Budget Maximian Alexandria Tet

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Sallent, Mar 20, 2018.

  1. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    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.

    bd5ZD4xG8rBkGos2pA9qP7sXtYC6LD.jpg
    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:

    Galienus.jpg

    3ckHaAp2L45noEM7B8aF9xTq85qWtE.jpg

    Here are my other two Maximian coins in my collection.

    TTp8Pm2Fd7Nb3ZaDSyK59M5rBBb64f (1).jpg
    ie8WN5kpNjK79odDq3LD2iaRG4BefQ (2).jpg

    Post anything you deem relevant
     
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  3. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Here's an Alexandrian tet of Maximian with a very wasp-waisted Dikaiosyne.

    Maximian Alexandrian tetradrachm.jpg
     
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  4. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Nice score @Sallent, and the Gallienus and Probus tets are gorgeous

    Q
     
    Sallent likes this.
  5. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Nice addition. I like the portrait.

    [​IMG]
    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
     
    dlhill132, TheRed, Daniel_R6 and 13 others like this.
  6. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Maximianus 5.jpg
    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 10.jpg
    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
     
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  7. Carausius

    Carausius Brother, can you spare a sestertius?

    That Probus is particularly nice quality.
     
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  8. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    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.
    pa2695bb3203.jpg
     
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  9. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    I have several Alexandrian Tets... here are a couple:

    RI Carinus 282-285 CE BI Potin Tet Alexandria Egypt 19mm Athena Seated holding Nike.jpg
    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 42-4313-1g 25mm RPC I 5131.JPG
    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.jpg
    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
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2018
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  10. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Another Maximian tet...oh wait, I'll throw in a Diocletian tet for good measure...

    maxtet1.jpg

    maxtet2.jpg

    diocles1.jpg

    diocles2.jpg
     
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  11. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    Nice addition!

    Carinus:
    IMG_3567.jpg
     
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  12. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    My only (gift) tet from Alexandria:

    P1200812.JPG
     
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  13. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    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:

    [​IMG]
    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)
     
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  14. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    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.
     
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  15. Svarog

    Svarog Well-Known Member

    6DB52100-8560-4248-86FD-D1ED324309DB.jpeg

    Though I do prefer Syrian Tetradrachms
     
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  16. Daniel_R6

    Daniel_R6 Well-Known Member

    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:

    s-l16003.jpg
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2018
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  17. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Tis one looks like it was just struck yesterday. A beautiful example!
     
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  18. kevin McGonigal

    kevin McGonigal Well-Known Member

    On the Claudius Messalina tetra, wouldn't the date L (etous) Gamma be four years into his reign and maybe about 44-45AD?
     
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  19. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    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
     
  20. Black Friar

    Black Friar Well-Known Member

    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.
     
  21. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    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.
     
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