We had several inches of snow today, luckily it did not slow local mail delivery and this little beauty finally made its way to me after two weeks in the postal system. Domitian Caesar AR Drachm, 3.26g Rome mint (for Cappadocia), 73-74 AD RPC 1639 (10 spec.) Obv: KAIC ΔOMITIANOC CЄBACTOY YIOC; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: OMONOIA CЄBACTH; Homonoia/Concordia seated l., holding patera in r. hand, sceptre in l. hand Acquired from Lanz (eBay), November 2016. Rome likely struck a small issue of drachms for Cappadocia in 73-74. Coins were issued for Vespasian, Titus Caesar and Domitian Caesar. This Homonoia reverse for Domitian is probably the most common coin of the group. The 6 o'clock die axis and the 'Roman' style of the piece strongly suggest Rome as the home mint. Metallurgical analysis by K. Butcher and M. Ponting show these drachms were struck with the same silver bullion as that used to strike contemporary Roman denarii. It makes a nice companion piece with the Titus Caesar drachm from Rome I posted last week. The fact the two were acquired so close to one another is purely by chance.
Thanks Aussie! Yes, it's very similar in hand to a denarius. The diameter is 18mm. These Flavian drachms sometimes turn up in denarius hoards in the Western provinces, for obvious reasons!
He looks surprisingly benevolent in that portrait, and older. Given only the portrait to guess from, I'd have thought it was his father Vespasian.
Ohio. I don't mind the snow so much, it's the bitter cold that really sucks. At least it feels like Christmas.
Hasn't snowed and "stuck" here in the Golden Isles of Georgia since 1989, and that was a freakish once-in-a-century event, when several inches accumulated. Perhaps once a decade there will be a short, thin flurry here that doesn't stick. We're practically slingshot range from Florida here- we have palm trees and alligators and all that- so snow is rather unusual. My 15-year-old daughter has never seen it.
We have the problem of strong hot northerly winds this time of year making it seem hotter than it should be.
IMHO, snow is only welcome around this time of year. Any other time it is a pain in the nether regions.
@AncientAussie (on a different topic, and one I might've asked before- if so, please forgive me)- There is a knowledgeable ancient coin collector from Australia who posts under the username "Sapyx" on Collectors Universe. Would you happen to know (or be) this person? Yes, I know- Oz is a big place- a whole continent, in fact- and there are bound to be more than a few Aussies who are into ancients, but sometimes it's a small world. I was just curious, is all.
Well I hope to see you sometime, before you go let me know and I will give you a list of the better places to see in Aus, not having much more history than 200-250 years, you gotta rely on scenery, buy the way are you a night owl as its just after 2am in Ohio?
Awesome Aussie! It's in my plans to visit in the next few years ... so many places, so little time. A night owl depending on the night ... and if I have the luxury of sleeping in.
Nice coin David. Speaking of cold and Christmas, it's been cold here in Florida. Highs only in the 80s and lows in the upper 50s to low 60s. Merry Christmas to guys in the snow and cold.
