.One coin that has alluded me since I started collecting is this Juba I Drachm/Denarius, the few I have had the oportunity to buy/bid on usually have the temple side a bit of a mess i.e. parts of the building off the flan or scrubbed but usually the portrait is okay ( I prefer it the other way around) I guess the mint worker's were a bit scared to stuff up Juba's portrait. On a tight flan of 17mm I am lucky to get the unique building all in except the very top part of the gabled pedimented tower oh for another couple of millimeters of flan!! KINGS of NUMIDIA. Juba I, Circa 60-46 BC. Drachm (Silver, 17mm, 3.76 g 12), Utica. REX IVBA Diademed, bearded, draped and cuirassed bust of Juba I to right, scepter over his right shoulder. Rev. (Punic legend) Octastyle temple with a flat roof and a small, central, pedimented tower. MAA 29. Mazard 84. SNG Copenhagen 523. Attractively toned grey. Bankers mark under ear. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THIS RULER AND HIS PREDECESSORS. The eastern part of Numidia was ruled by Jugurtha’s half-brother Gauda (c. 105 - c. 88 BCE) and then by his son Hiempsal II (c. 88-60 BCE). Hiempsal II was driven from his throne by the people, reinstated by Rome, and succeeded by his son Juba I (60-46 BCE). Juba sided with Pompey during his war with Caesar, and when defeat was certain following the Battle of Thapsus in 46 BCE, he killed himself. Numidia was annexed by Caesar shortly after this engagement with the western part given to Bocchus II of Mauretania who had been Caesar’s ally. The mercenary Publius Sittius, who had fought for Caesar’s cause, was given the city of Cirta and possibly the area around it. His son, Juba II, was taken back to Rome for Caesar's triple-triumph. Many years later Juba II was 'restored' to the throne by Augustus as a puppet-ruler. Since Numidia had clearly thrown in her lot with Rome with the waning of the Ptolemaic and Punic societies, it is interesting to note the bilingualism of these issues. Punic script would very shortly die out as Africa became Romanized. King Juba I of Numidia -profile, head of Roman sculpture (marble), 1st century BC -1st century AD, (Musée du Louvre, Paris). The use of the word REX, in Latin, as well as the direct use of the King's portrait, on what is ostensibly a denarius, is interesting -only a few short years later, Caesar's use of his own portrait along with the term 'dictator for life' became one of the reasons for his assassination. One wonders how a coin with such an autocratic message, in the language of the Romans, would have been received by Juba's "Republican'"allies. POST YOUR NORTH AFRICAN COINS, I AM SURE THERE IS SOME INTERESTING COINS OUT THERE.
Interesting story! My only North-African coin: Bronze trishekel from Utica, Zeugitana. Roughly datable to the second century BC. The heads of the Dioscuri on the obverse, two horses on the reverse, Neo-punic 'TG (Utica) above (unreadable).
Nice, even second century Rome obviously had an influence over their culture for them to be portraing the Dioscuri on their coinage.
Oh! I've wanted a Juba Numidian for a while. Congrats! Nice portrait, and look how well the building sits squarely on the flan (except that tiny bit of gable at the top). Excellent. I'm a tad jealous. (OK, more than a tad. LOL) Good on you, AA!
PS- This Juba II was in my watchlist in a recent auction. I could not afford to bid, so I was merely a spectator this time. It realized 320 GBP.
Wow, AA, congrats, that's a terrific example! One of these has been on my want list forever, and the the nicer ones just seem to get pricier all the time. Here's one of his son, Juba II. KINGS OF MAURETANIA, JUBA II AR Denarius. 3.14g, 17mm, Iol Caesarea mint, 25 BC - 24 AD, MAA 95; SNG Copenhagen 579. O: REX IVBA, Diademed head right. R: Cornucopia; transverse scepter in background, crescent to upper right.
Thanks guys I'm glad you like it, I just took a better pic of it than the dealer's which looks a bit washed out.
Great coin for sure Numidia, Mikipsa, AE26 - Minted c.148-118 BC Laureate head of Mikipsa left Horse galloping left, beneath, punic letters 15.23 gr, 26 mm Ref : Sear #6596 Q
KINGS OF NUMIDIA, MICIPSA AE27 OBVERSE: Laureate, bearded head left REVERSE: Prancing horse left, pellet below Struck at Numidia, 118 BC 14.4g, 27mm SNG Cop 505; Mazard 50; Müller 32 Ex JAZ Numismatics
Absolutely fantastic coin, AA! I know you care most about the temple, but it has a great portrait too. Probably my coin that best fits the thread is this Cato quinarius, minted in North Africa in 47-46 BCE: But I figure a North African thread also needs a Carthaginean in it. In fact I'm stunned that @Alegandron refrained! Geez buddy, what's up with that? You'll post Carthage when people ask for medieval Bosnia! @Bing and @Cucumbor: Any reason your coins are attributed to Micipsa alone rather than the usual "Massinissa or Micipsa"? I don't know a lot about these, but I was under the impression it was usually impossible to assign these to a specific ruler, other than for a few dies engraved with Massinissa's name.
Sweet Juba's! I thought I was the only fan. His son Juba II married Antony and Cleopatra's daughter Cleopatra Selene. Amazingly they were both paraded in Roman triumphs as children. My Juba I is double struck Juba II and Cleopatra Selene
LOL, oh, ok... CARTHAGE Carthage 300-264 BCE AE 19 Sardinia 19mm 5.62g Tanit wreathed Horse hd r ayin SNG COP 151 JP Righetti collection Carthage Zeugitania Æ17 6.1g 350-320 BCE Palm Tree Horse Head SNG Cop 102 NUMIDIA Numidia - Massinissa 203-148 BCE Leaping Horse (thicker face) Numidia - Micipsi - 148-118 BCE Galloping Horse (thinner face)
To quote our most sorely missed Canadian... atta boy! Does that thicker/thinner face principle to distinguish Massinissa and Micipsa actually work?
Dunno. Was told that here on CT some time ago. Not too many during that period was making a lot of different portraits of themselves. Yeah, I miss that Canadian too. Amazing how I seem to have accumulated several nick-names over the years. But, Gandalf given to me by Steve was/is pretty funny.
Thanks, fantastic portrait of Juba II, I believe this type is even more scarce and expensive than mine.
