If you want at least one Roman imperial coin of everybody you will have difficulty getting a coin of Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III who reigned 238-244. Her imperial coins are very rare; on Ras Suarez's list she is the 168th most frequently offered Roman. Here is a copy of that list: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/catalogs/Roman_Ruler_RarityModified2.pdf So, most of us seek her portrait on a provincial coin. On his Roman provincial frequency list http://augustuscoins.com/ed/catalogs/ProvincialRarityStats.pdf she is only number 37--not so rare. Here is one from Roman Alexandria in Egypt: 22 mm. 12.94 grams. CAB TPANKYΛΛEINA CEB Homonia standing left raising right hand and holding a double cornucopia in her left. LS for year 6 in the field, 242/3. Sear III 8897 (is year Z, 7) Emmett 3449 page 172. Tranquillina is not only on coins of Alexandria, but also other cities. I'd love to see a member's antoninianus, but I don't expect to see such a rarity. Show us a provincial Tranquillina!
Nice example, @Valentinian . Mine is purdy ruddy, but I have one of her from Thrace: TRANQUILINA RI Prv Thrace, Deultum. Tranquillina. Augusta, CE 241-244. Æ 22mm 6.6 gm. Diademed and draped bust right / Hermes standing left, holding purse and caduceus. SNG Bulgaria 1504-8; Youroukova 400; Varbanov 2932.
I've got year 5 Tranquillina, (241 - 244 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CEB, diademed and draped bust right. R: Homonoia standing left, raising arm and holding double cornuacopiae; in left field, L E. year 5 (241/2 A.D.) 12.5g 24mm Milne 3420 Emmett 3449
Mine is one of the easy to get with Gordy but I liked her portrait Gordian III and Tranquillina AE27 Obv:- AVT K M ANT GORDIANOC AVG CEB, TPANKVLLEINA Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian right vis-à-vis diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina left. Rev:- VP TEPTVLLIANOV MARKIANOPOLITWN, Homonoia standing facing, head left, wearing kalathos, holding patera over lighted altar and cornucopia; E in left field. Minted in Markianpolis under Magistrate Tertullianus. Reference:– Varbanov 2046. 13.58 gms. 27.13 mm. 0 degrees
Great Alexandrians, Warren and Mat! TRANQUILLINA AE23. 6.0g, 23.4mm. THRACE, Odessus, AD 241-244. Varbanov 4614 (R7); AMNG 2405; RPC Online VII.2, - (unassigned; ID 28597). O: CAB TPANKVΛΛEINA C, diademed and draped bust right. R: ΟΔΗCCΕΙΤΩΝ, Demeter standing right, holding long torch and grain ears, facing Persephone standing left, holding patera and torch.
Psidia, Col Cremnesiuvm. From the EE Clain-Stefanelli collection. I must confess I bought it for the following reasons: the three graces, the bust on crescent and provenance. Tranquillina was a bonus.
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
My one coin with Tranquillina: Gordian III with wife Tranquillina, AE 26 mm., 241-244 AD, Thracia, Anchialus [Pomorie, Bulgaria]. Obv. Confronted busts of Gordian III right, laureate, draped and cuirassed, and Tranquillina left, draped and wearing stephane; ΑVT Κ M ANT / ΓOPΔIANOC AVΓ clockwise around; CEB TPAN // KVΛΛINA in exergue; border of dots/ Rev. Apollo standing left, holding patera in right hand; left arm resting on column; ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝωΝ / ΑΓXΙΑΛEωΝ clockwise around; border of dots. Moushmov 2939 [H. Moushmov, Ancient Coins of the Balkan Peninsula (1912)], Varbanov II 668 [Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Vol. II, Thrace (from Abdera to Pautalia) (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria 2005)], AMNG II 656 [F. Münzer & M. Strack, Die antiken Münzen von Thrakien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. II (Berlin, 1912)]. 26 mm., 11.91 g.
Phrygia, Cibyra Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III Bronze circa 243-244, Æ 27.4mm., 11.78g. Draped bust r. Rev. Nike advancing l., carrying wreath and palm; in l. field, small basket. BMC Phrygia pg. 145, 82. Weber 7068 (same dies). RPC 670. Tranquillina (wife of Gordian III) Æ27 of Thessalonica, Macedon. AD 238-244. CABINIA TPANKVΛΛINA AVΓ, diademed and draped bust right / [ΘЄCC]AΛONIKЄΩN NЄΩK, Nike standing left, holding laurel branch and palm, urn containing palm and five balls at feet; ΠYΘIA in exergue. Varbanov 4656. 11.20g, 28mm, 12h. Very Rare Pythian Games issue.
My only Tranquillina depicted without Gordian III: Tranquillina AD 241-244. Roman provincial Æ 24.1 mm, 8.06 g. Thrace, Deultum, AD 241-244. Obv: SAB TRANQVILLINA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: COL FL PAC DEVLT, Marsyas as Silenus facing right, carrying wine skin over left shoulder and raising right arm. Refs: Moushmov 3757; Youroukova 425, 4/II; cf. SNG Cop 549.
