A recent mixed lot came with a few coins that, to my eyes, have rather questionable edges. This first one is a Julia Mamaea from Mesopotamia, Nisibis. It doesn't look like a fake to me, but when the edges are filed and sharp like you see in the pictures below, I have to wonder why that is. Does anyone know if this is at all a known characteristic of coins from this region? Thanks in advance for any opinions and thoughts. JULIA MAMAEA AE28 11.42g, 26.5mm MESOPOTAMIA, Nisibis Circa 222-235 AD O: IOV MAMEA CEBACTH, diademed draped bust right R: CEP KOLO NECIBI MHT, turreted, draped bust of Tyche right, topped by Aries the Ram right with head turned left; in front of chin, a star. Reference link to a coin of the same type : http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=909546 Pictures of the edges:
That's a fabulous coin, great details! As for the filed edges, I have two from mixed lots which have similarly filed edges. The Elagabalus is from Edessa, Mesopotamia and the Gallienus from Neocaesarea, Pontus. Assuming I have correctly attributed the coins, that is... I don't have the coins on hand and didn't take pictures of the edges but you can get a sense of the ninety degree junction of face with side. They are both rather thick, ~4 mm if I recall.
That Elagabalus is nice! I'm really quite curious as to the purpose of the filing. Another one I have with similar filed edges is an Elagabalus bronze from Laodicea. But the one that actually troubles me is another with what seems like an edge seam that I'll get around to posting soon.
I think all the coins presented by you and TIF are quite nice. However, I can't answer your questions regarding the edge. Actually, I see nothing wrong with thevedge. Now the coin with a seam might be different.
Nice coin, Z-Bro ... very cool Oh, and great thread additions, TIF (bravo) ... Ummm yah, I am trying to figure-out if my Philip-I addition is in the same ballpark as your awesome examples? (I am often way-off in the bush where geography and history are concerned => definitely not my go-to Jeopardy category!!) SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria, Philip I Æ 8 Assaria AD 244-249 Antioch mint Diameter: 30 mm Weight: 16.39 grams Obverse: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip I right Reverse: Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right; above, ram leaping right, head left; Δ-Є and S-C across field => hmmm, well it seemed kinda like my coin could hang-out with your cool coins, yes? Hey, Z-Bro ... this is what the coin-edge looks like on my example ...
Again, no worries - flan trimming. You almost want the reverse of this coin struck off-center downward, just a bit, so you get a complete Aries jumping over Tyche. Nice find!
Flan trimming it is! The link you provided in the other thread is great and I'm still going through it. And thanks, Steve, for the pics and map. Our coins can certainly hangout, and I've even got two others from the same lot I haven't photographed yet that are from Seleucis and Pieria like your Philip I.
Thanks! My first coin of Julia Mamaea and I love the portrait as well as that great-looking Aries on the reverse. It was part of a lot of 11 (mostly) provincial issues that I've been having fun attributing... at the moment, 10 down and 1 to go.
I'll share my one coin of Julia Mamaea, collected because of my interest in all things Ancient Arabian. These coins were cast, so finding one with respectable details isn't easy... Provincia Arabia: Julia Mamaea, after 180 - 235 AE22, 4.3g, 12h; Bostra Mint, 222-235 Obv.: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA;Draped bust of Julia Mamaea right. Rev.: COLONIA BO-STRA; Turreted bust of Tyche left, cornucopiae over left shoulder, Reference: SNG ANS 6: 1231-1236
Been looking on expanding my Roman collection and I keep seeing nice ones been posted. Z, that Julia Mamaea has some awesome details.
From my fabric page: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fabric.html "Another very round coin shows a different method of edge smoothing. Struck at Antioch in Syria (possibly from dies prepared at Rome??) this 30mm bronze coin of Philip II (247-248 AD) not only is perfectly round but shows a flat edge with squared corners (light line on the diagonal view). Most noticeable, certainly, is the lack of a centration dimple. The close up shows the edges of this coin (bottom) and coins produced by the same technique (moving up the pile: Gordian, Singara; Macrinus, Antioch; Philip I, Zeugma). Note that each shows file marks at a slight angle across the edge of the flan. The marks all seem to go the same direction and strike me as what would result if a right handed person were applying a file to a stack of coins held in a vise. In truth, I have no idea how these flans were prepared and the evidence presented here could probably be interpreted in other ways. Coins of this fabric are common to the Syrian and Mesopotamian cities of the 3rd century AD. Compared to the irregularly shaped sestertii often seen from Rome, the workmanship of the coins is impressive. Note that all are of low enough relief that stacking is quite possible. Just try to stack your 12 Caesars sestertii and you can appreciate why bankers must have appreciated this technology. Please don't tell me that coins with file marks on the edge are cast fakes. These coins are all quite genuine and definitely produced by striking. The same scratch evidence found on Athenian silver would be a good sign of a bad coin. The rules are different for the two issues and collectors must learn which standards apply to which coins. That is all part of the fun of being a student numismatist!"
Thanks, Doug, a timely reminder to start going through your pages again! Curiously, both of my coins with the filing marks have flans with uneven thickness and are noticeably thicker on one side. They wouldn't have stacked well even with the low relief.
Well, I'll try my best to keep Z-Bro's thread goin' by donating another Julia Mamaea example from the same general area ... EGYPT, Alexandria. Julia Mamaea. Augusta BI Tetradrachm 222-235 AD Dated RY 11 of Severus Alexander (AD 231/2) Diameter: 23 mm Weight: 12.92 grams Obverse: Diademed and draped bust of Julia Mamaea right Reverse: Draped bust of Serapis right, wearing calathus; L A (date) behind, palm before ... shame about her face, eh?
