Featured A small AE from Arados

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Sulla80, Nov 16, 2019.

Tags:
  1. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    Ruad_large.jpg This is a small AE coin, 10x12mm 1.15g that caught my attention with the odd looking plant on the reverse. Not having much experience with Greek coins, I needed somewhere to start. It didn't take long to find some info, a quick search in Coryssa with a weight range (0.5-2.0g) and "Tyche" found a few coins and one close to this one helped narrow down region and reverse description. This site then gave some additional help.
    Phoenicia Arados Aphlaston.jpg
    Phoenicia, Arados 142 - 146 BC
    AE 12x10mm 1.15g, Hemichalkous
    Obv: Turreted head of Tyche right, chignon & braided ponytail, palm frond behind.
    Rev: Aphlaston (Aplustre), Phoenician letters in left field, Aradian era date right

    I'm not certain of the date and legends, but it seems to fall somewhere in the 142-146 BC range based on other coins I can find. Arados is small island in Northern Phoenicia, 2.5km off the coast from modern Tartus, Syria. A NASA photo of modern Arwad (Arados) is shown at the start of this thread. Arados was supplier of goods and naval equipment to the Seleucids and a semi-autonomous republic. This coin from a time period where the Seleucid empire was in decline and Arados expanded its territory. Arados gave help to Pompey against Caesar and Antony in the Roman civil wars and eventually in 38 BC submitted to the Roman Empire (Duyrat).

    Aphlaston and Aplustre are both words that have shown up on CT, but are new to me. What I initially saw as a branch or plant is an aplustre or aphlaston - ornamental construct on the stern of a Greek ship.

    "The stern was, like the prow, adorned in various ways, but especially with the image of the tutelary deity of the vessel (tutela). In some representations a kind of roof is formed over the head of the steersman, and the upper part of the stern frequently has an elegant ornament called aplustre, and in Greek ἄφλαστον, which constituted the highest part of the poop.
    - William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.: A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.


    The aplustre is described as a symbol of naval prowess and could be taken as a trophy in a naval victory.
    [​IMG]

    @Nathan P recently posted a beautiful sheckle from Arados with additional information on this island. As always, observations, references and corrections are appreciated. Share your coins of Arados, coins with aplustria, or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.
     
    Andres2, red_spork, zumbly and 27 others like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    The island of Arados is cute as a button and not much larger!

    An interesting provincial bought in my first months of collecting and I still love it:
    [​IMG]
    PHOENICIA, Arados. Trajan
    CY 375 (CE 116/7)
    Æ22, 9.65 g
    Obv: draped bust of Astarte-Europa right; before, small laureate and draped bust of Trajan
    Rev: bull charging left
    Reference: SNG Copenhagen 81; BMC 374

    A mixed lot find:
    [​IMG]
    PHOENICIA, Arados
    Aradian date 130 (130/129 BCE)
    AE 16, 4.0 gm
    Obv: jugate heads of Zeus and Astarte right
    Rev: prow of ship left, with figurehead of Athena; above, Phoenician aleph and nun (right to left); below, date
    Ref: Duyrat 2005 No.4263-4290; BMC Phoenicia No.295-296; HGC 10 No.90.

    An Alexander tet:
    [​IMG]
    KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III
    AR tetradrachm, 17.14 gm
    late lifetime issue, struck in Aradus c. 324/3 BCE
    Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
    Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; I in left field; AP monogram below throne
    Ref: Price 3325
    ex Colosseo Collection
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2019
    Andres2, red_spork, zumbly and 22 others like this.
  4. Ed Snible

    Ed Snible Well-Known Member

    In this auction house photo the aphlaston (stern ornament or aplustre) is oriented to the side so that the date can be read.

    1480228.jpg
    PHOENICIA, island of Arados. Circa 138/7-110/09 BC. AR Diobol (11mm, 1.17 g). Dated city year 149 (111/110 BC).
    Obv: Winged facing head of Medusa
    Rev: Aphlaston.
    Classical Numismatic Group, e-Auction 148, September 2006, lot 228. From the David Herman Collection of facing head coins.
     
