Tracking a Philip II Tet from Antioch, Syria

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Al Kowsky, Mar 4, 2019.

  1. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    I've been on the lookout for nice looking Tets of Philip II for about 5 years, & if they're rare that will increase the interest. On January 12, 2017 I scored a rather nice looking example from a Heritage auction in a NGC slab, graded Ch XF, for $104.00 (buyers premium included), see photos below. The coin was listed by McAlee as Very Rare, #1064c, & Prieur cited only 5 examples. The only drawback to the coin was granular surfaces, especially on the reverse, but for $104.00 I was happy with the purchase.

    McAlee 1064c, obv. V. Rare, Prieur 492.jpg
    McAlee 1064c, rev. V. Rare, Prieur 492.jpg

    Shortly after acquiring this Tet I stumbled on another example of this coin on a Vcoins listing that was far superior to my coin :sour:, see photo below. The only drawback to the Vcoins example was the price of $569.00 :jawdrop:! Several months later I returned to the Vcoins listing & saw the same coin with the note RESERVED o_O. I was angry with myself for not trying to negotiate a better price with the seller :mad:.

    CIVITAS Galleries, VCoins. Prieur 492.jpg
    Last September while browsing thru the Heritage Signature auction I spotted another example of this same coin type in a NGC slab :eek:! The coin was mistakenly described as a Tet of Philip I, McAlee 937 o_O, despite the correct attribution on the NGC slab. (NGC 4278563-002, MS*, Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5), see photos below. My first thought was the cataloger confused this coin with another Tet of Philip I in the same auction, however, the only other coin of Philip I in this auction was a Tet from Alexandria, Egypt, & there were no other examples in the auction of Philip II coins. So I guess it was just a stupid blunder :wacky:. After comparing the Heritage example to the Vcoins example I realized they were the same coin :wideyed:. Somehow after being sold from Vcoins, the coin was slabbed & placed in the Heritage auction. I ended up with the coin for $432.00 (buyers premium included) :D.

    NGC 4278563-002, obv., close-up.jpg NGC 4278563-002, rev., close-up.jpg

    I've only seen one other example of this coin type posted in Wildwinds.com, from Pagasi Numismatics, from one of their auctions in 2014, see photo below.

    Prieur 492 Pegasi.jpg
     
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  3. Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

    Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Well-Known Member

  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Wow! Nice coin! And what a tale of all's well that ends well.

    I don't have an Antiochene tet of Phillip II, only one of his mama!

    Otacilia Severa Tetradrachm Antioch.jpg
    Otacilia Severa, 244-249.
    Roman provincial AR tetradrachm, 12.23 g, 25.1 mm.
    Syria, Seleucis & Pieria, Antioch ad Orontem, AD 245.
    Obv: ΜΑΡ ΟΤΑΚΙΛ CΕΟΥΗΡΑ CΕΒ, diademed and draped bust, right.
    Rev: ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞΟΥCΙΑC ΥΠΑΤΟ Α, eagle on palm, left, tail right, SC in exergue.
    Refs: McAlee 1088; Prieur 341; BMC 541.

    My favorite Philip II is this sestertius:

    [​IMG]
    Philip II as Caesar under Philip I, AD 244-247.
    Roman Æ sestertius, 19.61 g, 28.3 mm, 11h.
    Rome, AD 245-246.
    Obv: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES, bare-headed and draped bust right.
    Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENT S C, Philip II in military dress, standing left, holding globe and resting on spear.
    Refs: RIC 256a; Cohen 49; RCV 9249; Hunter 14.
     
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  5. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Roman Collector, I foolishly sold 2 nice Tets of Otacilia Severa a couple of years ago & now I can't find anything affordable as nice as your coin :sour:.
     
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  6. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    What a fun tale and excellent coin! I've picked up a couple of coins that I missed the first time around. This Julia Domna Fecunditas was my primary target in a CNG print auction several years ago. I chased it higher than intended and lost.

    A year or so later it reappeared in a Buy/Bid sale and the BIN price was lower than my losing bid in the prior sale :). I put it in my cart and checked out as fast as I could.

    [​IMG]
    Julia Domna
    AR denarius, 19.5mm, 3.17 gm, 6h. Rome mint
    Struck under Septimius Severus, circa AD 207-211
    Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA; draped bust right
    Rev: Fecunditas or Tellus (Earth) reclining left under tree, resting arm on basket of fruit and placing hand on celestial orb; standing before her are four children representing the Four Seasons
    Ref: RIC IV 549 (Septimius Severus); RSC 35
    ex R.H. Collection, purchased from Ed Waddell
     
  7. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    A couple of nice coins @Al Kowsky - the one for $104 was a good deal. My only Antioch tet is of Elagabalus, who was kind of a big deal in Syria.

    elag1.jpg

    elag2.jpg
     
  8. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    TIF, Great score :woot:! Julia looks like the young beauty that's recorded in history & the reverse is the best possible composition ;). There were some very gifted celators working at the Rome mint at that time.
     
