Hey, everybody! It's ... And you know what that means! It's Faustina Friday!! And this Friday, we're gonna get provincial. The city of Antiochia was probably founded by Antiochus I Soter, son of Seleucus I Nicator, on the south bank of the Mæander River where the Morsynus River (Orsinus), flowing north from the city of Aphrodisias, meets the Mæander.[1] The modern name for the site is Aliağaçiftliği.[2] Pliny[3] says it replaced two cities called Symmaithos and Kranaos. Strabo[4] calls it city of moderate size, but owning extensive territory on both sides of the river. He notes that the region is famous for its dried figs and is liable to earthquakes. The city gained some importance from a bridge over the Mæander, beautifully depicted on a large bronze of Trajan Decius (RPC IX, 766), but now vanished. Stillwell et al. remark the city has "little or no individual history."[5] Stillwell et al. note the city's remains are scanty. On the hill is a medieval fortress and castle incorporating some ancient blocks, and on the northwest side is the hollow of the theater, but no masonry survives. Marble blocks and column drums are scattered over the ground, especially on a level space near the top on the north side. In the 19th century, there were many remains of buildings, arches, massive acropolis walls, and a stadium 0.8 km to the east, but little is to be seen today.[6] The city does not seem to have struck coins before 168 BC. Coin production continued into the Roman Imperial period, beginning with Augustus, and continuing through the reign of Gallienus.[7] This moderate sized bronze was struck for Faustina the Younger. I date it to c. AD 155-165 based on hairstyle.[8] Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman provincial Æ 25 mm, 8.01 g, 6 h. Caria, Antiochia ad Maeandrum, c. AD 155-165. Obv: ·I·AVCTЄINA CЄBACT, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑΝΤΙΟΧЄΩΝ, Hera standing, facing, head, left, holding long scepter in right hand and veil with bent left arm. Refs: Similar to RPC IV.2, 827 (temporary) and Imhoof-Blumer KM p. 111, no. 20, pl. IV.9. Notes: Unique? Unlisted with the ΑΝΤΙΟΧЄΩΝ reverse legend at RPC. Unlisted in BMC, Mionnet, Lindgren and Wiczay. No examples appear on a search at acsearchinfo or at Wildwinds. This may represent a previously unrecorded reverse legend. If anyone has a reference to this coin with the ΑΝΤΙΟΧЄΩΝ reverse legend, please let me know. Please post your coins of Antiochia ad Maeandrum, coins of Caria, interesting Faustina provincials, or anything you feel is relevant! Notes 1. Head, Barclay V. Catalogue of the Greek Coins of CARIA, Cos, Rhodes, &C. Trustees of the British Museum, 1897, p. xxxi. 2. A., Talbert Richard J, et al. Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press, 2000, Map 65, H5 and Map-by-map Directory, p. 997. 3. HN 5.108, cited in Stillwell, Richard. MacDonald, William L. McAlister, Marian Holland. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press, 1976, s.v. Antioch on the Maeander, Turkey. Available online at https://www.perseus.tufts.edu. 4. Geography 13.4.15, Strabo, et al. The Geography of Strabo Literally Translated, with Notes the First Six Books by H.C. Hamilton, Esq. the Remainder by W. Falconer, M.A. Late Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford in Three Volumes. George Bell & Sons, 1903. 5. Stillwell, Richard. MacDonald, William L. McAlister, Marian Holland. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press, 1976, s.v. Antioch on the Maeander, Turkey. Available online at https://www.perseus.tufts.edu. 6. Ibid. 7. Head, op. cit., pp. xxxi-xxxiii, 14-24. 8. Dating by means of Faustina’s coiffure is a much less reliable undertaking in the Roman provincial series than in the imperial series due to the relative paucity of reliable exemplars of the empress' current hairstyle in the provinces.
Nice coin and interesting write-up. Demanding request Antiochia ad Maeandrum: Gallienus Caria, Antiochia ad Maeandrum AE 35 Obv.: ΑΥ Κ Π ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟΣ, Radiate, helmeted, and cuirassed bust left, holding spear and shield. Rev.: ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ, Bridge spanning the Maeandrus river; gateway to bridge to left, surmounted by stork standing right; on parapet, river-god Maeandrus reclining left, holding reed and cornucopia. AE, 22.11g, 35.4mm Ref.: SNG von Aulock 2430 coin of Caria: Caria, Rhodes Drachm (Circa 88/42 BC-AD 14). Obv: Radiate head of Helios facing slightly right. Rev: P – O, Rose seen from above. Control: below, grain ear left. AR, 4.08g, 18mm Ref.: HGC 6, 1456; SNG von Aulock 2839 interesting Faustina provincial: Faustina Junior Thrace, Plotinopolis AE23 Obv: ΦAVCTEINA CEBACTH, Draped bust right. Rev: ΠΛΩΤΕΙΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Hera? standing left, holding patera and sceptre. AE, 8.19g, 22.7mm Ref.: BMC 5
My first Faustina II coin is a provincial ΦΑVϹΤΕΙΝΑ ϹΕΒΑϹΤΗ, draped bust of Faustina II, r. / ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩ(Ν), Tyche standing, l., wearing kalathos, holding rudder and cornucopia Thrace, Hadrianopolis 21 mm 6.60 g RPC IV.1, 3917 (temporary), Jurukova 68, 72, and 74, BMC 7 I have this nice bronze from Caria, Mylasa Obv: Forepart of horse right. Rev: MYΛΑΣΕΩΝ. Ornate trident head. 210-30 BC 11 mm 1.68 g SNG Keckman 225
Cool coin and write-up! It is a shame there is not much left of the city and stadium. Caria, Antiochia ad Maeandrum. AE20 Pseudo-autonomous Here is an interesting provincial of Faustina II that I have not posted previously. Thrace, Pautalia. Faustina II AE22. Rev: Hygieia with serpent on column. Rare (Varbanov 4488 , R7), with reverse legend OYLPIAS P[AYTALIAS].