Ancients: NEWP, AE28, Philip II, Provincia Arabia, AKTIA ΔOVCAPIA

For those unfamiliar with Roman provincial coins that commemorate games and festivals, I've included a brief excerpt from Barclay Head's Historia Numorum...

Philip I was known as “Philip the Arab,” although it’s unlikely he possessed any ethnically Arabian heritage. He was born in Provincia Arabia, and although we don’t know who his mother was, we do know that his father was a Roman citizen by the name of Julius Marius. (The wiki article on Philip is both concise and accurate.)

Philip spared no expense remodeling his hometown (modern day Shahaba, southeast of Damascus) as Philippopolis, and he actively encouraged festivals such as the Actia Dusaria. Dushara was a deity worshiped by the Nabataeans, whose culture continued to flourish into the 3rd-century, despite the Roman annexation of the kingdom in 106. (In fact, the cult of Dushara may have continued into early Islamic times, as suggested by 9th-century historian Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi in Kitab al-Asnām.)


The Nabataean Temple of Dushares, source: Nabataea.net

The Nabataeans celebrated the Festival of Dushara annually, on December 25. Unfortunately, the coins issued for these festivals are not dated, so we can only attribute them with a range coinciding to the years of Philip’s rule. This is actually a coin of Philip II, his son, who was elevated to the rank of Caesar with his father's accession to the throne in 244.

It’s difficult to say whether these coins are any more scarce than any other type of Arabian provincials, mostly because they are not in demand, and probably get sold in larger lots. I could only find one other example on the web, auctioned by Heritage in 2012. Mine is a much finer specimen than the one sold by Heritage. Although some of the obverse inscription is missing, the coin is centered, the portrait is attractive, and the reverse is completely intact.

Arabia, Bostra. Philip II Caesar AD 244-247,
AE 28mm, 14.85g, Bosra mint, 245-246.
[MARC IVL] PHILIPPOS CESAR; Radiate bust right
COL METROPOLIS BOSTRA; AKTI/A ΔOVC/APIA in wreath
Spijkerman 59, SNG ANS 1247-50.

 

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Nice writeup, JA!

As interest and knowledge of Provincials increases, those of us who are amassing less-than-mint-state coins will be sittin' pretty

 

Fantastic info and a super sweet new addition (fantastic eye-appeal, JA my man)


... I have a couple of ol' favourites that kinda fit your thread theme ...

Philip I AR Antoninianus
247 AD
Diameter: 20-23 mm
Weight: 3.3 grams
Obverse: IMP PHILIPPVS AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip I
Reverse: SAECVLARES AVGG - She-wolf suckling twins, II in ex
Reference: RIC 15






Otacilia Severa. Augusta, Æ Sestertius
AD 244-249
Secular Games issue., 4th officina. 9th emission of Philip I, AD 248
Rome mint
Diameter: 28 mm
Weight: 15.99 grams
Obverse: Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Reverse: Hippopotamus standing right
Reference: RIC IV 200a (Philip I); Banti 13
Other:12h … dark brown patina, with some red.
Ex Robert O. Ebert Collection.

 

Maybe, maybe not. I don't think anyone should speculate on Arabian provincials. In fact, I think that would be a very bad idea. You've got to appreciate the history associated with them, because they sure don't offer much eye-appeal. The deserts of the Levant were not kind to these coins, to say the least. Mint state specimens just don't exist in most of the series.

 

Great writeup and cool coin. Ive gotten to like provincials more over the past 2 years. Lots of interesting types and many more affordable then regular imperials.

 

Actually, I did find this coin on Wildwinds - for some reason I missed it earlier. Another example sold by Heritage, and much nicer than mine. The mintage date is given as 245-246, which I suppose makes sense since Philip II was elevated to the rank of co-Augustus in 247.

 

Very nice OP coin and it's a hefty one I see at 28mm, 14. 14.85g. I would also welcome it in my collection. I don't have a Philip II yet, I was looking at one from Moesia Inferior, Viminacium. It's on my future list as a matter of fact. Haven't been looking for Arabia coins as of yet.

 

You can easily get one of the Viminacium coins - they seem to be plentiful, even in better grades. In fact, I should get one myself - I like the reverse design of Moesia standing with her pet bull and lion.

 

very cool JA, I really like weird provincials, and that one is pretty weird (in a good way). nice color also...black and bronze.

I don't have a Philip jr....he's on my list.

 

Excellent! I still don't get too many provincials.