Dear friends of Nikopolis! Here I want to share one of my rarest coins of Nikopolis ad Istrum: Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Macrinus, AD 217-218 AE 28, 11.12g, 27.87mm, 195° struck under governor Marcus Claudius Agrippa obv. AVT K OΠΠEΛ C - EVH MA[KPINOC] Bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r. rev. VΠ AΓPIΠ[ΠA NIKOΠ]OΛITΩN ΠPOC I / CTPΩ Nude youth (mountain-god Haimos), slight drapery over r. shoulder and knees, wearing boots, std. r.(!) on rocks, looking back, l. hand on head, r. arm with spear resting on tree behind in r. field AIMOC ref. a) AMNG I/1, 1700, pl. III, 24 (1 ex., Bassarabescu) b) not in Varbanov: cf.#3390: different obv. legend, spear not mentioned, pic of rev. from Pick, pic of obv. called #3407 in error c) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2020) No. 8.23.43.4 (plate coin) unique (R10), about VF pedigree: ex dianacoins, Ebay, 2009 ex coll. Steve Cady, Tantalus Coins, #34158, 2012 The pic in Hristova/Jekov (2020) was taken from Varbanov, Varbanov's pic was taken from Moushmov, Moushmov's pick was taken from Pick! Therefore the copies are so bad and the spear has disappeared over times! One of the rarest types of Nikopolis at all. This type was listed and depicted in AMNG I/1 with reference to Bassarebescu. Pick has had this coin in hand. Nicolae Bassarabescu, a Romanian collector, was in AD 1890 director of the journal "Poporul (= The People)" in Bukaresti/Romania. But his coin vanished in the course of time. It is now the first time that this type appears in the public after more than 100 years. Enjoy! Jochen
Awesome find, the position of the Mountain God is what jumped out at me I don't think i have ever seen one facing to the Right. Correct me if i am wrong but, all seated and reclining figures face to the Left which makes this even more special I do hope you will post some more pics of the Reverse showing a little more details. Thanks for sharing @Jochen1
