Three years into collecting ancients and I just learned that tridrachms are a thing: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/lo..._cos_6_ad_112114_r_temple/818857/Default.aspx What do we know about these? I guess they're pretty rare, or am I just kidding myself and I'm just not as on top of things as I thought? Do you guys have any?
Tridrachms are super cool. I think the neatest one I've seen belongs to @Ancient Aussie. Hopefully he'll be along later to post on it.
They arent that rare, really, though some types are. Most you will find are from Caesarea in Cappadocia, but they were issued in many cities in the east.
Sorry Curtisimo I just read this thread a few minutes ago. As for Tridrachms there was once confusion about my CILICIA, Aegeae, Hadrian 117/118 being referred to as a Tetradrachm but in recent times quite a few 14gm Hadrian/Eagle types have come on to the market, that were minted within 10-15 years as my coin and with mine 10gm so clearly confident that it is a Tridrachm. Interesting article/coin hoth2.
Just to show that someone at the mint had a sense of humor, this Caesarea didrachm of Commodus has TPI at reverse bottom tempting collectors to call this coin a tridrachm but if you read the entire legend you will see the legend at the right ends with PAT PA so the TRI completes the Greek version of Pater Patriae. Don't let the foolers fool. There is another version of this coin where the T was moved to the right side and the RI filled out to read PATRIDOS. I wonder if there were jokers in antiquity who were passing didrachms as tridrachms leading to this change. Whatever the reasoning the spacing that placed TRI by itself in the legend was just asking for trouble. Coins we now call tridrachms seem to weigh twice as much as these didrachms. I can't explain that either. Anyone care to make this clear?
