Featured Some recent Roman Alexandrian purchases, including a (worn!) Ant. Pius Zodiac drachm

I really like both types. I almost never buy a second Alexandrian coin with the same reverse design as one I already have, but did so in this case with the Trajan Agathodaemon. Here's my Hadrian, with a pretty much identical reverse:

 

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I love your Zodiac coins. The Mars in Aries is superb!

 

Amazing condition -- I'm not surprised you kept it! One rarely sees Roman Alexandrian coins that look that pristine.

 

I would love a Roman Alexandrian coin with an Egyptian temple on the reverse, like yours. They seem extremely rare to me.

 

Those are both great coins. You can really see the phoenix held by Pronoia. I don't know whether to believe the theory that the coin anticipates the end of the Sothic Cycle several years later, but who knows?

I also think the Nero dual portrait coins are well-done as a rule. Even though the Alexandrian tetradrachms were debased during his reign if I recall correctly, a lot of them still look quite silvery.

The only other Nero Alexandrian dual portrait (with a real person) I have is this one with Poppea on the reverse:



I like this dual portrait of Claudius and his mother Antonia:

 

I wasn't even looking for it particularly, but when I saw it on V-coins I couldn't believe how reasonable the price was given its eye appeal (despite being so worn), and immediately bought it. I doubt I'll ever see another one that nice for the price.

 

These are all very nice. I particularly like the Commodus with the lighthouse reverse. It may be common in theory, but I haven't seen that many for sale!

My standards for the condition a coin has to be in for me to buy are very different for Roman Alexandrian coins than they are for Imperial coins or even a lot of other Provincial types. I guess dealers apply different standards as well. The Hadrian Sphinx I posted was described as "Fine" in the 2001 CNG mail bid sale catalog, and I think that's an appropriate grade. But with grade inflation, the recent Economopoulos tag says "Very Fine." It's a good thing that I never take a dealer's grade into account when I buy an ancient coin! I see many Roman Alexandrian coins sold as "Very Fine" that probably would merit a VG under the strict definition of those standards, invented (I assume) for US coins.

There are still some well-made Roman Alexandrian coins post-Philip II. I think my new Salonina/Tyche qualifies. It looks better to me than a lot of Imperial coins of the period. And even back in 1985, the Stack's Coin Galleries catalog described it as Very Fine!

 

Wonderful varied group @DonnaML and as always a very interesting write up Thanks.....That's a great pick up, the A.P zodiac!..Quite an iconic coin in any condition and yours 'IS' nice, I too like the twin colouring.. Also it does have a lot of the obverse legend still readable..Cool coin!
I really like the angry face of Hadrian on the Tet with a sweet Pronoia reverse...All in all a very nice selection.
Here's my favourite A.P. Drachm to add to the super coins already posted..

Antoninus Pius, 138 - 161 AD, AE Drachm, Egypt, Alexandria Mint, 34mm, 29.55 grams
Obverse: Laureate head of Antoninus right.
Reverse: L DEKATOV, Zeus holding patera and scetpre reclining left on open wings of eagle.
Emmett1699

 

Thank you for that information, @DonnaML - lacking Emmett in my library, this is very helpful.

 

I've posted very few new coins this year... other things seem to get in the way of coin time!

Donna, your new acquisitions are terrific but I wish you'd stick to collecting Roman Republicans . You and everyone else! Competition is getting stiff. I've been turning to other provincials lately.

Like @zumbly, I don't aspire to collect a complete set of Antoninus Pius's zodiac drachms-- just too expensive and there are so many other interesting reverses that compete for my budget. Here are a couple I picked up because the time was right, the price was right, or nothing else got in the way:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 8, 144/5 CE
AE drachm, 33 mm, 22.9 gm, Zodiac series, "Venus in Taurus"
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: bull butting left; above, diademed and draped bust of Aphrodite left; star before her; L H (date) in exergue
Ref: Emmett 1450.8



EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 8, 144/5 CE
AE drachm, 32 mm, 22.43 gm, Zodiac series, Helios in Leo
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: Helios (Sun) in Leo: Lion leaping right; above, radiate and draped bust of Helios and six-pointed star; [L H below]
Ref: Köln 1495-6; Dattari (Savio) 2968; K&G 35.278; Emmett 1530.8
Ex Thomas Bentley Cederlind

I have no shame at all in buying very worn but interesting Alexandrians. Here's a recent pick up that somewhat fits this description although I certainly have Alexandrians with far more wear. The reverse shows a sphinx with a crocodile head sticking out of its chest and a snake for a tail, with a griffin on its back. Weird and wacky stuff!


EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
RY 18 (133/4 CE)
AE drachm; 33 mm, 24.75 gm, 12 h
Obv: AYT KAIC TPAIAN AΔPI[ANOC CЄΒ]; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Hadrian to right, seen from behind
Rev: L - IH; Sphinx standing left, wearing hemhem crown, with head of a crocodile emerging from its breast and uraeus as tail; above, griffin seated left, resting its right paw on wheel
Ref: Dattari (Savio) 2004; Emmett 1056.18; K&G 32.597; RPC III 5912. Rare.
ex Rhakotis Collection, formed in the 1960s and 1970s

Hmm. Hard to say, but it looks cast to me ("soapy" junctions of devices and the field). I'm leaning towards cast fake of a hemidrachm (or tetradrachm) but that's just speculation and I don't have an opinion on whether the forgery was in ancient times or modern times, if it is a forgery. It could be authentic and just terribly underweight.

 

The following coin made believe that the Zodiac existed on coins and minds of ancient people long time ago. It shows Aquarius on a column before Tyche on reverse. The coin was struck under Gordian III in Mesopotamia which was the land of the Babylonians. I posted it before, but it is my preferred coin. The bust of Tyche seemed to me as charming as magic. Cheers..

 

Antoninus Pius. ALEXANDRIA HARBOR SCENE. Alexandria, Egypt; dated 154/155 AD (year 18). Æ drachm (32 MM). Obv: Bust of Antoninus Pius, l. Rev: Isis Euploea standing facing, head left, holding grain ears upward in right hand, reversed rudder in her left. To her left, prow of galley with billowing sail, moving right, behind her. Another similar galley to her right moving left (neither visible in Emmett specimen). Euthenia reclining right to Isis' left and river-god Nilus holding rudder, reclining left on the right at her feet. Date “L – IH” across upper fields.

Reverse like Emmett 1589; Milne 2290 variant; BMC 1173 variant; Dattari 2899, but obverse bust left. Traces of drapery on obverse bust, so Dattari-Savio 8776. Probably from the same obverse die. As such, the second known variety.

 

Wow! That's a fantastic coin in every way. How long have you had it?

 

These are wonderful as always, @TIF. I especially like the Venus in Taurus and the sphinx with a crocodile bursting from its chest, obviously an inspiration to the makers of "Alien."

I wish I could accommodate you, but the problem with sticking to Roman Republican coins is that they're getting so expensive: for example, I never expected that Volteius snake biga I wanted to go for more than 2,500 euros recently. At least I can still afford many of the Roman Alexandrian coins I see that I like, especially given that I'm willing to buy them in much lesser condition than I am Republican coins. Anyway, I actually began collecting Roman Alexandrian coins* less than a year after I began collecting Roman Republican coins, although certainly to a lesser extent: I have a total of 25 Roman Alexandrian coins now (including the six new ones), compared to 63 Roman Republican coins. So I don't think you really have to be concerned with competition from me!

*These were the first two Roman Alexandrians I bought, both during the summer of 2020:

 

About 10 - 12 years….or so my old brain tells me.
I owe the research to our great CT friend Curtis Clay, since I don’t have the references cited.

 

I fear that too many dealers never handle a coin they can't grade VF or better. Alexandrians which would be less will still sell but they can't bring themselves to use VG.

This Pius drachm came as Fine which may be pushing it in some regards (missing too much of the date) but other dealers would call it VF. I bought it for the color.


another Fine from another dealer


and a third from a third was actually called VG/F - appropriate when there is no detail on the head


Grading is impossible IMO. I prefer photos at a minimum.

 

Not extensive enough! No zodiac in my collection.

Here's a Hadrian drachma similar to #4, except everybody is facing the other way. And an diobol purchased this year. Both pics courtesy of CNG.

 

@DonnaML I started reading a doctoral dissertation entitled Temple as Cosmos, by Xavier Pena, Joabson, University of Groningen. This has some really good information that might help explain why we have this Egyptian Series with both Greco-Roman gods being associated with Babylonian astrology.

The dissertation is based on a study of Josephus' writings. It's an examination of what he wrote, for whom, and why. It also goes into the study of cosmos and the different schools.

I am still reading this dissertation but have found it quite interesting.

As we look at what is going on during the time of Augustus we see a shift from a many gods society to the emperor being a god himself (Persian influence). Now we have a competing religion that is taking the "power" that is attributed to the Emporer and assigning it to a single god- the Jewish god.
I'm not familiar with the Jewish Wars so excuse my ignorance in the following question: If I am the Emporer would I allow such a religion to spread within my domain?

 

Hadrian with a Clain-Stefanelli provenance.


Hadrian, AD 117-138.
Roman provincial billon tetradrachm, 12.76 g, 24.8 mm, 11 h.
Egypt, Alexandria, year 21=AD 136/7.
Obv: ΑVΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹЄΒ; laureate head of Hadrian, right, drapery on l. shoulder.
Rev: L ΚΑ; Demeter standing facing, head l., wearing crescent, holding ears of corn and torch.
Refs: RPC III, 6131; BMC 16.71,579; Köln 1209; Dattari 1335; Milne 1519; Emmett 832.
Note: Ex-Clain-Stefanelli.

 

After Eldert passed away (boy do I miss him!) the Pegasi inventory was sold and Nick started up his own company. Nick is still making the rounds at shows and as always has plenty of fantastic deals.