I was busy taking snaps of some coins, partly to get away from all of the depressing and partly because I really need to photograph the coins and organize the collection, something that I absolutely will accomplish - just give me a few more decades, please! The first coin is an AE As of Hadrian, the one with the lyre. This is the only coin that I own with a musical instrument as the sole subject for the reverse, and one that I appreciate; music kind of runs through the family, although I don't play an instrument, which is a pity I suppose, as the Steinway upright piano is sitting around gathering dust. Hadrian, 125-128 AD AE As Rome Obverse: HADRIANVS - AVGVSTVS, Laureate head right. Reverse: COS III S-C, lyre center. RIC II 688 9.00 grams Next are two BI tetradrachm of Elagabalus, Antioch. These coins have shown up on eBay and elsewhere with considerable frequency and must be from a large hoard, I think, since they all show generally the same surface condition, often with areas of brown, green and green/blue patina. The first coin was taken with a flash. Elagabalus, 218-222 AD BI Tetradrachm Antioch Obverse Greek Legend - Laureate, draped bust right. Reverse Greek Legend - Eagle facing front head facing left with wreath in beak, star between feet. SR-2141, BMC-418 12.88 grams This coin is also from Antioch. The image is a little blurry. I took the photo in natural light to highlight the patina on the coin, but the combination of a slower shutter speed coupled with my increasingly unsteady hands contribute to this "impressionistic" effect. The final coin is none other than our old friend Caracalla. Now he might not be someone you'd take out to lunch on a regular basis, but he was an interesting figure to say the least. This tetradrachm was struck towards the end of his reign, in Antioch. Now, I've been able to match this coin with Prieur 224, but there are some differences with the coins I've online. The legend on the obverse has a break of three dots, used to connect the AN with the T. On the reverse the eagle is facing left, not right, unlike the online examples which have the eagle facing right. I don't know if these are significant difference to warrant another catalog number. Caracalla, 215-217 AD BI tetradrachm SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. Obverse: Laureate head right. Reverse: Eagle standing facing left, with wings displayed, holding wreath in beak; • Δ • and • Є • above wings, star below. There's some graffiti on the obverse, to the right of the portrait that might be Aramaic or another related language in the Levant. Prieur 224? 12.59 grams Can anyone help me with this coin? Caracalla issue more provincial tetradrachms than the number of fleas on the back of dog! Thanks
The last coin is Elagabalus. Elagabalus (218 - 222 A.D.) SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch Billon Tetradrachm Obv.: AVT K M A ANTWNEINOC, Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev.: ΔHMAPX EΞYΠATOC TOB, Eagle standing facing, head and tail left, holding wreath in beak, Δ Є above wings, star between legs. Billon, 14.46g, 24mm Ref.: Prieur 264
