Featured Follow the coin theme GAME - ancient edition - post ‘em if you got ‘em

Gordian III and Tranquillina, Singara (Mesopotamia)
Obv.: AVTOK K M AT ΓOPΔIANON CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CЄB, confronted busts of Gordian III and Tranquillina
Rev.: AVP CЄΠ K-OΛ CINΓAPA, Tyche of Singara veiled, wearing turreted crown, seated left on rock folding branch, river-god swimming at her feet, sagittarius above.
The Sagittarius above the Tyche is the emblem of the Legio I Parthica. Singara was taken from the Parthian Empire by Septimius Severus who settled there the newly created Legio I Parthica and gave the city colonial status. It remained a Roman outpost in Mesopotamia until the Sassanian Empire stormed the city in 360. Roman Singara minted a set of bronze coins under Gordian III only, very probably during the Roman-Persian war of 243-244.
In Arabic the city name is Sinjar. The Sinjar mint issued much later bronze fulus under the Ummayyad (early 8th c.) and in the 12th c., under the Zanjid atabegs, nice bronze dirhams. The city is now Sinjar in NW Iraq, famous for the atrocities committed there by ISIS against the Yazidi population. It was retaken by he Kurds and the US-led coalition in 2015. Its political status is still disputed, the surviving Yazidi considering claiming some kind of independence.

Next up: Shapur I

 

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Posted in fear that Shapur I might not be one of the ten common coins everyone has and posts repeatedly: Shapur I is famous for being the Sasanian king who captured Valerian I. Next: ANY Sasanian coin of any ruler that you can explain how is connected to Roman history AND that you do not recall having posted to this thread in the past 12322 posts.

 

Hi Doug - here's a Sasanian-type coin that I don't recall posting in the past 12322 posts it is from the time of Mu'awiya I founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate and imitates a drachm of Khusro. Here is his connection to Roman history:

"In the days of Abd Allah ("Servant of God") Mu'awiya, the commander of the faithful, the hot [Roman Thermae at Hamat Gader] baths of the people there were saved and rebuilt by Abd Allah son of Abuasemos (Abu Hashem?) the Counselor, on the fifth of the month of December, the second day of the 6th year of the induction, in the year 726 of the colony, according to the Arabs the 42nd year, for the healing of the sick, under the care of Joannes, the official of Gadara". The years quoted correspond to the year ca. 663 AD.

Islamic, Umayyad Caliphate, time of Mu'awiya I ibn Abi Sufyan, AH 41-60 / AD 661-680, AR Drachm, Khusro type, BYŠ (Bishapur) mint, dated AH 48 (AD 668/9).
Obv: Crowned Sasanian-style bust right; rabbi and bismillah in Arabic in outer margin
Rev: Fire altar with ribbons and attendants; star and crescent flanking flames; date to left; mint to right
Ref: SICA I 122-7; Walker, Arab-Sasanian 25; Album 5

since I have stretched the definition a bit I will keep NEXT the same.

Next: ANY Sasanian coin of any ruler that you can explain how is connected to Roman history AND that you do not recall having posted to this thread in the past 12323 posts.

 

Well... I don't think I ever posted this dirham. I apologize in advance if I did and forgot I did.
Yazdagard I (399-420), Bishapur or court mint.


Yazdagard I, the only pro-Roman Sassanian shahinshah ever

Procopius writes that following Arcadius' testament, he officially guaranteed the rights of the infant Theodosius II's right to the throne in Constantinople. When Arcadius died, his son and successor Theodosius II was only aged 7. Arcadius had named Yazdagard, great king of Persia, as tutor of his son, and Yazdagard had accepted.