  5. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    PHOENICIA ARADOS b.jpg
    PHOENICIA ARADOS
    AR Tetradrachm
    OBVERSE: Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right
    REVERSE: Nike standing left, holding wreath and palm frond; in left field, ZOP (date) above Aramaic B above ΘЄ; all within wreath
    Arados CY 177 (83/82 BC)
    14.91g, 27mm
    Duyrat 3536–49; HGC 10, 72; DCA 772; BMC 239
    Ex JAZ Numismatics
     
    Andres2, Orielensis, Jwt708 and 15 others like this.
  6. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Welcome to ancient Greek coinage (where the cool kids hang out:cool:)! To be honest, I'm shocked to read that someone as knowledgeable and whom has posted such wonderful coins is just now getting down to Greeks:wideyed:
    Anyway, very cool lil coin and thanks for the write up. I had no idea these were part of the Stern. Very interesting:cigar:
    They did love their ships prows on Arados Coinage:
    8A9D5F71-A9F2-4B9A-9F12-5873ADB76A4C.png
    Phoenicia. Arados
    136-51 BCE. Bronze Æ 16mm., 3,2g. Jugate heads of Zeus and Hera or Poseidon and Amphitrite right / Prow left surmounted by Athena standing left, Phoenician lettering above and date in Phoenician below. very fine

    37CE3967-5FC4-4719-96F5-58A81688E942.png
    Phoenicia, Arados
    Æ16. Dated CY 119 =
    141/140 BCE Diademed
    head of Zeus right / Ram of
    prow left; uncertain
    Phoenician letter above.
    3.42g, 16.67mm
     
    Jwt708, Deacon Ray, 7Calbrey and 13 others like this.
  7. David@PCC

    David@PCC allcoinage.com

    g114.jpg
    Alexander II
    Mint: Antioch
    125 to 122 BC
    Obvs: Head of Alexander r. in elephants skin.
    Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, Apulstre. YE monogram above grain ear
    17mm, 3.8g
    Ref: SNG Isr.305.2309, SC 2234.1

    g070.jpg
    Arados
    Year 164, 96/95 BC
    Obvs: Female bust Astarte-Europa right, wearing stephane, and veil over back of head. Border of dots.
    Revs: Phoenician script "Yodh Shin Beth Daleph Mem" (yšbdm) above, Recumbent humped bull lying left. Aradian ΔΞP date in ex.
    AE 21x22mm, 10.37g
    Ref: BMC 324; Duyrat 4418/4419; HGC 10, 79 (R2)

    g274.jpg
    Alexander III
    Mint: Arados
    325 to 323 BC
    AR Tetradrachm
    Obvs: No inscription. Head of Herakles right, clad in lions skin.
    Revs: AΛEΞANΔPOY, Zeus seated left holding eagle and staff. AP monogram in left field.
    25x27mm, 17.20g
    Ref: Price 3424
     
    Andres2, Jwt708, Deacon Ray and 14 others like this.
  8. Parthicus

    Parthicus Well-Known Member

    Nice, but... a little too Hellenistic for my tastes ;). How about this AR stater of Arados from the time of King Gerashtart (or Gerostrates, if you insist on Hellenizing it), c. 350-332 BC:
    Arados stater.jpg
     
  9. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Nice coins from an interesting place. I have two - this penny dreadful is the best of them, I am sorry to say:

    Phoencia - AE Tyche prow Aug 2019 (0).jpg

    Phoenicia, Arados Æ 17
    Série 3 (phoeniciancoins.com)
    (c. 215-176 B.C.)

    Turreted bust of Tyche right / Prow of galley left, [AR?] monogram above, date in
    Phoenician script below.
    Note: no figure in prow.
    BMC 97; Sear 5999 (or sim.)
    (6.98 grams / 17 mm)
     
    Jwt708, Deacon Ray, 7Calbrey and 9 others like this.
  10. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Wow :jawdrop:! Stunning toning on that tet, handsome portrait & great musculature on Zeus too ;). A once in a lifetime score :wideyed:.
     
    Sulla80 and TIF like this.
  11. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Great writeup on this neat tiny AE - thanks for posting!

    An aplustre on a posthumous drachm (not my coin, though I handled it):
    Screen Shot 2019-11-16 at 2.02.37 PM.jpg

    Screen Shot 2019-11-16 at 2.05.16 PM.jpg
    CY 114 = 146-145 BCE
     
    Andres2, Jwt708, Deacon Ray and 9 others like this.
  12. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    That is quite a tetradrachm! Apparently Arados also had some exceptional die makers...
    Nice tetradrachm, I am not 100% certain, but it looks to me like Nike is advancing left holding an holding an aphlaston aka aplustre in right hand and palm frond in left.
    Thanks, @Ryro. Fortunately, lots of unexplored territory still ;)
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2019
    TIF and Ryro like this.
  13. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    You are correct it seems. I did some digging tonight and found that my identification was wrong as you so aptly pointed out. I now have the following attribution in my catalog:

    PHOENICIA ARADOS
    AR Tetradrachm
    OBVERSE: Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right
    REVERSE: Nike standing left, holding aphlaston and palm branch; in left field, ZOP (date) above Aramaic B above ΘЄ; all within wreath
    Arados CY 177 (83/2 BC)
    14.91g, 27mm
    Duyrat 3536–49; HGC 10, 72; DCA 772
    Ex JAZ Numismatics

    Please correct me if I am yet wrong.
     
