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<p>[QUOTE="TIF, post: 3419167, member: 56859"]We've recently seen Apollo Didymeus thanks to <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/apollo-philesios-and-the-movable-stag-of-kanachos.330205/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/apollo-philesios-and-the-movable-stag-of-kanachos.330205/">this detailed post</a> by [USER=99716]@Jochen[/USER]-- the description of the ancient "animatronics" of the cult statue was a riveting read. Alexandrian coinage has an astonishing array of deities and cult figures... from <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/so-these-exist-snake-cowboys.314032/#post-3041675" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/so-these-exist-snake-cowboys.314032/#post-3041675">snakes riding horses</a> to <a href="https://www.tifcollection.com/egypt-antoninuspius-sarapispantheos" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.tifcollection.com/egypt-antoninuspius-sarapispantheos" rel="nofollow">mashups of a half dozen multicultural gods</a>. Usually the reverse figures are drawn from Egyptian deities or common Roman deities. This coin, however, features a cult statue of Apollo popular in Ionia, Apollo Didymeus.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]907157[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius</b></p><p>regnal year 11 (147/8 CE)</p><p>billon tetradrachm, 23 mm, 14 gm</p><p>Obv: ANTωNEINOCCEB EVCEB; laureate draped bust right, seen from behind</p><p>Rev: Apollo Didymeus standing facing, holding quiver and stag; LENΔEKATOV around</p><p>Ref: Emmett 1358.11; RPC Online 14267; Dattari-Savio Pl. 108, 8084.</p><p><br /></p><p>[USER=57495]@zumbly[/USER] has a fantastic drachm with the identical depiction of Apollo but also flanked by two Nemeses (<i>jealous!!</i> <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie88" alt=":sour:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />).</p><p><br /></p><p>If this coin depicts the Didymean cult statue of Apollo made by Kanachos c. 500 BCE, what is it doing on a coin of Roman Egypt six centuries later? The iconography does not seem to be common and cults of Apollo Didymeus seem to have existed in only a handful of locations in Asia Minor and one in Sogdiana.</p><p><br /></p><p>I can understand the purpose of blending Roman and Egyptian gods for Roman Egyptian coinage, and I can understand why common GrecoRoman deities and personifications appear... but why<i> this</i> version of Apollo, a cult statue from 750 kilometers across the sea... 2800 km by land? What was important enough about this cult statue to warrant its placement on coins of Roman Egypt?</p><p><br /></p><p>Apollo Didymeus appears only in the early years of Antoninus Pius's tenure as Augustus and of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar under Pius.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have no answers but it is fun to speculate. Who was in charge of deciding who or what is depicted on the reverses of coins of Roman Egypt? Did Apollo Didymeus mean something special to the person who made that decision? Was there something going on in Rome or the emperor's life which tied in to this archaic statue or cult? Was there a copy or illustration of this statue in Alexandria? Maybe... maybe the original Kanachos Apollo Philesios (Didymeus) ended up in Alexandria! When Didyma was sacked by the Persians it was taken to Ekbatana. Seleukos Nikator returned it to Ionia centuries later. Where did it go after that? Okay, probably not Alexandria <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />... but whoever designed that coin had seen it or some representation of it. I suppose the designer and engraver could have used other coins as a model.</p><p><br /></p><p>Alexandrian tetradrachms had poor quality metal during the reign of Antoninus Pius, or at least they didn't hold up to the ages as well as others. The surfaces are usually very porous and unattractive. This coin has rather good fabric, "for the type" <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. The still images capture all the surface flaws. Here's a quick in-hand video:</p><p><br /></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]GXkhaQ8ANDc[/MEDIA]</p><p><br /></p><p>Do you have any coins that have puzzling iconography? I'd like to see other examples.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="TIF, post: 3419167, member: 56859"]We've recently seen Apollo Didymeus thanks to [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/apollo-philesios-and-the-movable-stag-of-kanachos.330205/']this detailed post[/URL] by [USER=99716]@Jochen[/USER]-- the description of the ancient "animatronics" of the cult statue was a riveting read. Alexandrian coinage has an astonishing array of deities and cult figures... from [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/so-these-exist-snake-cowboys.314032/#post-3041675']snakes riding horses[/URL] to [URL='https://www.tifcollection.com/egypt-antoninuspius-sarapispantheos']mashups of a half dozen multicultural gods[/URL]. Usually the reverse figures are drawn from Egyptian deities or common Roman deities. This coin, however, features a cult statue of Apollo popular in Ionia, Apollo Didymeus. [ATTACH=full]907157[/ATTACH] [B]EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius[/B] regnal year 11 (147/8 CE) billon tetradrachm, 23 mm, 14 gm Obv: ANTωNEINOCCEB EVCEB; laureate draped bust right, seen from behind Rev: Apollo Didymeus standing facing, holding quiver and stag; LENΔEKATOV around Ref: Emmett 1358.11; RPC Online 14267; Dattari-Savio Pl. 108, 8084. [USER=57495]@zumbly[/USER] has a fantastic drachm with the identical depiction of Apollo but also flanked by two Nemeses ([I]jealous!![/I] :sour:). If this coin depicts the Didymean cult statue of Apollo made by Kanachos c. 500 BCE, what is it doing on a coin of Roman Egypt six centuries later? The iconography does not seem to be common and cults of Apollo Didymeus seem to have existed in only a handful of locations in Asia Minor and one in Sogdiana. I can understand the purpose of blending Roman and Egyptian gods for Roman Egyptian coinage, and I can understand why common GrecoRoman deities and personifications appear... but why[I] this[/I] version of Apollo, a cult statue from 750 kilometers across the sea... 2800 km by land? What was important enough about this cult statue to warrant its placement on coins of Roman Egypt? Apollo Didymeus appears only in the early years of Antoninus Pius's tenure as Augustus and of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar under Pius. I have no answers but it is fun to speculate. Who was in charge of deciding who or what is depicted on the reverses of coins of Roman Egypt? Did Apollo Didymeus mean something special to the person who made that decision? Was there something going on in Rome or the emperor's life which tied in to this archaic statue or cult? Was there a copy or illustration of this statue in Alexandria? Maybe... maybe the original Kanachos Apollo Philesios (Didymeus) ended up in Alexandria! When Didyma was sacked by the Persians it was taken to Ekbatana. Seleukos Nikator returned it to Ionia centuries later. Where did it go after that? Okay, probably not Alexandria :D... but whoever designed that coin had seen it or some representation of it. I suppose the designer and engraver could have used other coins as a model. Alexandrian tetradrachms had poor quality metal during the reign of Antoninus Pius, or at least they didn't hold up to the ages as well as others. The surfaces are usually very porous and unattractive. This coin has rather good fabric, "for the type" :D. The still images capture all the surface flaws. Here's a quick in-hand video: [MEDIA=youtube]GXkhaQ8ANDc[/MEDIA] Do you have any coins that have puzzling iconography? I'd like to see other examples.[/QUOTE]
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