I was delighted to come home and find a bagful of provincials from one of my consignors in the mail. Here's Gordian III on a very satisfying rock of a coin at 30mm, almost 14 grams. The coin has a weak strike on one side, but it doesn't detract from the detail that IS there - I particularly like the crisp, fine lettering on the reverse, and the swirl patterns on the columns. Tyche is pretty sharp too, but the lathe-centering dimple got planted right on her face. Share your tetrastyle temples! Gordian III, AD 238-244 AE30, 13.9g, 30mm, 12h; Nikopolis ad Istrum. Obv.: AYT K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC AVΓ (VΓ ligate); Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev.:YII CAB MOΔECTOY NIKOΠOΛEITΩN ΠPOC ISTPON; tetrastyle temple containing statue of Tyche standing left holding rudder and cornucopia; spear and shield on pediment. Reference: Varbanov I 4230a (p. 339).
I have no tetrastyle temples. How about a heptastyle? CILICIA, Anazarbus. Severus Alexander AE 24.8, 9.2 gm struck CE 230/1 Obv: AVT KM AV CE AΛE ΞANDPOC; laureate bust right Rev: ANAZENΔOΞ・MHTP・ETOHC; heptastyle temple; Γ-B across fields; AMK below temple Ref: similar to Righetti 1503 and Righetti 1504
I have no temples If this thread is still kick'n in a couple days I should have a Gordian III though!
Nice coin. Love the ones that show any architecture. VOLUSIAN AE30 OBVERSE: AVTOK K G AFIN GAL OVEND OVOLOCCIANOC CEB, radiate and draped bust right REVERSE: ANTIOXEWN MHTRO KOLWN D-e, SC below, Tyche seated facing within tetrastyle temple, the river-god Orontes swimming beneath her, ram leaping right above Struck at Syria-Antioch, 251-253 AD 17.1g, 30mm SNGCop 295
SALONINA Antoninianus OBVERSE: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right, resting on crescent REVERSE: DEAE SEGETIAE, statue of Segetiae or Ceres, nimbate, standing facing in four-columned temple, both hands raised Struck at Lugdunum, 258 AD 3.1g, 22mm RIC 5 AUGUSTUS Æ Semis OBVERSE: AVGVSTVS DIVI·F, Laureate head right REVERSE: Q. PAPIR . CAR . Q.TER.MONT.II.VIR.Q., Hexastyle temple with IVNONI inscribed on the entablature, C I IL A among the columns of the temple Ilici (Elche - Spain) After 12 BC 4.9g, 21 mm RPC I 192; SNG Copenhagen 507
Seven is showing off but I have a hexastyle I like complete with bull. Caligula sestertius - This shows the newly dedicated Temple of the Divine Augustus. Note the column capitals are clearly Ionic. Nice examples of this coin detail many of the roof decorations. The temple was twice destroyed and rebuilt as octostyle as shown on a coin of Antoninus Pius that I would like. My hexastyle with Corinthian capitals of Trebonanius Gallus is a different temple since Divine Augustus was supposedly octostyle by then. The Septimius Severus 10 column temple is from Baalbek (Heliopolis).
A look through Wildwinds and Varbonov indicates no temple types at Nikopolis until Gordian III, so it bears investigating whether the OP coin commemorates the building of a specific temple.
I really like that distinctive-looking temple. Coincidentally, I found one of this type recently in a mixed lot, but haven't had the chance to attribute or photograph it yet. It may not be the same variety as yours, but looks close. Provincials really have some interesting temples. From Pergamon, Mysia, a tetrastyle with a statue of Augustus within: One with an interesting arch from Byblus, Phoenicia, with Astarte: But my favorite temple coin is one from Rome, the Temple of Mercury on a Marcus Aurelius sestertius:
nice lookin' temples everyone! and a fine new provincial JA! big, green, and provincial..3 things I like! here's my only temple, a "6er" temple of probus...
I see temple reverses on coins of Nicopolis from Septimius Severus onwards. For Gordian III, there are quite a few varieties (Asklepios, Serapis, Tyche, Homonoia). JA, on taking a closer look at your coin, I think it's Serapis in the temple and not Tyche, like this one: http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=105632 As it turns out I had taken pictures of mine afterall, just not edited them. GORDIAN III AE28 13.11g, 28.5mm MOESIA INFERIOR, Nicopolis ad Istrum, AD 238-244, magistrate Modestus. Varbanov 4233 O: AΥT K M ANTω ΓOΡΔIANOC AΓ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. R: ΥΠ CAB MOΔECTOΥ NIKOΠOΛEITΩN ΠΡOC ICTΡON, Tetrastyle temple containing statue of Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia; shield and spear in pediment.
Neat coin, John and everyone else. Gallienus (253 - 268 A.D.) AR Antoninianus O: GALLIENVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right. R: DEO MARTI, Mars in temple. Colonia Agrippinensis (Cologne) mint, 258-259 A.D. 21mm 3.45g RIC 10 Reverse Die Clash Petillius Capitolinus (43 B.C.) AR Denarius O: CAPITOLINVS, Bare head of bearded Jupiter right. R: PETILLIVS, The Capitoline Temple of Jupiter: richly decorated hexastyle façade with ornamented pediment and garlands hanging within three openings; [PE]TILLIVS in exergue. Rome 3.5g 20mm Crawford 487/1, Sydenham 1149 FAUSTINA Sr. (138-141 AD) Silver Denarius DIVA FAVSTINA Draped bust right. AED DIV FAVSTINAE Hexastyle temple of diva faustina, containing seated statue of the deity, trellis-work fencing in foreground at foot of steps. RIC 343 17mm 3.2g
Thank you - I was too tired last night to take a good look through all the types. I believe your attribution is correct - thank you taking the time to double check! That makes it Varbanov 4228. I think it's easy to get confused about the figures in the temples if you only use V as a reference - he isn't always clear in his descriptions, leaving out certain details, and assigning different deities to what look like identical figures. Incidentally, the OP coin, the CNG coin and the Varbanov plate coins all appear to come from the same dies, at first glance anyway. So maybe a short run on this issue with only one set of dies? V gives it an R4.
No sense in making a separate thread for all of these coins. This one caught my eye, Caracalla of Caesarea, Cappadocia. Excellent youthful bust and reverse. Rugged but attractive surfaces, also a large, dupondius-weight coin.
Thank God somebody opened-up the door to other Gordian-III coin-types ... Sadly, I don't have a temple-type, but I do have this amazingly sweet example to toss-in ... he doesn't get out that much Gordian III, Cappadocia, Caesarea-Eusebia AE21 238-244 AD Dated RY 4 (AD 240/1) Diameter: AE21 Weight: 8.24 g Obverse: AV K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC, laureate head right Reverse: MHT PO KAI B N, calathus containing five grain ears Reference: Sydenham, Caesarea; SNG Hunterian; SNG von Aulock; SNG Righetti; Lindgren & Kovacs; Lindgren III; MPR II Other: rare … apparently an unrecorded type for Gordian III JA => thanks for setting a block and giving me an opening into this sweet thread!!
Here's a pretty rough coin of Gallienus, Side Pamphylia. It's not without its charm, however. For one thing it's problem-free, just worn and bit ravaged by time. The I in front of the bust makes it 10 assaria. Apollo on reverse. The wear on the surfaces makes old Gallienus look like he's snarling.
