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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 3273511, member: 83845"]I am happy to have made some really good and what I believe will be life-long friends here on CoinTalk.  One of these friends (who would rather remain unnamed) surprised me with a Saturnalia gift!  Though they could not have known it when they sent it this coin arrived at a perfect time to really cheer me up during a tough week.  The amazing gesture also helped get me into the holiday spirit in which I had been somewhat lacking <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie10" alt=":oops:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.  Included with the gift was a Christmas card with a very thoughtful note which I have decided to display on my Lego Colosseum… of course. [ATTACH=full]863808[/ATTACH] I will have to pay the thoughtful gesture forward with a giveaway game of some kind... I will have to give it some thought <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie26" alt=":bookworm:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie16" alt=":artist:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Okay... the coin! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[ATTACH=full]863812[/ATTACH]Islands off CariaRhodesAR Hemidrachm, struck ca. 166-88 BCDia.: 13.5 mmWt.: 1.2 gObv.: Head of Helios rightRev.: P-O to either side of rose, ϺΑΗΣ above, crown of Isis at lower right, all within incuse squareRef.: BMC XVIII 268-270 (Var. Hemidrachm) Some notes on the chronologyAround 166 BC the Rhodian economy was dealt a severe blow when the Romans designated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delos" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delos" rel="nofollow">Delos</a> as a free port under the control of Athens and stripped Rhodes of its control of of several cities on the mainland.  The Romans did this to punish Rhodes for its lukewarm support for the Roman cause during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Macedonian_War" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Macedonian_War" rel="nofollow">Third Macedonian War</a> against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_of_Macedon" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus_of_Macedon" rel="nofollow">Perseus V</a>.  The result was that the international trade of Rhodes was severely curtailed and soon after it stopped producing tetradrachms.  To compensate, the Rhodians had to reform their drachms and fractional coins for use in trade because the mint had allowed the weight of these smaller coins to fall below the standard over the previous decades.  In order to distinguish the new, heavier, drachms and fractions from the debased coins the traditional ¾ facing bust of Helios was replaced with a profile view as shown on my Saturnalia gift. In around 88 BC much of the Greek east rose in revolt in support of Mithridates VI of Pontus against the Romans.  Rhodes remained loyal to Rome and even used its navy to help Sulla’s legions reach Asia.  In gratitude, the senate restored much of Rhodes mainland possessions and the island saw much renewed prosperity.  As a result Rhodes once again reformed its coinage. In this way we can surmise that the above coin was struck between 166 BC and 88 BC under the magistrate ϺΑΗΣ (MAES). [ATTACH=full]863809[/ATTACH]The Acropolis of Rhodes – The likely location for the mint that struck this coin Some notes on the coinI think it is interesting that these coins return to the type of incuse punch for the reverse that you typically see in archaic examples.  I wonder what the reason for this development was? One other fun note about this coin is the interesting control mark on the bottom right of the reverse: the Crown of Isis.  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" rel="nofollow">Isis</a> played a prominent role in Egyptian mythology and under the Ptolemaic dynasty she was especially important.  At the Ptolemaic temple of Isis at Philae she is shown as the protectress of Egypt.  Rhodes historically had a special connection with the Ptolemies dating back to 305 BC when Ptolemy I rescued the city from a siege and earned the name “Soter” by why of gratitude from the Rhodians.  One wonders if the control mark is a sign of this continued goodwill. [ATTACH=full]863810[/ATTACH]The Crown of Isis: Left – Isis and Horus (7th century BC). Right – Isis and Seti I (13th century BC). (Wikipedia) [ATTACH=full]863822[/ATTACH]Temple of Isis at Philae. Built under the Ptolemies (Wikipedia) SourcesA Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum: Caria, Cos Rhodes etc (Vol. 18) .......................................................... Please post your coins of Rhodes and / or anything else you feel is appropriate.[/QUOTE]

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