My first purchased coin on the Christmas season is of Emperor Geta. He was the murdered brother of Caracalla. The coin is provincial because the legend is Greek Which helped me read Geta. However the reverse seems totally strange and even odd to me. It weighs 11.9 g. Please post your comment. Thanks..
Cool coin, 7C! It's from Dium. The reverse shows a cult statue of Zeus-Heliopolites (Ba'al Hadad) standing facing, holding eagle-tipped scepter and Nike; recumbent bull on either side of feet.
@Numistnewbiest. The letters on the exergue are different. What could that mean? Is that different mints ?
I wish I could help you, but I'm way too new to ancient coins to answer that. I just thought the picture could help you with seeing what's on your coin a little better.
To clarify: I don't own the coin in the picture I posted...I just found it online after I read your initial post.
Oh wow, that is an awesome reverse, cool new Geta 7C!! I didn't know where Dium was, but I guess it is part of the Decopolis group. I have this somewhat related coins with a cool reverse. Gordian III (238-244 AD), Nysa-Scythopolis, Decapolis Draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III right, seen from rear, laureate / Tyche-Nysa seated on throne right, holding infant Dionysus in her arms. Delta T across fields (Dated Pompeian Era 304, AD 240/1). 24 mm, 10.7 g
I made an interesting search and found first that Baal Hadad (reverse) was the Syrian god of war. Just as Mars for the Romans or Ares , I think , for the Greeks. The OP coin was struck in Dium,Decapolis-Syria. SGI 2905 - Spij 7. There are also variants. Both coins are almost the same. The same letters are written either to right or to left or in exergue (Beneath). I got this info from Wildwinds.
The coin posted by Numisnewbiest has the city ethnic starting in exergue and finishing at the right with the year date in Greek numerals 268 CΞΗ at the left. The 7calbrey coin starts the ethnic on the left and finishes in exergue. The date is different but on the right. I see CO (270) so the portrait should show the boy 2 years older on the 7c coin. I do not know the date system used here but it might be a city foundation date??? Guessing from the portrait, I suspect year one was about 70 BC making these 198 and 200 AD. Both are quite collectible but that one from 268 is a gem!
fine coin 7C!i really dig those provincial coins as much or more than Rome mint ones..i've got one very similar to big O's.