Nisibis was a city in Roman Mesopotamia, now named Nusaybin in Turkey, on its border with Syria. Map from https://i.imgur.com/lHoCQtt.jpg and created by Sardis Verlag (Nisibis is on the right half way up) This Roman provincial coin of Nisibis arrived today. Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip I, who reigned 244-249. Roman provincial Æ 26-25 mm, 11.84 g. Mesopotamia, Nisibis, AD 244-249. Obv: MAP ΩTAKIΛ CЄOYHPAN CЄB, diademed and draped bust right, on crescent. Rev: IOY CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT, tetrastyle temple containing statue of city goddess seated facing; above her head, ram (Aries) leaping right; below, river god Mygdonius swimming right. Refs: Sear Greek Imperial Coins 4065. BMC 27. SNG Copenhagen 244. The most common coins of Nisibis have this reverse and an obverse from this family, either Philip, Philip II, or Otacilia Severus. Nisibis was in Mesopotamia ("The land between the waters") and one of the easternmost cities to issue Roman provincial coins. The Euphrates--which was often a boundary of the Roman Empire--is well west of Nisibis (through Zeugma and Samosata on the map). The Tigris begins about 60 miles to the east. A.H.M. Jones, in The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces, writes "... Lucius Verus annexed Mesopotamia. The Parthians did not acquiesce in the loss of the province, and further campaigns were required under Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and Macrinus to maintain the conquests of Verus. Then, early in the third century, the Sassanian dynasty replaced the effete Arsacids [Parthians] and renewed the struggle for Mesopotamia with greater efficiency. Successive campaigns were fought by Severus Alexander, Gordian III, Philip, Valerian, Odenathus, and Carus. "...Severus was certainly the founder of Septimia Rhesaina and Septimia Nisibis, which later took the additional title Julia in honor of Philip." Jones continues "... Under Diocletian the Persian wars continued. ... Julian, after brilliant initial successes, was disastrously defeated and his successor Jovian (363-364) signed an ignominious peace whereby not only the greater part of Diocletian's conquests but [also] Nisibus and Singara, which had been in Roman hands since the days of Severus and perhaps Verus, were surrendered to the Persians." Show us a coin of Nisibis or another city in Roman Mesopotamia!
Here are 2 coins from Mesopotamia. The first was struck in Singara under Gordian III, BMC 8. Whereas the second was struck in Nisibia under Philip I, BMC 21.
I have none from Nisibis but the coin below was unidentified in one of the first group lots I bought. Digging around for its identity exposed me to hundreds or maybe even thousands of coins I hadn't seen before, as well as to online copies of old catalogs and collections, so for those reasons I'm fond of the coin. MESOPOTAMIA, Edessa Elagabalus, CE 218-222 AE27, 15 gm Obv: AVT K M A ANTΩNEINOC; radiate cuirassed bust left, holding shield and raising right hand. Rev: AVP ........ EΔECCA; Tyche seated left on rock, holding corn ears; to left a column surmounted by a statue of Marsyas, river god swimming right at feet Ref: Mionnet supplement 8, 26. Rare. Here is the Mionnet entry: Another mixed lot Mesopotamian: MESOPOTAMIA, Edessa Gordian III / Abgar X AE25, 10.7 gm Obv: [uncertain] ANT GORDIANOC CEB, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust of Gordian III; star before Rev: ABGAROC BACILEUC; crowned and draped bust of Abgar X Phraates right; star behind Ref: BMC 144; SNG Cop 225
My only one from Nisibis. JULIA MAMAEA AE27. 11.42g, 26.5mm. MESOPOTAMIA, Nisibis, AD 222-235. SNG Cop 236; BMC 10 var. (crescent below bust). O: IOV MAMEA CEBACTH, diademed draped bust right. R: CEΠ KOΛO NECIBI MH B, turreted, veiled, draped Tyche right, topped by Aries the Ram leaping right with head turned left; in front of chin, a star.
