Aurelian, Alexandria, Year 1

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by maridvnvm, Jan 25, 2020.

  1. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    I am working through a mixed batch of coins that I have bought to start off the year. The batch consists of about 20 Alexandrian Tets from Claudius II Gothicus, though to Maxiamianus Herculius and about 20 Imperials, Provincials through to a Byzantine.

    The coins have arrived and I am working through with my attributions and photographs. I will not inflict them all on you but will share ones I think worthy of sharing or if I need help with the attribution.

    Here is the first of the batch. A realtively scarce, year 1 Aurelian Tetradrachm.

    Aurelian, Billon Tetradrachm
    Obv:– A K Λ ∆OM AYPHΛIANOC CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right (seen from the front)
    Rev– Eagle standing right, wreath in beak, palm frond behind
    Minted in Egypt, Alexandria. L - A (year 1) across fields; Year 1 of Aurelian, 270 A.D.
    Reference:– Milne 4301. Curtis 1734 (noted as a rare variety), BMC Alexandria 2367. Emmett 3927 (Year 1, Rarity R3)

    7.96 gms. 21.44 mm. 0 degrees

    Some clogging in the obverse legend but a nice style portrait.

    [​IMG]

    Martin
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2020
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  3. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    What a lovely portrait. Nice thick flan too :).
     
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  4. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    That's a very nice tet @maridvnvm - sounds like a great assortment of coins!
     
  5. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Very nice, great portrait.

    [​IMG]
    Aurelian, With Vaballathus (270 - 275 A.D.)
    Egypt, Alexandria
    Potin Tetradrachm
    O: AYT KΛ ∆ AYPHΛIANOC CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Aurelian right, date L - A at sides ( year 1 ).
    R: I I A C OYABAΛΛAΘOC AΘHNOY AYT C ΠΩ, laureate, diademed and draped bust of Vabalathus right, date L - D across fields ( year 4 )
    20mm
    9.54g
    Köln 3054; Dattari 5422; Milne 4308; Curtis 1738; Emmett 3914


    [​IMG]
    Aurelian (270 - 275 A.D.)
    Egypt, Alexandria
    Potin Tetradrachm
    O: A K Λ ΔOM AVΡHΛIANOC CEB, Laureate and cuirassed bust right.
    R: Eagle standing right on wreath, head turned left; star above right, L D right. Dated RY 4 (272/3 AD)
    11.25g
    21mm
    Köln 3076; Dattari 5492; Milne 4398 var. (no star); Emmett 3933 var. (same)
     
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  6. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Sweet! Here’s my Aurelian and Vaballathus Tet from Alexandria. Mine has some surface issues. 4693BF28-B0DA-4269-ACDC-7C6BDF239C31.jpeg 79D8093A-47F6-46D0-A0F6-76BF280EE431.jpeg
     
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  7. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Here's a Carinus and Numerianus:

    Carinus (283-284 A.D.)

    AE Tetradrachm of Alexandria, 19mm 7.19 grams

    Year 2 = 284 AD.

    Obverse: A K M A KAΡINOC CEB, laureate, cuirassed bust right

    Reverse: L-B, Elpis standing left holding flower and hem of skirt.

    Reference: Milne 4701-3, BMC 2454, Koln 3177

    carinus1.jpg

    carinus2.jpg

    Numerian, Feb/March 283 - Oct/Nov 284 A.D.

    Roman Provincial Egypt

    Billon Tetradrachm, 8.26 grams, 20.7 mm, Alexandria mint

    Obverse: AK M A NOVMEPIANOC CEB
    Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

    Reverse: Athena seated left on high backed throne, wearing crested helmet, long scepter in left hand, Nike offering wreath in right hand.

    numerian.jpg
     
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  8. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    That coin has a lot of eye-appeal, @maridvnvm ! Can't wait to see the rest of your haul!
     
