Continuing my budget bottom dwelling ways which I've engaged in with ferocity and commitment this year, here is an Alexandria Tet I bought for the price of two standard movie tickets. Maximianus, 286 - 305 AD AE Tetradrachm, Egypt, Alexandria Mint, 23mm, 6.64 grams Obverse: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximianus right. Reverse: Nike advancing right holding wreath and palm, L G across fields. Emmett4147 I've always loved Alexandrian tets, but only had two prior to this one. I like this one because it is towards the very end of the famous Alexandrian mint, and I'm a big fan of Victory reverses. Here are my other tets from Alexandria, Gallienus and Probus: Here are my other two Maximian coins in my collection. Post anything you deem relevant
Nice addition. I like the portrait. Maximian (286 - 305, 306 - 308, and 310 A.D) Egypt, Alexandria Potin Tetradrachm O: MAΞIMIANOC-CEB, Laureate head right. R: Nike advancing right holding wreath and palm branch, L-Z (Year 7) across the field. Struck 291-292 A.D 6.72g 22mm Milne 5033, Curtis 2101
MAXIMIANUS Tetradrachm OBVERSE: MAΞIMIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: Homonoia standing left, probably not holding anything in right hand & cornucopiae in left hand, L-G across fields Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, 286-305 AD 7.28g, 18mm Milne 5072 MAXIMIANUS Tetradrachm OBVERSE: A K M OVA MAXIMIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: L-Xi, Nike advancing right holding wreath and palm branch Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, 292-293 AD 7.4g, 18mm Emmett 4147
I really like the OP Maximianus for the exceptionally clear long form legend used only in the first few years of the reign. Most you see combine small flans, small letters and too many letters to make a hard to read coin. This is a nice one. My offering is the later, shorter legend as are most shown here but from year nine spelled out L ENATOV to avoid the unlucky theta.
I have several Alexandrian Tets... here are a couple: RI Carinus 282-285 CE BI Potin Tet Alexandria Egypt 19mm Athena Seated holding Nike RProv Valeria Messalina m-Claudius 41-54 CE Alexandria BI Tet yr CE 42/43 13.1g 25mm RPC I 5131 How about a Tet from ANOTHER Alexandria: Makedon Alexander Lifetime Tet Myriandrus mint-Alexandria near Issus... this where Alexander ORIGINALLY was going to ambush Darius, but went on to fight him at Issus. Today it is the city of Iskenderun (Alexandria), Turkey
The large flan of your new tet is particularly nice, Sallent. Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt are admittedly homely. My first came in a small mixed lot and I thought it was a horrible little coin-- a porous tet of Antoninus Pius. I almost gave it away. Now coins of Roman Egypt constitute a large portion of my collection In Of Sphinxes, Crocodiles & Heroes: Collecting the Coinage of Roman Egypt*, Kerry Wetterstrom says, On the whole, the coinage of Roman Egypt was crudely manufactured at all stages--including die-engraving, flan manufacture and preparation, and the actual striking of coins. Still, it manages to maintain a charming quality about it. Once a collector is hooked, it is usually for good!" That's been the case for me *His essay appears in Wayne Sayles' book Ancient Coin Collecting IV: Roman Provincial Coins. Here's a nice Maximian formerly in the Dattari collection: EGYPT, Alexandria. Maximian potin tetradrachm, regnal year 1 (CE 285/6) Obv: laureate bust right Rev: Alexandria standing left, holding the head of Serapis and a sceptre; L-A Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 285, 10657 (this coin); Emmett 4093.1 ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)
When walking around Alexandria a few years back I looked for ancient coins but could find no evidence there was a shop or souq anywhere that had them. A bit surprising since issues of Alexandria from the Ptolemies up through the end of the Empire are pretty common. I did manage to visit the theatre, the Canopic Way, and the remnants of the hippodrome though.
A very interesting OP Tet. My most recent acquisition was a coin of Maximianus I received last month. Though it's not a Tet, and not from Alexandria:
On the Claudius Messalina tetra, wouldn't the date L (etous) Gamma be four years into his reign and maybe about 44-45AD?
Thanks @kevin McGonigal ! I do not truly collect coinage from the Empire period of Rome and relied upon the Seller's attribution. I will correct the dates and THANK YOU very much for your update! Best, Brian
Alexandrian tets are a wonderful area to collect. Like Byzantine bronzes, I believe they are under collected and therefore a bargain. A real area of opportunity and affordable. Have fun.
No, LΓ indicates regnal year 3, which for Claudius was late August in the common era year 42 through late August of common era year 43. Regnal years are based on the Alexandrian year which begins on the 1st of Thoth, roughly August 29th or 30th on the Julian calendar, with some corrections for leap years. An emperor's first and last regnal year generally aren't full years. In Alexandrian coinage, often an emperor's first or last regnal year issues are rare due to the abbreviated minting period. Claudius was elevated soon after the death of Caligula, so roughly late January of 41. His first regnal year ended ~August 28th of 41. You'll typically see the year of issue for Alexandrian coins listed as 42/43 (using Alegandron's coin as an example), with the more precise date unstated but understood.