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  9. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    ancient coin hunter, That's a nice looking Tet with an ironically angelic portrait :angelic:. I don't think the celators knew what a sick pervert the kid was :shifty:. You really should try & get a better photo (in focus) of the obverse ;).
     
    ancient coin hunter likes this.
  10. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    kool coins of Phillip ll...i've been trying to get a coin of him for a while to complete the family of along with the emperors, but no cigar(or coin) yet :)
     
  11. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Yeah the obverse is a bit blurry, reverse is fine...
     
  12. 7Calbrey

    7Calbrey Well-Known Member

    My best coin of Philip II is this nice one with denomination of 8 Assaria. Reverse shows Tyche. Antioch. BMC 564.

    Phil 2 ANT BMC 564.jpg Phil 2 Tyche   8 Assaria.jpg
     
  13. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    [​IMG]
    PHILIP II (247 - 249 A.D.)
    SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria
    BILLON TETRADRACHM
    O:AVTOK K M IOVLI FILIPPOC CEB: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Seen from behind.
    R: DHMARC EX OVCIAC VPATO D: Eagle standing right, wings spread, holding wreath in its beak, ANTIOXIA S C below.
    Anioch, Syria Minted: 249 AD
    26mm
    13g
    SNG Cop 1211, Prieur 473
     
  14. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    7Calbrey, You've got a nice example of a beefy bronze coin of Philip II. There were two main issues of this type & your example looks like the earlier type with Philip II depicted bare-headed. I like the reverse composition of a turreted Tyche under a leaping ram. I don't know what the significance of the "leaping ram" is but I think the earliest use of this symbol on Antioch coinage was during the reign of Elagabalus. I have a late Tet of Gordian III which uses the "leaping ram" motif on the reverse under the eagle with a crescent above the ram. See photo below.
    Gordian III, NGC 1883002-115, rev. (2).jpg
     
  15. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Mat, You've got a nice example of a late Tet of Philip II. Your coin is listed as McAlee 1043, Series 5, A.D. 248-249.
     
  16. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  17. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    I'd like to elaborate on an interesting digression triggered by a post from 7Calbrey, regarding the "leaping ram" motif on Antioch coinage. A friend alerted me to an extremely rare Tet auctioned by CNG in their Triton XXII auction, pictured below. The coin was struck under the reign of Marcus Aurelius & pictures Commodus as Caesar, c. AD 175, 26 mm, 14.51 gm. The reverse depicts Tyche seated on rocks with the river god Orontes swimming below her. Above Tyche is the "leaping ram" motif again. In the CNG description,Michel Prieur is quoted "The ram is said to represent Ares, which was the star sign of the month in which the city was founded".
    McAlee 626, CNG Triton XXII, Lot 596.jpg
    Other examples of earlier coinage from Antioch also use the "leaping ram" motif like the coin pictured below, courtesy of Marc Breitsprecher. It's an anonymous bronze, dated Actian year 42 (AD 11/12), 20.3 mm, 5.16 gm. The reverse uses the "leaping ram" motif with a star. Bible students have often fancifully attributed this design to the star of Bethlehem, signaling the birth of Christ, who was allegedly born in the month of April (Ares, symbolized by the ram).

    Butcher 56, Antioch, AD 11-12, 5.16 gm.jpg
     
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  18. Jay GT4

    Jay GT4 Well-Known Member

    Nice detective work and a great coin. I had this one for many years until I traded it along with several others for some Ephesian Flavians.


    Philip_tetradrachm.jpg
    AVTOK K M IOVΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CEB
    Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind

    DHMAPX EZOVCIAC
    Eagle standing right, head left with wreath in beak, S - C in field, A (officina 1) above left wing
    MON VRB ('The Mint of Rome') in exergue.

    Scarce with officina letter in reverse field.

    EF reverse a bit corroded

    244 AD
    Probably struck in Rome for use in the East

    13.29g
    Prieur-305 (20 spec.)

    Wildwinds example

    Ex-Harlan J Berk
     
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  19. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Jay GT4, I also had a magnificent example of a Philip I Tet that Heritage auctioned off for me, see photos below. My example was the more common variety without an officina mark, c. AD 246, 14.22 gm. McAlee 899.

    100_1745 (2).JPG 100_1749 (2).JPG
     
  20. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Nice detail @Al Kowsky
     
  21. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Thanks James, coins with a matte surface lend themselves to excellent photos.
     
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