Sometimes a coin can take you down all kinds of research rabbit holes. This is one such coin. Vespasian Æ25, 9.00g Apamea, Phrygia mint, Plancius Varus, magistrate RPC 1389 (15 spec.). Obv: AYTOKPOTΩP KAIΣAP ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ OYEΣΠΑΣIANOΣ; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r, Rev: EΠΙ ΠΛΑNKIOY OYAPOY KOINON ΦPYΓIAΣ ΑΠΑMEIΣ; bundle of five corn-ears Acquired from Tom Vossen, October 2018. The important crossroads city of Apamea produced only one issue of coins during the Flavian era for the Koinon of Phrygia. M. Dräger has proposed that the issue could have been struck to help finance the Koinon's recovery after an earthquake, citing an ambiguous remark in Suetonius about Vespasian's civic generosity - 'he restored to a better condition very many states throughout the whole world that had been afflicted by earthquakes or fire' (Vesp. 17). It is quite possible that such a disaster occurred during Vespasian's reign in Phrygia since the region is prone to frequent seismic activity. Earthquakes are known to have previously struck the area in 53 and 60 AD and Strabo speaks of such a disaster which rocked the region during the Mithridatic Wars. The issue is undated, but names Plancius Varus, who perhaps is the same person that is recorded as a Flavian legate in Asia during the reign of Vespasian. Varus is thought to have died by 81. The type of five bundled corn-ears echoes a similar reverse of two bundled corn-ears struck by the city under Augustus. Admittedly the connection of this issue to a natural disaster is tenuous at best and cannot be proved definitively one way or the other. At any rate, the city would not produce another coinage until the reign of Hadrian. Feel free to post your 'rabbit hole' or natural disaster coins - or any you feel are relevant.
Great coin! Just had an earthquake here a few days ago. Quite disastrous for me, as I had to get up off the couch to check the washer, thinking thats what lightly shook the house.
That coin caught my eye will I was checking out stuff of vcoins not long ago! Cool coin @David Atherton
Great coin, I almost do not collect Roman coins but this one I would love to have in my collection. Interesting background information as well.
FEMA called me, and stated that they will coming out to assess YOUR extensive HURRICANE damage within the next 3 years. Afterwards, they will decide if it was an Earthquake or a Blizzard. Stay tuned!
Agreed. This one took me on a long strange trip. I could have wrote paragraphs about everything from historical earthquake frequency in Asia Minor to Plancius Varus' Roman émigré family and their history in the region to Vespasian's acts of civic generosity. I loved researching this coin!
where do you get that infromation, nice coin in not any research i get this information/ i dont see a year on the coin to it can before coin came of after be out before the earthquake/ i have my doubts no year no signs off it is true
The country about Apamea has been shaken by earthquakes, one of which is recorded as having happened in the time of Claudius (Tacit. Ann. xii. 58); and on this occasion the payment of taxes to the Romans was remitted for five years. Nicolaus of Damascus (Athen. p. 332) records a violent earthquake at Apamea at a previous date, during the Mithridatic Wars: lakes appeared where none were before, and rivers and springs; and many which existed before disappeared. Strabo (p. 579) speaks of this great catastrophe, and of other convulsions at an earlier period. Battle of Kibitos, 13C manuscript Apamea continued to be a prosperous town under the Roman Empire. Its decline dates from the local disorganization of the empire in the 3rd century; and though a bishopric, it was not an important military or commercial center in Byzantine times. The Turks took it first in 1080, and from the late 13th century onwards it was always in Muslim hands. For a long period it was one of the greatest cities of Asia Minor, commanding the Maeander road; but when the trade routes were diverted to Constantinople it rapidly declined, and its ruin was completed by an earthquake.[4] recorded as having happened in the time of Claudius/ my rearch is it happen in claudius time Earthqauke
