My two latest coins of Alexandria have a few things in common with most later Alexandrian tetradrachms but both have portrait styles that I found appealing. First is Gordian III from late in his reign (year 6). Gordian is shown wearing military attire (is that a medusa head on the breastplate???). The face could be described as less than handsome. The reverse is Tyche standing. I find it interesting that the late Gordian legend ends in a simple EV (Eusebeus = Pius) with no CEB (Sebastos = Augustus). The second is a Gallienus from year three with reverse of Eirene. To me the obverse is the good part. The portrait is rugged and both draped and cuirassed. The legend also strikes me as odd ending in EVEVC. Again, I would have expected a CEB at the end. This is not an error but is standard for the early years of Gallienus. At Rome he was recognized as fully Augustus like his father but it seems that this was not the case at Alexandria. Later coins of Gallienus do use CEB.
Interesting and appealing coins Doug. It's the portraits, as you say, that makes them appealing to me as well. They seem different from the usual.
The portraits are certainly distinctive - and odd. Nothing like the portraits of Gordian III on the imperial coinage.
Wow => awesome new Alexandrian Tets ... man, I absolutely love the "rough/random" look of these Tets ... Ummm, as a contrast => I have an example of another Gallienus Tet "with" your above-mentioned CEB ending ...
I give up. Who knows the meaning of what Sear lists as EV. EV. C. on the Gallienus? I can understand one EV as Eusebeus and C as Sebastos but the other EV escapes me.
I thought you had Emmett's book? p. 278: EV(CEBHC) EV(TVXHC) C(EBACTOC) Pius Felix Augustus Although I admit to being clueless about the reason for the "Felix". Addendum: According to a Wikipedia footnote... Gallienus' full title at his death was IMPERATOR CAESAR PVBLIVS LICINIVS EGNATIVS GALLIENVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS MAXIMVS PERSICVS PONTIFEX MAXIMVS TRIBUNICIAE POTESTATIS XVI IMPERATOR I CONSUL VII PATER PATRIAE, "Emperor Caesar Publius Licinus Egnatius Gallienus Pious Lucky Unconquered Augustus Germanic Maxim Persic Tribunicial Power 16 times Emperor 1 time Consul 7 times Father of the Fatherland".
Originality where we might least expect to find it? So many later rulers were Pius Felix and Pius was well established on coins before this but Felix was not. Adding the T might give a clue what the word was but EV EV C seems a bit cryptic. I suppose there were few enough people who could read the coins that the same elite could be expected to be able to dicipher the abbreviations. I wonder how many of the literate of the day were only semi-literate? I suspect it was fewer than in modern times. Since learning to read was not expected of all, those who did may have been more fully educated. What does accusative imply? Genitive (Constans' first issue) reads 'on behalf of the little kid'. Dative (Trajan) reads 'to the honor of'. I might take accusative as 'upon whom the power was thrust even though it wasn't his idea' but that does not seem appropriate for how Aemilian came to power.