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  9. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Ooooh... let's see a photo of the pile! :hungry:

    My year 5 Aurelian may well be my favourite coin of Roman Egypt:

    Screen Shot 2020-01-25 at 8.41.25 PM.jpg
     
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  10. Orange Julius

    Orange Julius Well-Known Member

    Great coin! I have one of these too, although not quite as nice. It has some encrustations that I wish would disappear. These year 1 coins seem fairly rare. Emmett rates them as R3. I was only able to find a handful of representative examples online when I bought mine.
    AurelianMilne4301.jpg

    As I understand, these were minted for a short time, not long before Zenobia captured Alexandria in 270.
     
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  11. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Nice portrait on the OP coin, and of course on @Severus Alexander's wonderful example. The ones on the double-headers with Vabalathus seem decidedly less flattering...

    Aurelian Vabalathus - Alexandria Pot Tet.jpg
     
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  12. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I wonder if the variations and scarcity of LA solo Aurelians is due to the mint being in control of Vabalathus and so much production going to the two headed type.
    pa2630b02199lg.JPG
     
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  13. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    Hi Doug,
    I had been pondering this too. Year 1 coins can be on a shorter production volume based on when the emperor rose to power, in this case September. SO they can be generally scarcer than Year 2 etc. We also have the Vabalathus situation here which undoubtedly would have had an influence. There seem to be many more Year 1 double headed coins than Aurelian only so we could assume the Vabalathus control was a major factor. There is also a possibility that many of these coins have gone overlooked as they are "just another Alexandrian Tet. with an Eagle". I have seen (and now bought) another of these year 1 coins which was labelled as blandly as this in a dealer stock "Aurelian, Tetradrachm, Alexandria".

    As an aside. Here is a quickly snatched image of the obverses of the group that I bought and am working through.

    Group.jpg
     
  14. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Quite a nice group of coins !

    Here's one I think I've never posted before

    0495-410.jpg

    Q
     
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  15. Broucheion

    Broucheion Well-Known Member

    All,

    From page 154 of Roger Bland's The Coinage of Vabalathus and ZenobiaThe Coinage of Vabalathus and Zenobia from Antioch and Alexandria (Numismatic Chronicle 171, 2011)

    "Aurelian’s reign began with a small issue of coins in his sole name dated Year 1 (September - c.December 270), and was succeeded by an issue with year one of Aurelian and no regnal year for Vabalathus (c.December 270 – c.March 271), followed by another in the names of Aurelian and Vabalathus dated Years 1 and 4 (c.March 271 - 28 August 271. This was succeeded by another issue for Aurelian and Vabalathus of about the same size dated Years 5 and 2 (29 August 271 - c.March 272, and then by a much smaller issue in the names of Vabalathus Augustus and Zenobia from the same year (c.March - c.June 272)."

    - Broucheion
     
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  16. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    What a juicy looking lot! I look forward to the continuing series...
     
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  17. Orange Julius

    Orange Julius Well-Known Member

    Thank you for that info! My question is... when was Alexandria captured by Zenobia/Vabalathus? Were these year 1 sole coins minted before that occupation or were they minted under Zenobia/Vabalathus for Aurelian? As these coins were listed in this book... it seems to suggest they were minted under Zenobia/Vabalathus?
     
  18. Broucheion

    Broucheion Well-Known Member

    Hi @Orange Julius,

    The entire chronology (numismatic and historical) is laid out in this paper in Table 1.

    - Broucheion
     
  19. Orange Julius

    Orange Julius Well-Known Member

    ahh... I read your quote but somehow missed the link. I’ll take a look. Thank you!
     
  20. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    I haven't gotten round to the large lot yet but my second example of the OP type has arrived today. It would appear to be the same obverse die as that shown by @Orange Julius above.

    [​IMG]
     
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  21. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Aurelian 8.jpg
    AURELIAN
    Tetradrahm
    OBVERSE: AUT K L D AURHLIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
    REVERSE: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wreath in beak, D/L (year 4) left, star right
    Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, 29 Aug 272 - 28 Aug 273 A.D.
    7.73g, 21mm
    Dattari (Savio) 5470-1; Milne 4381-2; Emmett 3922
     
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