Featured Follow the coin theme GAME - ancient edition - post ‘em if you got ‘em

Would that include Carthage in the 4th century? It certainly isn't Rome.

Edit - I see that the provincial mints ended in the 270s. Subsequent mints into the 4th century are considered imperial. Question answered.

 

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12 Hour Rule on this one:

Unfortunately I have no non-Alexandrian RPC post-Decius, but here's a favorite:

Philip II looking very mature for an 8-year old! I'll give it a full post some day, but it's historically interesting for its reference to the city's Neokoros status and the Second Pythian Games (the local ones, a big deal for the city, not the primary Pythian Games at Delphi), and for its illustration of the temple which is the most detailed for this issue, RPC 69113 (showing what I believe to be many Rhyta - crossed tusks - drinking horns for decorations, indicating a temple of Kabeiros, in whose honor the Kabeiric Pythian Games of Thessalonica were held, sanctioned by Apollo according to imagery on other coins).

I don't know if it was Nick Economopoulos, but whoever was running Pegasi must've liked this coin, since they put it in like half a dozen or more Buy-Bid-Sales unsold without lowering the est./opening bid! I grabbed it as soon as they passed it along to a CNG e-Auction (for what I deemed a shockingly low bid, way below my max):


PHOTO CREDIT: CNG and RPC Online

Roman Provincial / Greek Imperial. Philip II (Caesar), under Philip I (Augustus). Macedon, Thessalonica. Second Pythian Games issue. AE Tetrassarion (26.5mm, 11.23g, 7h). Struck circa 246 CE.
Obverse: · ΜΑΡ · ΙΟΥΛΙΟϹ · ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟϹ · ΚƐ (·) – Mar(cus) Julius Philippus Ca(esar). Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip II facing right, seen from rear.
Reverse: ΘƐϹϹΑΛΟΝΙΚƐΩΝ ΝƐΩ / ·ΠΥΘΙΑΔΙ· / ·Β· – Of the Thessalonians, Neo(korate) / Pythian Games / #2. Temple (of Kabeiros?) with four side columns, on podium, to right, seen in 3/4 perspective. [On temple detail, see below.]
References: RPC VIII (Temp.) 69113 (this coin illustrated) ; Touratsoglou (Thessaloniki, 1988) 62 (Philip II); Varbanov (vol III, 2007) 4740; Moushmov –.
Provenance: Ex-Dix, Noonan, Webb A7 (17 Mar 2009), Lot 1235; Pegasi MBS 22 (20 Apr 2010) Lots 383 (and later Pegasi/VAuctions sales through 2020); CNG e-Auction 489 (7 Apr 2021), Lot 272.


NEXT: YOUR FAVORITE OR MOST INTERESTING NON-ALEXANDRIAN PROVINCIAL COIN OF THE 3rd CENTURY....

 

next: Gordian III provincial

 

Gordian III, AD 238-244.
Roman provincial Æ Pentassarion, 13.30 g, 27.1 mm, 7 h.
Thrace, Anchialus, AD 238-244.
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑΝWΝ ΑΓΧΙΑΛΕWΝ, Nude athlete standing facing, head right, holding palm branch and wreath.
Refs: AMNG II, 632.3, p. 276; Mionnet Suppl. 2, 136; RPC VII.2, — (unassigned; ID 48982); Corpus Nummorum Thracorum cn.anchialus.4915.

Next: Athlete

 

Edit: TOO SLOW!


Mesopotamia, Carrhae. Gordian III AE29.
Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III, r., seen from rear.
Rev: ΜΗΤΡ ΚΟΛ ΚΑΡΡΗΝⲰΝ, crescent and star.

 

Whoa! Cool one, @Roman Collector , I've got RPC "digital plate coins" (& Historia Numorum Online & Sylloge Numorum Online, etc.), but never had one or even tried bidding on one on Corpus Nummorum Online, to my knowledge! Usually it seems like CN limits their specimens to museums/public collections, so I think that's quite uncommon. (Edit: though now that I look I see a few others, like the Plankenhorn coll. incl.)

 

I bought the coin from @John Anthony, photographed it and submitted it to RPC and CN. That's how it got to be the "plate coin."

 

Pamphylia, Aspendos, AR stater, 380–325 BC. Obv: two wrestlers grappling; FИ between; in exergue, EΛVΦA MENETVΣ. Rev: slinger in throwing stance r.; EΣTFEΔIIYΣ to l., triskele to r.; all within dotted square border. 23mm, 11.04g. Ref: SNG France 97–98; Tekin: Aspendian Wrestlers (2000), series 4.

Next: Pamphylia

 

next: Niké walking

 

Seleukid Kingdom. Sardeis. Antiochos I Soter 281-261 BC. Bronze Æ 13 mm., 2,62 g
Bust of Athena facing, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet; Nike walking left, raising wreath in right hand, long palm frond over left shoulder in left hand, BAΣIΛEΩΣ (king) downward on right, ANTIOXOY downward on right, symbol in circle outer left (control), no control right
Seleucid Coins (part 1) 315; Houghton-Lorber 315a; Newell WSM 1369; BMC Seleucid p. 13, 58; SNG Spaer 233; SNG Cop 77; SGCV II 6883; HGC 9 167 (R2)

Next - Attic helmet

 

next: owl

 

An owl and a half:


Next: (nearly) frontal bust or portrait.

 

Next: caduceus

 

Next: Wings (of any type)

 

Here's an AE Litra, 390 BC, that I just posted today, with a hippocampus on the reverse.



Today is International Women's Day. So to mark this day, here is a most familiar and revered figure, Justice.

We are familiar with the modern portrayal of Justice, as shown on this coin of Venice, late 16th century.



What is the ancient root of the portrayal of Justice? So, next, an ancient coin depicting her equivalent.

 

Hadrian with Aequitas

Next, a coin showing bureaucracy!

 

12 hours but how about a lack of bureaucracy?

This coin was recovered from the Musi River of Palembang, the principal port and center of political power of Sumatra for most of history. This is a Sumatran private trade coin which most interestingly copies a Japanese private trade coin, which is itself copying an official Chinese cash coin minted under the Ming Dynasty ruler Emperor Hongwu. I don't know if Hongwu would be honored his legacy lived on another few centuries or insulted that his royal issue was so crudely copied and degraded for the profits of merchants.

Sumatran Private Trade Coin
c. 1570-1640 AD
Tin Cash | 0.68 grams
Obv: Hong Wu Tong Bao
Rev: Blank
Ref: Unlisted in GCC, Z#198747

​

I am missing the Japanese copy (see Z#192734) but I do have an official Chinese cash which inspired the Japanese and Sumatran imitations (others were also cast in Vietnam). This example below was also found in the Musi River of Palembang.

Ming Dynasty of China
Emperor Hongwu
1368-1398 AD
AE Cash | 2.83 grams | 24mm wide
Obv: Hong Wu Tong Bao
Rev: Blank
Ref: Hartill #20.57

​

Next: Another imitation coin, preferably with the prototype

 

Next up: Alexander

 

next: China

 

too late

Heres Alexander the first



next: lion head