Latin language Colonials from cities priviledged to use Latin should, like Roman Collector's Marsyas, use AVG on the obverse but the die cutter on my Deultum got confused and used Latin letters to abbreviate SEBasta. I wonder if the SAB at the start played any part making his mind think SAB---SEB. The reverse show Apollo with lyre. Remember that Marsyas was the Satyr who made the mistake of challenging Apollo to a music contest so these two coins are related. Does anyone know if there is a Deultum coin showing Marsyas with a flute that would add to this set? If we really wanted to go over the deep end we could rewrite the story a bit and suggest that the Roman Collector type does not show a wineskin if the liquid variety but shows that Marsyas' challenge to Apollo was not using Athena's flute as the myth relates but that he actually was using a bagpipe. Challenging a god to a contest is just plain old stupid (as Marsyas discovered) but bringing a bagpipe to the fight would be suitable only for a Monte Python move stunt. Am I too ridiculous? Certainly that was the intent but read this bit from Dio Chrysostom. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Dio_Chrysostom/Discourses/71*.html#9 "And yet a certain king of our times had the ambition to be wise in this sort of wisdom, believing that he had knowledge of very many things — not, however, of such things as do not receive applause among men, but rather those for which it is possible to win a crown — I mean acting as a herald, singing to the cithara, reciting tragedies, wrestling, and taking part in the pancration. Besides, they say that he could paint and fashion statues and play the pipe, both by means of his lips and by tucking a skin beneath his armpits with a view to avoiding the reproach of Athena! Was he not, then, a wise man?" Some propose that the 'certain king' might have been Nero. IF I were to write this story into Mythological fiction, I would explain the invention of the bagpipe by Apollo crafting the prototype from the pipes of Athena and the hide of the Satyr who should have known better. Ancient coins can be fun if you don't take them, or yourself, too seriously.
I should add that Singara (modern-day Sinjar, Iraq) is one of the easternmost mints in the empire. It later fell to the Sassanids in the time Constantius II.
Tranquillina. Augusta, 241-244 AD. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ Triassarion (25mm, 9.46 gm, 12h). Obv: Diademed and draped bust right. Rev: Artemis advancing right, drawing arrow from quiver at shoulder and holding bow; at side, hound running right; Γ (mark of value) to left. H&J, Marcianopolis 6.39.13.1 corr. (obv. legend); Varbanov 2065; Moushmov 842.
Some pretty nice coins/portraits out there Tranquillina, Tetradrachm - Alexandria mint, AD 242-243 CAB TPANKVLLEINA CEB, diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina right Nike standing left, LS in field (sixth regnal year) 12,50 gr Ref : Sear #3868v, RCV #8898v, Emmett #3449/6 Tranquillina, Drachm - Cappadocia, Caesarea- Eusebia, AD 241-244 Tranquillina, Augusta, AR Drachm - Dated Regnal year 4 of Gordian III (AD 240/1) CABINIA TPANKVΛΛINA AV Draped bust right, wearing stephane MHTPO KAICA B N E Mount Argaeus ЄT Δ (date) in exergue 2.72 grams - 18 mm Ref : Bland, Last # 58, Sydenham, Caesarea Supp # 617a Ex CNG e-auction 354, #352 Ex SteveX-6. collection Q
Cucumbor, that Tranquillina of Caesareia is RARE. The only affordable (barely) decent silver coin of hers available, outside of the very rare and costly denarii of Rome!!! Congratulations!!!
I'm a bit embarrassed to show mine because it's so scruffy, but what the hey, we're among friends: Provincial Bronze (AE24) Macedonia, Edessa Obv: CABINIA TPANKVΛΛEINA Rev: EΔE-C-CΩN - Woman placing wreath on head of Roma, seated left Moushmov 6276 24mm, 4.8g.
Have you ever looked at the plates in SNG Copenhagen or the Lindgren volumes? If these collectors were condition cranks who eschewed the scruffy, they wouldn't have had collections at all!
Hey Valentinian, nice score! Gorgeous little provincial (and that's from someone who generally can't stand them) Just a note though that the rarity list you're referring to only accounted for Roman imperial coins. The list would look much different if provincials were considered too. Rasiel
Nice coin Valentinian, this one is very scarce only three in RPC online my one pictured. MACEDON THESSALONICA Tranquillina Bronze. AD 238-244. 26 mm. 12,11 g. Obv: CABINIA TPANKYΛΛΙΝΑ ΑΥΓ. Diademed and draped bust right. Rev: ΘΕCCΑΛΟΝΙΚΕΩΝ NEΩKOPΩN. Tetrastyle temple seen in perspective to left ΠΥΘΙΑ below. Cf. Varbanov 4657.
