This coins was one of the first I acquired in 2019, a small bronze of Nacrasa, an inland town in Lydia (west-Turkey now). I fell for the coiling snake all around the omphalos, a divine stone signifying the navel of the world - the one at Delphi in any case. Maybe Nacrasa had a holy stone with healing powers and this coinage was advertising it. Can you see the tail of the snake left to the N of NAKRASITON on the reverse? There's a countermark on the neck of Hercules, that's what caused the crack in the coin. Possibly an amphora (according to RPC). Can anybody of you tell me the meaning of the countermark? AE pseudo-autonomous AD 100-150. Nacrasa, Lydia, Marcus Junianus, strategos. Obv. Bearded divine hero Heracles t.r. EΠI CTΡA MAΡ IOYNIANOY. Countermark on neck: amphora? Rev. Snake coiling all around omphalos NAKΡA/CITΩN. 15 mm, 2.58 gr. BMC 7; RPC III 1812 (14 pcs, 7 with countermark). Nacrasa (Nakrasa) near Kirkagach in West-Turkey.
Hi, Very Interesting! I picked up a similar coin recently. I can see how the cmk on yours seems to look like an amphora but based on my coin I'm pretty sure that's incorrect. This coin has a similar countermark in similar location and I'm fairly sure it is Telesphoros so I'd say yours is too. Ours looks more like the squat triangular version of Howgego 267 while yours looks a bit more elongated like Howgego 268. Based on the commentary in Howgego it seems likely that it may have been applied in nearby Pergamum. The examples in Howgego are mainly from Pergamum, which was nearby Nacrasa, and based on commentary it seems there was a shrine of Telesphoros (the Telesphorion or Telesphorium) there.. Also seems likely a reference to Asklepios on the reverse. - Archaios
Resurrecting this thread because I just got a coin from Nacrasa similar to the OP. I've been buying little over-cleaned Greek AEs on the cheap off an eBay seller who doesn't describe them - I like the challenge of figuring them out. And it was a cheap thrill at $2.50. Mine is worn, over-cleaned and a bit bent, but it is my first portrait of Hercules with the burly, broken-nosed boxer look and the style is quite fine, in my opinion. Are there any other Nacrasa coins out there? I'd never heard of the place before I started looking into this one. I wish I had a countermarked version like Pellinore's... Nacrasa, Lydia Æ 16 (c. 98-161 A.D.) Semi-autonomous Markos Iounianos, Strategos EΠI [CTΡA] MA[Ρ IOYNIA]NOY, Bearded head of Herakles right / NAKΡA[CI]TΩN, serpent coiled around omphalos, [head right]. RPC III 1812; SNG Cop 295. (2.76 grams / 16 mm)