Nice reverse on that one! Here is a Mamaea. Julia Mamaea of Nisibis, Mesopotamia. Laureate head right / Turreted, veiled bust of Tyche right, ram (Aries) above. Trajan Decius, AE25 of Rhesaena, 249-251 AD. 11.5 gr.Obv: Radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right. AVT K Γ ME KV ΔEKIOC TPAIANOC CEB and CEΠ KOΛ PHCAINHCIWN L III-Rev: CEP KOL PHCIWNWN, colonist plowing field right with two oxen; eagle with wreath in beak Above. In ex. river god swimming. BMC 28
Here is a favorite from Edessa... Elagabalus, Mesopotamia,Edessa, 218-222 AD O: Radiate bust of Elagabalus to right, R: Tyche seated left, river god below. BMC 59
I have a few coins from this borderland between the Roman and the Parthian/Sasanian realms. Gordian III from Singara: Gordian III, again, with his buddy Abgar X of Edessa: And Otacilia Severa on this coin of Nisibis:
That's a nicely detailed example, @Valentinian . I have a more humble example. I think the history of Nisibis and northern Mesopotamia in Roman times is interesting. You may recall this write-up I once did. Otacilia Severa, AD 244-249. Roman provincial Æ 24 mm, 14.34 g. Mesopotamia, Nisibis, AD 244-249. Obv: MAP ΩTAKIΛ CЄOYHPAN CЄB, diademed and draped bust right, on crescent. Rev: IOY CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT, tetrastyle temple containing statue of city goddess seated facing; above her head, ram (Aries) leaping right; below, river god Mygdonius swimming right. Refs: BMC 27; SNG Copenhagen 244; Sear GIC 4065; SNG Hunterian 2447; MacDonald 4.
Very nice indeed Warren, good detail both sides especially her hair and spiral columns, great pick up.
Thank you, @Roman Collector, for the link https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-roman-provincial-from-nisibis-in-mesopotamia.344276/ to your writeup up the same coin type. It is very well done and has lots of information my post does not. Nice work! It is one thing to own an old coin; it is another to know enough about it to really enjoy the historical connection. I'm sure the work @Roman Collector put in to author his writeup more than doubled his pleasure with the coin. I'm sure my work will do the same for me.
Here is a Philip I, 244-249, (Marcus Julius Phillipus) of Nisibis: 26 mm. 9.98 grams. It has the same reverse legend and type as the OP coin of Otacilia Severa. IOY CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT Julia Septimia Colonia Nisibis Metrapolis ["Septimia Nisibis, which later took the additional title Julia in honor of Philip." AVTOK K M IOVΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CEB Autocrator Kaiser Marcus Julius Phillipus Sebastos I posted the OP coin at 4 pm yesterday and today it was already on page 2 of the listings (until now when this post bumps it). This is apparently a very good season for ancient-coin posts!
Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III, AE 26 of Singara, 10.7 grams, 12h MESOPOTAMIA, Singara Obverse: SAB TRANQVILLINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right Reverse: AVP CEP KOA CINT APA; veiled bust of Tyche right; centaur Sagittarius leaping right and discharging bow above. Reference: BMC Arabia p. 136, 14; SNG Copenhagen 258
@Valentinian . Are you sure that your coin of Philip I above has the same reverse of the OP coin. Here's a coin like yours of Philip I above, but the reverse has a pellet in pediment. Interesting search indeed..
I wrote, "It has the same reverse legend and type." To me, the word "type" refers to the main elements of the device and does not refer to details such as control marks or other small marks in the fields, officina, pellets, etc. So, yes, they are the same type. The British Museum may care about pellets, but I lump such details under the term "variety," as opposed to "type."
@Valentinian, Thanks for this very interesting write-up and educational thread on these coins of Mesopotamia. I have no Roman Provincial coins in my collection but I've bid on a few unsuccessfully. It's threads like this that educate me and stimulate my interest to look more closely.
