A Really BIG Bronze of Elagabalus

Oh no.... Stiff competition for my RR denariiiiiii. Rats, I should have kept my mouth shut!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Here you go again driving up the prices for all of us

 

Pellinore's coin answers the question of the style of Mikey's coin being odd. The two use the same obverse die suggesting to me that Zeugma contracted out the production of that coin to another mint which also made the Pellimore offering. There is no certainty that the mint was Antioch but it could be a third party or several other suggestions. I believe both coins are good. Other examples of die sharing are known in the Provincial issues.

I am no expert in these by any means. At one time there were several US printers that made banknotes for various government entities and private banks. I suspect similar operations were at work for some of these coins but I do not know any details. I suspect that this will be addressed in the forthcoming volumes of the book series Roman Provincial Coinage.

A Google search of 'Roman Provincial die sharing' shows the subject mentioned in more places than expected but I do not have the books indexed by these hits.
https://www.google.com/search?sourc...incial die sharing&aqs=chrome..69i57.8219j0j7

Studying these coins properly is more complex than I am.

 

If it's too complicated for you Doug, then it's miles above my head.

 

Philip II, 247 - 249 AD
AE Tetrassarion, Zeugma Mint, 28mm, 16.43 grams
Obverse: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip right.
Reverse: Tetrastyle temple with draped figure of Zeus(?) seated within, capricorn left in exergue.
BMC29, Rare variety with capricorn left.
ex Duke of Argyll Collection, Spink Numismatic Circular August 2000, lot 2949.

 

While I have seen better strikes on the reverse that is a great portrait of Philip II! Have you seen these with tree detail beyond outlines?

 

Fantastic coin Mikey!

FWIW, Butcher speculates the most likely mint for this coin was Antioch. It seems to have been fairly common practice for smaller Syrian cities to contract out their mint work to Antioch.

 

Wow, Ken => that capricorn is very cool (great obverse and the reverse is awesome)