When I was offered this fine coin for sale, I thought surely that the Roman Emperor on obverse is Caracalla. I also admired the attractive octastyle temple on reverse where I read in Greek " Phoenike". After owning it, I searched and found that I have a similar one but with lesser condition. The coin was struck in Tyre and depicts the famous Phoenician god "Melkart". The reverse also reads KOINON in left field. It weighs 10.82 g. I'd like to share it among my coin - friends .
Very nice! It looks to be an example of RPC IV.3, 5662 (temporary). It seems to be a reverse die match to de Luynes III, 3234, pl. CXVI, coin no. 11 at RPC IV.3, 5662, which is the example in the Bibliotheque National de France in Paris.
RPC calls it "Coinages of provincial leagues (koina)" and then goes on to say "In other respects coins of provincial leagues resemble civic coins."
7Calbrey, Confusing the portrait on your coin with Caracalla is quite natural . The roughness on your coin resembles a beard, but I don't recall the engravers at Tyre ever producing a portrait of Melkart with a beard. Many portraits of Caracalla from the Tyre Mint have a strong resemblance to Melkart, & this appears to be intentional as the coin below illustrates. I bought this coin about 12 years ago, sold it at a Heritage auction, & later it sold at a Roma auction in London. If you remove the beard & mustache from Caracalla, you have a portrait of Melkart, & to strengthen the image the club of Melkart appears in the right field. Phoenicia-Tyre, Caracalla, AD 198-217 (struck 215-217), AR Tetradrachm: 27 mm, 14.09 gm, 6 h. Prieur 1543.
Do I understand that the OP coin was designed by the engravers of Tyre to make it look like Caracalla. If so, for what purpose. Was it to please the Romans ?
I think it was more likely to please & flatter Caracalla himself. Caracalla's reputation for brutality & revenge was certainly well known by the time the Tyre Mint began striking coins for him, so maybe fear motivated the engravers at Tyre to depict him as Hercules/Melkart. When Caracalla was on a provincial tour, his wrath was turned onto the city of Alexandria, Egypt. The inhabitants of Alexandria sponsored a play mocking Caracalla for his excuse in killing Geta, self defense . When he entered Alexandria after learning of this play he had soldiers execute all those involved , & then had his troops loot & plunder the city for several days .
AKT would be year 321. Dating would require us knowing what era was used. To be in the time of Caracalla, the base date would need to be 321 years before about 215 AD (judging from the portrait) or ~105 BC. We see coins dated to Actian era (31BC) but what is this one? https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/5662 says the AKT is ΤΥΡ in Ρhoenician. I have no reason to doubt them.
..And I see how coins can tell History.! They had Arts and theaters to criticize the rulers. Thank you so much for your interest and, of course, science and expertise.
