So this is my follow-up post from my old post on winning an ancient coin lot from ebay. These are the Roman Alexandrian tets I'm happy to add to my collection! I tried to attribute them as much I could, but any help is appreciated! From left to right: Diocletian? Year: 288 AD?? Nike on the reverse? Maximianus Year (1): 285 AD? Alexandria w. bust of Serapis & scepter Diocletian Year: 286-287 AD Tyche standing left holding rudder and cornucopiae, star above minting year (Greek gamma letter) Lettering: ETOVC (Can anyone tell me what this means?) Γ Reverse and these things are chunky! Also, there is one more coin from the lot, a cruddy 4th century coin, no idea who the emperor is, but I think a proper cleaning will reveal it, can anyone help me on how you would clean this coin?
Nice and chunky, indeed, @JayAg47! I have a couple of Diocletians and a Maximian from Alexandria, too. Diocletian, AD 284-305. Roman billon tetradrachm, 19.2 mm, 7.24 g, 12 h. Egypt, Alexandria, AD 285-6. Obv: Α Κ Γ ΟVΑΛ ΔΙΟΚΛΗΤΙΑΝΟC CЄΒ, laureate and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: Athena seated left, holding Nike and resting on scepter, shield at side; L B (= regnal year 2) in field. Refs: Dattari 5638; BMCG 2485; Milne 4765; Cologne 3211; RCV 12856. Diocletian, AD 284-305. Roman billon tetradrachm, 19.1 mm, 6.91 g, 12 h. Egypt, Alexandria, AD 286-7. Obv: Α Κ Γ ΟVΑΛ ΔΙΟΚΛΗΤΙΑΝΟC CЄΒ, laureate head, right. Rev: Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae; L Γ (=regnal year 3) behind. Refs: Dattari 5755; BMCG 2524; Milne 4821; Cologne 3230; RCV 12865; Curtis 2025; MRKA 1261; Emmett 4082. Maximian, 1st reign, AD 286-305. Roman billon tetradrachm, 16.2 mm, 7.29 g. Egypt, Alexandria, AD 289-290 Obv: A K M A OVA MAΞIMIANOC CЄB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: Dikaiosyne standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae; L in left field and Є (year 5 = 289/290) in right field. Refs: Dattari 5850; Similar to BMCG 2550 and RCV 13345 (different placement of Є).
Nice tetradrachms! As for the last coin, it seems to be a common VOT coin of Constantine, though I can't help you with how to clean it.
A book you may want for these coins Emmett, Keith. Alexandrian Coins. "έτους" Greek translates "year" English - here's some more info on your coins (no guess on the fourth coin) Egypt, Alexandria, Diocletian, AD 284-305, BI tetradrachm, dated RY 4? = AD 287/8 Obv: A K ΓΟ VΑΛ ΔΙΟΚΛΗΤΙΑΝΟC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Diocletian right, seen from behind Rev: Nike walking right holding wreath and palm, shield beneath seat; L Δ Egypt, Alexandria, Maximianus, First reign, AD 286-305, BI tetradrachm, dated Year 4 = 289-290 AD Obv: MAXIMIANOC CEB, laureate and draped bust right Rev: L Δ, Alexandria standing facing, head left, holding bust of Serapis with left hand and scepter with right hand Egypt, Alexandria, Diocletian, AD 284-305, BI tetradrachm, dated year 3 (286/7) Obv: A K Γ OVAΛ ΔIOKΛHTIANOC CEB Laureate and cuirassed bust right Rev: ETOVC Γ (date: year 3) Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae; star toright
ETOVC is a variant form of the genitive of ἔτος, the word for year. In the genitive case, it means "Of the year." Gamma is used here as the number 3. So, "Of the year 3."
Great tetradrachms! I love chunky Alexandrian tets. I don't have a Diocletian yet but here is a Maximianus I, my first Alexandrian tet:
The coin looks like it is already down to bare metal (mostly). I doubt that any additional cleaning will improve it.
I have a Carus, Carinus, Numerianus, Diocletian and Maximian for that time period. All are pretty chunky.
Nice catch, @JayAg47 ! I do not READ Greek nor Latin, but I chuckled to myself έτους = Et House, or an advert for EAT OUTTA the HOUSE (go to your local restaurant). Here are a couple from around that Modern Time: CARUS RI Carus 282-283 CE AE 18mm BI Tet Consecratio Flaming Alter Divus Carus under Carinus R2 CARINUS RI Carinus 282-285 CE BI Potin Tet 19mm 8.1g Alexandria Egypt 19mm Athena Seated holding Nike
The word, ETOUS, as mentioned above is "the year of". What looks like the letter L is simply an abreviation of E, the first letter of ETOUS, L=E(TOUS).
Here's a Tet of Empress Salonina that was struck in Alexandria. It is to recall that Potin tetradrachms are typical to Roman Egypt. Potin, like the following, was an alloy of lead, silver, copper and tin, I think. Reverse of the coin is Elpis.
I have a copy of Emmett and find it very useful, but I'm wondering if you know whether there are any other books on Roman Alexandrian coins that are readily available?
Dattari-Savio is not easy to find, here's the other link I have on Roman Egypt coins: http://www.coinsofromanegypt.org/html/library/works_index.htm#works
I really do love the sand-cast flans these tetradrachmas are struck on. The Alexandrian style is also quite nice. Must be due to my Roman Egyptian roots. Here's my most recent, and my only coin of 2020. It's in hand but I have yet to take a photograph of it. My imaging apparatus has been put away after prolonged dis-use. It is time I break it out and free it of its dust-riddled state: Here's a Maximian: Maximian AE Tetradrachm 291 - 292 A.D., Alexandria Mint, null Officina 6.82g, 20.5mm, 12H Obverse: ΜΑΞΙΜΙ-ΑΝΟC CΕΒ, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, as seen from the back - both ties turned backwards Reverse: L-✱/Z, Nike flying right holding wreath out in right hand, and a palm over shoulder in left hand Exergue: - Provenance: Ex. Frank S. Robinson Auction 107, Lot 352 Reference: Milne 5031 Anyone have any clues what CEB means? Cebastos? Σεβαστός? A synonym of Augustus?