"When the Roman Emperor Arcadius was at the point of death in Byzantium, having a malechild, Theodosius, who was still unweaned, he felt grave fears not only for him but for the government as well, not knowing how he should provide wisely for both. For he perceived that, if he provided a partner in government for Theodosius, he would in fact be destroying his own son by bringing forward against him a foe clothed in the regal power; while if he set him alone over the empire, many would try to mount the throne, taking advantage, as they might be expected to do, of the helplessness of the child. These men would rise against the government, and, after destroying Theodosius, would make themselves tyrants without difficulty, since the boy had no kinsman in Byzantium to be his guardian. For Arcadius had no hope that the boy's uncle, Honorius, would succour him, inasmuch as the situation in Italy was already troublesome. And he was equally disturbed by the attitude of the Medes, fearing lest these barbarians should trample down the youthful emperor and do the Romans irreparable harm. When Arcadius was confronted with this difficult situation, though he had not shewn himself sagacious in other matters, he devised a plan which was destined to preserve without trouble both his child and his throne, either as a result of conversation with certain of the learned men, such as are usually found in numbers among the advisers of a sovereign, or from some divine inspiration which came to him. For in drawing up the writings of his will, he designated the child as his successor to the throne, but appointed as guardian over him Isdigerdes, the Persian King, enjoining upon him earnestly in his will to preserve the empire for Theodosius by all his power and foresight. So Arcadius died, having thus arranged his private affairs as well as those of the empire. But Isdigerdes, the Persian King, when he saw this writing which was duly delivered to him, being even before a sovereign whose nobility of character had won for him the greatest renown, did then display a virtue at once amazing and remarkable. For, loyally observing the behests of Arcadius, he adopted and continued without interruption a policy of profound peace with the Romans, and thus preserved the empire for Theodosius. Indeed, he straightway dispatched a letter to the Roman senate, not declining the office of guardian of the Emperor Theodosius, and threatening war against any who should attempt to enter into a conspiracy against him."
Procopius, History of the Wars I.2.

Next up : Theodosius II (but not a solidus)

 

Not a trace of gold in this one:

Theodosius II, Roman Empire, AE4, 425–235 AD, Heraclea mint. Obv: DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG; bust of Theodosius II, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: Cross within a wreath; in exergue, SMHA. 11mm, 0.88g. Ref: RIC X Theodosius II (East) 442.

Next up: Valentinian III

 

This one I got thru Kunker/ this type is much better product then ones from Ravenna/ Rome/ Mediolanum Mints.

NEXT: Anthemius

 

A beautiful coin. But why does it look like somebody ate the right-hand portion of the shield on the reverse? It doesn't appear to be worn off; it's just not there!

 

Showstopper of a coin @panzerman ... but that request is also a game stopper.
See you'll in 12 hours

 

I don't know -- I had no idea how rare Anthemius is, so I looked on acsearch and there are 355 examples listed. So somebody must have one!

 

Thanks Donna! Yeah, I just won (Anthemius) solidus from Roma XXIII/ the MS ex. was 3200UK Pounds/ not that pricey. Came from the 1954 Mare Nostum Hoard.......

 

That's valid. My apologies. You and @DonnaML are on point, per usual.
Just cause he's not in my collection doesn't mean he couldn't be. He does appear to be more readily available than I've noticed in my short time collecting.
After a quick search and finding 5 to 6 coin talk members sharing theirs at one point. Some in bronze and some in gold, like yours (which I think is the best of the bunch that have been shared here).
Game on!
Next: Anthemius

 

Boy, I had never noticed that shield. I have not seen any other examples with that rev. to compare. The coin in hand(flip) under magnification looks like it was struck in Constantinople a couple of mins ago. The mint did a first rate job in making the dies/ striking the coin/ then handling it with TLC.

 

The shield is seen from profile: it is not a flat disc but a curved shield.

BTW it's still Anthemius wanted. Or may we follow the 12 hrs rule?

 

The 12-hour rule certainly applies - here is a tetradrachm of Cappadocia (Antiochus VII) to restart.


Next: Kings of Cappadocia or Kings named Antiochus

 

Next: another 'friend of Rome' (or a King named Antiochos).

 

Eupator with Marcus Aurelius & Lucius Verus
AV Stater
Kings of the Cimmerian Bosphorus

NEXT: coin depicting Rhescuporis II

 

I can do that!



Rhescuporis II, 211/2 - 226/7 AD.
23 mm. 8.03 grams.
MacDonald 567/2

For the uninitiated, you can see his name in the obverse legends which reads outward: BACIΛΕΩC PHCKOVΠOPIΔOC [King Rhescuporis] "P" is rho, for our R. The "H" is an eta = E. The "C" is a lunate "S". The "OV" we write "U".

This was likely minted in Kerch, the easternmost tip of Crimea, formerly in Ukraine.

Next: An ancient coin from a city in Ukraine.

 

next: coin depicting a dolphin

 

well... there is a tiny dolphin in Neptune's hand.

Next up : Caligula

 

next: fouree