dies); HN Italy 407
Ex: Eucharius Collection.
Ex: Roma Auction 11, Lot 607

 

I'll share a Focas XXXX Nummi and a Heraclius piece. I'll also offer up my article on Focas which appeared last year.

Attribution: Sear Byzantine 665 KYZB (Cyzicus) mint

Date: 608 AD

Obverse: DN FOCAS PERP AVG, crowned, mantled bust facing, holding mappa and cross, cross in left field

Reverse: Large XXXX, ANNO to left, regnal year to right, mintmark KYZB

Size: 30.16 mm

Weight: 11.4 grams






Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine, AE 40 nummi
Constantinople mint.

 

What an incredible opportunity that was! My guess is that the owner had a friend or family member who happened to have some coins that he or she wished to sell, so the gas station was where they ended up. How long ago was that?

At my next fill-up I am going to see if my local station has any ancients for sale.

 

Thank you, Al.

Those are excellent solidi of Heraclius!

Is the portrait on the first coin that of Heraclius the Elder? I think it is.

 

For CT members interested in another perspective on this turbulent time, as recommended by nerosmyfavorite68, here is a link to the podcast "Fairness to Phocas". It is about 25 minutes in duration.

https://play.acast.com/s/thehistoryofbyzantium/episode-42-in-fairness-to-phocas

 

Does anyone have a coin from the time when Athens revolted against Rome, in 88 BC, or a coin of Boudica?

Also, I know that Spartacus did not issue any coinage, but how about a contemporary Roman coin of the Third Servile War (73 BC to 71 BC)? It's okay if the obverse does not have the profile of Kirk Douglas.

 

robinjojo, The portrait on the 1st coin is Focus (Phocus), as you described in your thread .

 

EDIT: I think I fixed the BMC image!

Re: Athens

I'm not sure about the exact timing of the conflict and when these Sulla / Lucullus Athenian coins (the "flats of Lucullus" or "Λευκόλλεα" - Lucullans). In another thread these were recently referred to as "Sack of Athens" Tetradrachms, struck more like 86 BCE. Here's mine again:



Re: Servile Wars
I have none of my own, but I am fascinated by some of the great coins related to the Servile Wars in various ways.

From the First (I think), there are extremely rare coins of Eunus (in the name of Antiochos, the regnal name he chose). It was discussed at an ANS Long Table last year and some coins shown (I can probably share more notes if anyone's interested), but the one I always see reproduced online is the British Museum bronze specimen (I think also illustrated in Hoover):


Image from British museum website; description, Wiki: "Bronze coin minted by Eunos under the name of Antiochos. On the obverse is the head of Demeter, while the reverse shows a grain ear."

Here's the most recognizable variety, one with imagery from the (Second or Third?) Servile War.

It's not my specimen, but from the JB (Edmonton, dec. 2019) collection (which interests me, as I have coins from it that came to me from at least four different venues in late 2019!) & Ancient & Medieval Coins Canada Auctions (Auction 3, 187). Cataloged in AMCCA3 as alluding to Mn. Aquillius's grandfather's role in the 2nd Servile War, but I've also seen it described as his father's role in the 3rd Servile War (Spartacus!). Apologies for posting without researching enough to have an opinion on which is the better explanation:



JB's name isn't public, so not sure if he was a CT member, but one CT member was the executor of his coin-estate and I believe another catalogs/operates AMCC.

 

BOUDICCA


Celtic Britain
Iceni
Boudicca 61 CE
1.03g
Celt Hd r
Celtic horse galloping
Seaby 434 Scarce

 

SULLA


Athens
AE19
c 87-86 BCE
Time of SULLA - Sack of Athens 86 BCE
Athena
Zeus
Sear Grk 2567 R1
"This type is associated with the precious-metal issues in the name of King Mithradates of Pontus (see no.2552)"


88 BCE


RR Cn Lentulus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Quinarius Jupiter Victory crowning trophy QAC S 255 Craw 345-2


RR Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Den Mars Biga S 254 Cr 345-1


87 BCE


RR Rubrius Dosssenus AR Quinarius 87 BC Neptune Victory alter snake Aesculapius S261 Cr 348-4



RR Memmius 87 BCE AR Den Saturn SC Venus Biga Cupid S 262 Cr 349-1 Left


86 BCE


RR Anon 86 BCE AR Den Apollo Jupiter Quad S266 Cr 350A-2

 

Oops! Forgot to read the legend.

I thought the portrait looked vaguely familiar.

Thanks

 

Thank you! This was a fascinating time in Carthage history. And these events lead to the hatred of the Barcids against Rome to cause the 2nd Punic War...

 

The Constans was struck in Cherson. The Heraclian Revolt follis is of course Alexandretta.
Viva Ukraine!!!!!!

Years ago at University of Michigan I took a course in Russian History. The instructor Denis Papazian was the head of LS&A and received his Phd. from Moscow University. His family was from Azerbaijan. I guess it was like going into the lions den.

I also took a ten hour course titled the History of Nazi Germany taught by a Jewish prof. He and his family fled Germany to the US in 1940. It was taught over 2 semesters, five hours each.

Regarding the Constans, up to twenty or so years ago there were only five known. I got in touch with William Metcalf at the ANS. The ANS had one of those in their collection and he kindly sent me Polaroids, obverse and reverse. He didn't know where the others were and assumed they were in private collections.

This is my hobby I do it for fun and am happy I have made contact with so many gracious and generous folks along the way. This group always makes me smile.

 

Here's another link to a short Coin Week article about the coinage of Heraclius. Some of you CT members probably know about it:

https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/...us-the-greatest-emperor-youve-never-heard-of/

An interesting point that the article makes regarding the Alexandretta follis of the Heraclii is that the year on the reverse, 14, is an indicational year, based on a 15 year tax assessment cycle.