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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 4288751, member: 82616&quot;]I&#039;ve always been intrigued by the cult of Sarapis. The creation of the cult under Ptolemy I Soter by his advisors was done in order to religiously fuse the Greek and Egyptian subjects of the realm. Thus, the worship of Osiris and the Apis Bull were successfully combined into one deity whose cult would last many centuries. Sarapis is often depicted with a modius on his head, &#039;symbolizing the fertility and bounty of the earth and an association with Osiris, the god of grain.&#039;</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1091695[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>My latest coin is a fine diobol from Alexandria struck for Vespasian and featuring Sarapis on the reverse.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1091696[/ATTACH]<b>Vespasian</b></p><p>Æ Diobol, 9.84g</p><p>Alexandria mint, 74-75 AD</p><p>Obv: AYTOK KAIΣ ΣEBA OYEΣΠAΣIANOY; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.</p><p>Rev: Bust of Sarapis r.; date LZ to l.</p><p>RPC 2444 (7 spec.).</p><p>Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, March 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p>The cult of Sarapis gained importance during the Flavian dynasty because of Vespasian&#039;s vital connection to Egypt during the Civil War. Alexandria was the first city to declare for him in July 69 and in November he arrived there to await the outcome of the war and to secure the grain supply to Rome. According to both Tacitus and Suetonius during Vespasian&#039;s sojourn in Alexandria he paid a visit to the temple of Sarapis alone to consult the god about the chances of success in his bid for the empire. After receiving a positive sign he was able to administer healing miracles to the local Alexandrians. Of course, all this was later Flavian propaganda intended to bolster Vespasian&#039;s claim to the purple. It then should come as no surprise that Sarapis figured importantly on the local coinage under Vespasian, being commonly struck on the bronze diobol.</p><p><br /></p><p>This fine example from regnal year 7 is boldly struck on a large flan. The flans of these Alexandrian diobols were created in moulds and then struck by dies. You can actually see the mould channel near the top of Sarapis&#039; head.</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to share your coins depicting Sarapis.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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