Maximianus Alexandria

First to arrive from my recent buying flurry is a tetradrachm of Maximianus from Alexandria with the common Homonoia reverse (Emmitt 4141). Certainly part of the reason I bought it is it is year nine (L ENATOY) spelled out. Other dates of this common reverse have the numeral but theta for nine was avoided since it was considered unlucky as a stand alone symbol for death. I have a bit of a sub-collection of number nine work arounds. I paid more than I would have for other dates (I probably would not have bought other dates since this is a rather ordinary Alexandrian coin) but not 'through the nose' ala Steve. It is rather glossy as shown in the image.

 

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Great photo. Still not interested in collecting this area in my tetradrachm phase.

 

Absolutely lovely surfaces on that coin. I love the chocolate brown and minty green. It looks positively delicious.

 

I like it and I like the idea of searching for the number 9 work arounds.

 

Cool pick-up ... nice nostrils

 

pretty and glossy. i love that the year is spelled out, had no idea they did that on those coins.

 

I have a bunch of these Alexandrian Tets, but I don't have an Maximianus (I love the look of 'em => little-big-fat crumbly hunks o' lovin')

 

These guys probably agree about theta being associated with with death and being unlucky

It's weird to think of what a coin taste like...... but it does look good enough to eat

 

sometimes i sniff my coins...



i've said to much.

 

I don't know when this mosaic was done but it is a great use of the solo theta to indicate which gladiators were deceased (thanatos). The closest thing we have today is the number 13 which is not nearly as feared as it once was. The town I grew up in had numbered streets but the one between 12th and 14th was called Main Street. The hotel downtown was over 13 floors tall but there was no 13th floor in their layout.

This theta avoidance was one of the big clues that tipped off the old error of the Anonymous Pagan coins to Julian II as they had long been attributed. Starting about the time Constantine openly supported Christians, the theta was reintroduced into the officina scheme. By the time of Julian II, no coins had a work around nine but the Pagans have E+delta. There are Julian coins from Antioch with officina theta but I do not have one. It is on my want list but not really expected to be added.
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=325065
There are no bronzes of Julian Augustus numbered that high but there are falling horseman as Caesar according to RIC that I might find someday.

 

That is some nice details on the coin and great pictures too. With all that gloss I would have tossed my camera trying to take a picture of it.