I am trying to read the monograms on the reverse of this Roman Republic, First Meris tetradrachm: 32 x 34 mm, 17.068 g Amphipolis, 158 - 150 BC SNG Copenhagen 1314-1315; SNG Hunterian 3, 1103; AMNG III-I, 178; SNG Ashmolean 3296-3299; Sear 1386; Berlin 19; There doesn’t seem to be a consensus about what the letters are. Have been looking at many threads at CT about this type. The descriptions at CT as well as at acsearch usually just say “monogram above, two monograms below”, but when the monograms are described one can find the most diverse descriptions for the same coin and monograms, (or maybe I need a new pair of glasses…), e.g: 1.) ΣΗΑTΡ at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/macedonia-under-roman-rule-tetradrachm.386455/#post-7891299 2.) ΘΩΡ monogram; beneath ΤKΡ and ΤΥΕ; at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/macedon-under-roman-rule.276465/ and https://www.cointalk.com/threads/macedon-under-roman-rule.276465/#post-2379661 3.) SHAR monogram above, to left TK and to right TME monograms, at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6517044 4.) ΣHOP in monogram above, TKP in monogram below to left, MTE in monogram below to right; at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5668775 5.) BDTR monogram above, TKR and TME monograms below https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2785245 On mine I think the monogram above is ΣΗΔTΡ where Δ is on top of T and the monograms below are TKP and ME (or TYE and the letter T has just lost the horizontal bar, which I doubt). I found the monogram ME in a publication by Sophia Kremydi-Sicilianou “The Tauropolos Tetradrachms Of The First Macedonian Meris: Provenance, Iconography And Dating” but the hoard discussed doesn’t have an Artemis tetradrachm with monogram ME. How do you read the monograms and do you have a reference where one can find those? Please share your First Meris tetradrachms and descriptions of monograms
Macedonia, Roman Protectorate, First Meris, (167 - 148 B.C.) AR Tetradrachm O: Diademed and draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder, in the center of a Macedonian shield. R: MAKEDONWN PRWTHS; Club; monogram above, two monograms below; all within oak wreath, thunderbolt to left. Amphipolis Mint 16.56g 30mm SNG Copenhagen 1315 // AMNG 176
@Mat it looks like the monogram above the club is the same as on mine. I read it as: ΣΗΔTΡ with Δ on top of T
Sure, but at least I would love to know which letters are there, because as per my OP lots of attributions read them very differently
Yes indeed! And you/we don’t know which is correct Maybe some day they will find the “Rosetta Stone” telling us the answer….but don’t hold your breath
In the most recent corpus on Macedonian autonomous silver coinage: "Prokopov, I.S. 2012. The Silver Coinage of the Macedonian Regions, 2nd – 1st century BC. (Collection Moneta, 131), Wetteren" Prokopov has designed the following internal chronology of the series: 1. ‘First A’ Group (shortly after 168–149 BC), struck with 26 monogram combinations and additional symbols: dolphin, plough, trident, 8-pointed star, winged thunderbolt, and regular thunderbolt: 26 issues (143 combinations), catalogue numbers 1 – 143; 2. ‘First B’ Group – struck with only 1 monogram: 68 issues, catalogue numbers 144 – 212; 3. ‘Second A’ Group, after 149/8 BC – struck with 3 monogram combinations and additional symbol – regular thunderbolt: 343 sporadic issues, catalogue numbers 213 – 556; 4. ‘Second B’ Group – undated, struck with 1 monogram (AP) and additional symbol – regular thunderbolt, 52 issues, catalogue numbers 557 – 609; 5. ‘Third’ Group – ‘conserved’ issues, much later, not stated by Prokopov21 , but it should be regarded actually ca. 120 – 90/80 BC: 134 issues struck with 1 monogram (AP in different versions), 30 obverse and 100 reverse dies, Prokopov catalogue numbers 610 – 744. Does anyone have this publication?
Absolutely love the coin and the question Monograms can be fun to unfold. This one is "BAP" or as we would say " BOP", as in the Romans BOPPED the Macedonians and this is sanctioned and minted by someone or someones Roman or extremely pro Roman with those monogram. And the TRUTHE is that these were all minted in the first Meris in Amphipolis, THE largest mint in Macedon The second meris is more rare but still made loads of these silver coins. No coins from the third meris are known to exist. Here's a rare coin from the fourth meris; only in bronze:
I think your first and second one are Class 2.A with ΣHΔTΡ, Δ on top of T Your coin from the fourth Meris is a beauty!! Since there is only one monogram, guess it is Class 3
Found all the descriptions of letters and attributions here: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=prokopov silver on the OP coin the monograms are ΣHY∆P - TKI - MYE
Thanks for that link, @cmezner. Mine would seem to be a Group 1A with the monograms ΠPE (or ΠEP), EP and ΠAP. MACEDONIA (as Roman Protectorate) AR Tetradrachm. 16.84g, 32.7mm. MACEDONIA, First Meris, Amphipolis mint, circa 167 - 149 BC. SNG Cop 1313; Prokopov 127. O: Diademed and draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder, in the center of a Macedonian shield. R: Club; ΠPE (or ΠEP) monogram above, EP and ΠAP monograms below, MAKEΔONΩN above, ΠPΩTHΣ below; all within oak wreath, thunderbolt to left.
How I'm reading that entry on the numiswiki page is that the rarity for Prokopov 127-143, a group which includes mine, ranges from U (Unique) to RR (Very Rare). I really wanted one from this particular obverse die (because I just fell in love with the portrait of Artemis), and had to wait some time for an example to pop up... thankfully the wait was not too long!
Since yours is 127, I think yours is U and all from 127 onwards to 143 are RR - just my interpretation; but whatever the interpretation is, you have an exceptional tetradrachm
