Show Us Your (Alexandrian) Tets

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by furryfrog02, Jul 3, 2020.

  1. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    CLAUDIUS - MESSALINA, The Love Children, cousins!

    upload_2020-7-5_0-14-21.png
    RProv
    Valeria Messalina wife-Claudius
    41-54 CE
    Alexandria
    BI Tet
    yr 42-43
    13.1g 25mm
    RPC I 5131
     
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  3. Archeocultura

    Archeocultura Well-Known Member

    The edges are mangled, but the portraits are fine.
    RPC 5089 Tiberius and his adoptive father Augustus.

    Frans 3a nr 026 I Tiberius RPC 5089 tetradrachme Theos Sebastos 3a nr 026 .jpg
     
  4. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    I decided to revive this thread so I could post my own very first Alexandrian tetradrachm:

    Hadrian, Billon* Tetradrachm, Year 18 (133/134 AD), Alexandria Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Serapis enthroned left, wearing modius on head, holding scepter in left hand, and extending right hand toward Cerberus, seated to left at his feet; L IH [Year 18] in left field. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 5871 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5871; BMC 16 Alexandria 620-621 at p. 74 & PL. XIII [Pool, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892)]; Köln 1095 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band II (Hadrian-Antoninus Pius) (Cologne, 1978, corrected reprint 1987)]; Dattari (Savio) 1480 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]; Emmett 892 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]. 25 mm., 12.42 g., 12 h.

    Hadrian-Serapis, Alexandria Year 18 - jpg version.jpg

    * RPC describes this coin type as AR, and it actually looks quite silvery in-hand, but I went with billon because I think it's probably the proper classification, using the definition of billon as < 50% silver.

    Cute doggie. I'm sure those are supposed to be Cerberus's three heads, but he looks like a regular dog standing on his hind legs holding up his front paws.
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2020
  5. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    If you define billon as anything less than 50% silver, you just voided the AR credentials of most silver coins after 200 AD or so. Listen to RPC. My opinion means nothing but I see billon as something gray and grainy. I do not assay each coin. If it looks silver and is not plated, I call it silver. I am neither a metallurgist nor a lawyer.
     
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  6. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    I understand your point, and admit that I tend to describe my 3rd century denarii and antoniniani before Gallienus as AR, even though I imagine that they're mostly less than 50% silver. However, I don't remember anyone in this thread describing their Alexandrian tets as anything other than billon.
     
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  7. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Great first Alexandrian, @DonnaML I have the same type, different year.

    [​IMG]
    Hadrian (117 - 138 A.D.)
    Egypt, Alexandria
    Billon Tetradrachm
    O: AVT KAI TPAI AΔPIA CЄB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
    R: Hades-Serapis seated left on ornate throne decorated with crowning Nikai, extending right hand over seated Cerberus, holding long scepter in left; L I–ς (Year 16) across field.
    12.37g
    24mm
    Dattari (Savio) 1477; K&G 32.514; Emmett 892
     
  8. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Thank you. What is K&G? I couldn't find it in Numiswiki.
     
  9. Egry

    Egry Well-Known Member

    I have a few Alexandria Tets, the debased currency of Carus and Aurelian, but my favourite is of Nero.

    D718BB79-3A59-4F0B-ADAF-365EC2E8BE34.jpeg
    Nero BI Tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt. Dated RY 13 = AD 66/7. [ΝЄΡΩ ΚΛΑΥ] ΚΑΙΣ ΣЄΒ ΓЄΡ AV, radiate bust of Nero left, wearing aegis; LIΓ (date) before / ΠΥΘΙΟΣ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ, laureate bust right of Apollo Pythios right, quiver over shoulder. Emmett 112; Dattari (Savio) 208 var. (aegis). 13.04g, 26mm, 12h.
     
  10. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

  11. Broucheion

    Broucheion Well-Known Member

  12. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Last edited: Jul 23, 2020
    Broucheion likes this.
  13. Macromius

    Macromius Well-Known Member

    Everybody has great coins here for sure...

    Here's my small collection. I held out for examples that really spoke to me. All bought for around $20-24. Love these!

    IMGP8936.jpg

    IMGP8943.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2020
  14. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  15. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    A new milestone in yesterday's mail - my first "silver" Roman tetradrachm.

    And gosh darn it, I'm going to call it silver, despite the dull grayness of it. All my other Roman tets are as brown as old pennies (or various shades of green).

    Trajan - Egyp Tet. Alexandria July 2020 (0).jpg

    Egypt ARish Tetradrachm
    Trajan
    Year 16 (112-113 A.D.)
    Alexandria Mint

    ΑΥΤ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ ϹƐΒ ΓƐΡΜ ΔΑΚΙΚ, laureate head right / L ΙϚ (date), draped bust of
    Alexandria wearing cap in form of elephant’s head, right.
    RPC III 4652.
    (12.67 grams / 21 x 19 mm)
     
  16. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    I like your invention of "ARish." I think I may apply that to the Hadrian tet I posted in this thread instead of "billon," since it looks much more silvery than many other Alexandria tets I've seen.
     
    Broucheion, Marsyas Mike and Spaniard like this.
  17. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    Here's a recent arrival.

    Roman Empire, 138-39 AD
    BI Tetradrachm
    Alexandria
    Antoninus Pius
    Obverse: Bareheaded bust right, slight drapery
    Reverse: Canopus of Osiris right; ЄTO YC B (date = year 2) around
    Köln 1285 corr.; Dattari 2179 & 8115
    10.92 grams
    22.00 mm, 1 h.

    D-Camera  Antonious Pius tetradrachm, Alexandria, Canopus of Osiris, 7-28-20.jpg
     
  18. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

  19. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Here's one that just arrived. I wanted a coin of each of Elagabalus's wives, but was never going to own an Annia Faustina imperial, so I went for the next best option and "settled" for an Alexandrian. Even then, it's not the prettiest, is it? :shame:

    Annia Faustina - Tetradrachm Ares 3997.JPG ANNIA FAUSTINA, 3rd wife of Elagabalus
    Billon Tetradrachm. 12.14g, 22.4mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 5 (AD 221/222). RPC Online Temp 10198.13 (this coin); Dattari 4190; Emmett 3028.5. O: ΑΝΝΙΑ ΦΑΥϹΤΙΝΑ ϹƐΒΑ, draped bust right. R: Ares standing left, holding parazonium and spear; at his feet, shield; L Є (date) in left field.
    Ex NAC 72, 16 May 2013, lot 1660; ex Lanz 135, 21 May 2007, lot 832
     
  20. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Wow, that's a great and wonderful addition. Lucky too.
     
    zumbly likes this.
  21. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Thanks, Mat!
     
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