    Sulla80 likes this.
  14. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Well, yeah, you can see the B.C. part, Ed, but I don't see any numbers.




    Okay, I'm joking.
     
  15. kaparthy

    kaparthy Well-Known Member

    Tyche is the goddess of fortune. She is shown with the city walls for her crown. In ancient Greek "Eutyche" (good fortune) was a common greeting or farewell. She is common on the coins of Phoenicia in the Hellenistic era, and seen elsewhere and elsewhen.
     
    Pellinore and Sulla80 like this.
  16. kaparthy

    kaparthy Well-Known Member

    Cute coins. I have had several from Arados in the past, but none now.
    In the first case, I think at EOT is Greek for "Year" but I do not see anything after that. If that is to be read EO T, then tau is 300. But I cannot put that together for a consistent reading.

    For the second coin, how do you read the script to show the date? (Just curious. Maybe someone else knows.)
     
    Deacon Ray likes this.
  17. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    I couldn't decipher it so I asked Martin Rowe (Coins of the Southern Levant; screen name Arados on FAC). @7Calbrey was also able to read it correctly.

    PHOENICIA-AradosAE-Jugate-DateCloseup.jpg

    Per Martin,

    "Your coin is era date 130 or 130/129 B.C.

    Duyrat 2005 No.4263-4290; BMC Phoenicia No.295-296; HGC 10 No.90."
     
    kaparthy, 7Calbrey, Curtisimo and 2 others like this.
  18. 7Calbrey

    7Calbrey Well-Known Member

    This is my modest best coin from Arados showing possibly the Phoenician god of the Sea "YAMM".

    PhoenYa.JPG PhRR.JPG
     
  19. Deacon Ray

    Deacon Ray Artist & Historian Supporter

    Nice aplustria coin, @Sulla80 !

    Here are two of my aphlaston coins that were rather difficult to find in decent condition. I was offered one by a longtime ancient coin and relic trader and I grabbed it before he posted it on VCoins. From past experience, I know that examples of this particular coin disappear quickly. I’ve missed out on many nice Judaean coins by hesitating to purchase them when I’m first amazed by them.

    HEROD_ASPHLASTON.jpg

    JUDAEA_APHLASTON.jpg
     
    Andres2, Marsyas Mike, Ryro and 7 others like this.
  20. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    I have two coins from Arados:

    [​IMG]
    PHOENICIA, Arados.
    AR Tetradrachm, 30mm, 15g, 12h; Dated CY 160 (100/99 BC).
    Obv.: Turreted, veiled and draped bust of Tyche right.
    Rev.: APAΔIΩN; Nike standing left, holding aplustre and palm; ΞP (date), Phoenician letter and ΘC in left field; all within wreath.

    Thanks for brining up the aplustre in your original post. I purchased the above coin because I thought Tyche was beautifully rendered and didn't give much thought to the reverse. Sometimes I get too caught up in what appeals to me in a coin and neglect to research it in any depth. So, thank you for this thread!

    [​IMG]
    PHOENICIA, Arados
    Æ17, 5.8g, 6h; 3rd-2nd Centuries BC
    Obv.: Turreted head of Tyche right.
    Rev.: Prow left, with figurehead of Athena Promachos, date below.
     
    Andres2, Marsyas Mike, Ryro and 5 others like this.
  21. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    While I am not sure I have it right - I will share how I rationalized the date on my coin. I say "rationalized" because I am very much not convinced that I am reading correctly vs. just justifying the number I think it should be. A CT post from @Ed Snible referenced, "Numerical Notation: A Comparative History" by Stephen Chrisomalis, which has this table:
    Capture.JPG
    Using this guide, reading my coin right to left - I think my coin is 113 (147-146 BC) or 114 (146-145 BC) - not sure how many 1's run off to the left. It gets complicated because there are apparently more than twenty variants for the numbers 20 and 100 (a few shown in the table above).
    Arados Date 114.jpg
    Edit: I can't really explain the extra dash between the 1's and the 10.
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2019
    Curtis, Marsyas Mike, cmezner and 7 others like this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page