I have dabbled with Alexandrian coins over the years and have bought a range of books. I managed to get a cheap, slightly damaged copy of Dattari to add to them which has rekindled my interest again though I am not sure for how long this will last. This is one of my most recent purchases. The early portraits of Max. Herc. have a very different portrait style to that which developed over the coming years. Maximianus Herculius, Billon tetradrachm Obv:– A K M OYA MAXIMIANOC CEB, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– None, Eirene, standing left, holding live branch and transverse sceptre. Minted in Alexandria (L | A). A.D. 285-286 Reference:– Milne 4778. Emmett 4113(1) R1. Curtis 2064. BMC 2553. Dattari 5859
I think a lot of those Alexandrian tetradrachms are the same for those most part but your coin does have a different portrait engraving style.
Within just a few years (by year 6 for example) the portrait had completely transformed and this is his standard portrait style. Maximianus Herculius, Billon tetradrachm Obv:– MAXIMIANOC CEB, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– None, Herakles, standing facing, holding Nike in right hand with club and lionskin in left. Minted in Alexandria (S / L | *). Year 6. A.D. 290-291 Reference:– Milne 4980. Emmett 4130(6) R1. Curtis -.
I find year 1 portraits of Diocletian reminiscient of the protraits of Probus. Diocletian, Billon tetradrachm Obv:– A K L OVAL DIOKLHTIANOC CEB, Laureate, draped bust right Rev:– None, Dikaiosyne, seated left on throne, holding scales in right hand and cornucopia in left Minted in Alexandria (LA). Year 1. A.D. 284-285 Reference:– Milne 4748. Emmett 4034(1) R2. Curtis 1966. BMC 2492. Köln 3201. Dattari 5653
But by year 7 the portrait style has degraded so much as to be almost abstract and almost unrecognisable. Diocletian, Billon tetradrachm Obv:– DIOKLHTIANOC CEB, Laureate head right Rev:– None, Zeus, seated left on throne, holding patera in right hand and resting on sceptre in left, eagle on ground before Minted in Alexandria (LZ). Year 7. A.D. 290-290 Reference:– Milne 4968. Emmett 4089(7) R1. Curtis 2037. BMC 2477. Dattari 5776
Love the portrait on the Maximianus. MAXIMIANUS Tetradrachm OBVERSE: A K M OVA MAXIMIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: L-Xi, Nike advancing right holding wreath and palm branch Struck at Alexandria,Egypt, 292-293 AD 7.4g, 18mm Emmett 4147 MAXIMIANUS Tetradrachm OBVERSE: MAΞIMIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: Homonoia standing left, probably not holding anything in right hand & cornucopiae in left hand, L-G across fields Struck at Alexandria,Egypt, 286-305 AD 7.28g, 18mm Milne 5072
Bing, Your first coin is L - */Z, which is year 7 and shares the same bust style as my year 6 coins. Milne 5032. Your second coin is L - H /B, which is year 8 and has the more abstract stye I referred to similar to that of my year 7 Diocletian.
Wow => Martin, those are some pretty sweet new Alexandrian BI Tets (congrats) ... oh, and your examples are also super-fine, my sweet ol' brother-Bing (nice) *rats* => sadly, I do not have any Alexandrian examples of these two rulers ... Ummm, but since I'm typing, I'm gonna post my only two examples of these two rulers (hey, my first offering may not be quite worthy, but my Diocletian is one of my favourite coins) ... Maximianus Diocletian
Sweet Diocletian. Me likes! Bing: I have the same L*Z coin. Just identified thanks to you guys! Big thanks. wrappedinsky
Here it is. (And I finally understand the old line about "much nicer in hand! For some reason the photo makes it look in much rougher shape.)
Continuing down the road to the end of Provincial coins are these two from year nine. Both show the date written out L ENATOV avoiding the unlucky numeral theta (symbol and first letter in the word for death). Diocletian year 9 shop A Elpis Emmett 4046 Maximianus year 9 Homonoia Emmett 4141
The 'stylistic' changes you posted are fascinating---especially as they seem to become more and more 'abstract' but with other examples more recognizable as the Emperor we expect to see. I only have been successful in bidding or purchasing one example of the type---but it is a ' Potin Tet, Eagle reverse, year I : RE: JA/JB Good).
Fascinating thread. I've never looked very closely at the portrait styles on Alexandrian tets. I have a handful on consignment at the moment so I've had a chance to look through more than usual. Here are three of Diocletian, two of year three, which are reminiscent of the OP Max year 1 coin... And one of year 4 that is slightly more lifelike, inasmuch as the eye is smaller, and the forehead and nose are drawn at an angle...
How do you guys take the pictures with pitch black backgrounds? Beautifully done! And what do I have to do to post pix that do not require any clicking to view? I would like to post a picture of a fascinating tet (although actually it's slightly larger than my Maximianus, so is it still a tetradrachm?), but need help identifying. I have yet to find which god it is on the reverse. Looks kind of like Serapis, but minus the headgear, making it resemble Zeus. I'll wait to post until I can do it correctly. Thanks for the help.
Different people have different answers but I believe the easiest way to get a black background is to keep light from falling on the background with a tube shadowing the base and the coin supported on a post (dowel stick) long enough that the light does not hit the base. Sure you can paint it out with software but it is easier to remove what was never there.
