A Severus Alexander Veterinarian coin – hand shaking with Bull

Glad to hear you picked up the coin, Donna.
Its reverse design is so special, with a strong feeling of care.

I think Lodge doesn't carry many of this coin type to begin with. In my coin description, he wrote: "One of the stronger pieces from the few examples that were in the hoard found a few years ago." Description from Forum Ancient Coins also indicates that this coin type is quite rare.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=1901&pos=35&iop=50&sold=1

 

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Thanks for the explanation! Also, it seems that Forvm disagrees with RCP, and reads DEO AE ƧVB not as merely a blundered attempt at rendering DEO AESCVLAP, but as standing for “Deo Aesculapius subvenienti" - meaning "to Aesculapius, the god who helps.” Also, the C G H I P in the exergue apparently stands for "Colonia Gemella Hadriana Iulia Pariana."

 

h. c., What a great score ! It's rare to see a composition with such sensitivity on a Roman coin . I can remember seeing this same composition on bronze coins of Commodus.

 

I think the meaning of C G H I P is generally accepted -- even though in the reference works I've seen it's usually rendered as C G I H P, namely Iulia Hadriana rather than Hadriana Iulia. But does anyone have any thoughts on whether RPC or Forvm is correct in their interpretations of the portion of the reverse legend reading DEO AE ƧVB -- i.e., as a blundered attempt at rendering DEO AESCVLAP, or as standing for “Deo Aesculapius subvenienti," meaning "to Aesculapius, the god who helps”? None of the auction descriptions for the seven examples listed at acsearch addresses the issue. And as far as I can tell, RPC VI 3871 is the only reference work to list this type; it's apparently not in any of the SNG volumes.

 

If the legend on @zumbly's Commodus is anything to go by, then it's not a blundered attempt, but short for 'Deo Aesculapius subvenienti'.

Here's another Commodus with a very visible B on the reverse. You don't blunder twice in the same way with a 30-plus year interval (and on all dies).

acsearch.info - Auction research

 

That seems rather dispositive! Which makes me wonder why RPC concluded that it was a blunder. After all, the Commodus coin is also in RPC.

 

I have wanted a coin of the type but not found 'the one'. They also come from Valerian so it seems reasonable that the type might be out there somewhere for all the other rulers of the period.

The problem with collecting 'interesting' coins is that one will lead to another and eventually to something you want but know you will never have. Did you ever wonder how the bull hurt his foot?
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3380862

 

Do you have a link to the Valerian example? The problem I have searching for this type is that there are about 10 different ways to spell Asklepios. I'm exaggerating only slightly!

 

Never mind; I found it. There are only six examples of it on ACSearch, and they're all rather crude compared to the Severus Alexander and the Commodus. Here are two of the better ones:





The type is identified as being from the reign of either Valerian I or Gallienus: the obverse shows the head of the town's eponymous founder, Parios. There's no RPC citation; I don't think they're up to Valerian or Gallienus yet. There's a citation to SNG France 1429-1430