Last week I trolled for tets on eBay with Emmett's book in hand, looking for potential winners. Since this type of coin is usually rather inexpensive, eBay seemed like a good place to browse. Indeed, there are many Alexandrian tetradrachms ripe for picking! This seller had quite a few and almost every one was misidentified in one way or another. It's not a big deal for the seller since most of the errors probably won't result in a huge loss of potential profit but there were a few notables. I bought this one via the "Make Offer" button. It was identified as Diocletian. It's Carinus and I didn't have any of him. Added bonus: he was Caesar for the first part of his first year of reign and Augustus at the end of that year*; the Augustus issues for year 1 are less common and this is a year 1 as Augustus. I know, I know... rarity ratings should be taken with a grain of salt but it was still a satisfying if relatively minor cherrypick. The seller's pictures weren't great but they were good enough to recognize that the coin would look much better in person. I'm very pleased with this latest addition to my Alex Tet family. EGYPT, Alexandria. Carinus ~283 AD (account of the exact years of his reign and coins vary slightly among references) potin tetradrachm, 18 mm, 6.7 gm Obv: AKMAKAPINOCCEB; laureate cuirassed bust right Rev: Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia; LA in left field; star in right field Ref: Emmett 4012(1-A), R3. Milne 4688 *Carinus was the son of Carus. When Carus came to power after the troops abandoned Probus, he elevated his sons Carinus and Numerian to Caesar. From there, accounts are confusing. Carinus may have been elevated to Augustus while his father was still alive. Most of the information on this period in Roman history appears to come from Historia Augusta, a source known to have biased, fanciful, or downright fictitious information. Post your Carinus coins-- Egyptian or otherwise. Or post your favorite eBay cherrypicks. Or just whatever you feel like posting.
I know I'm in the minority here to whom these coins lack appeal, but it won't stop me wishing more power to those of you in the Alex Tet fan club. Here's my pedestrian Roman Imperial : CARINUS Antoninianus 4.38g, 23mm Ticinum, 282-283 AD. RIC 182. O: M AVR CARINVS NOB C, radiate draped and cuirassed bust right. R: PRINCIPI IVVENTVT, prince standing left holding globe and spear, sometimes with captive at foot left. TXXI in ex.
I suspect you are far from alone in that opinion. Frankly, I'm not sure why I'm drawn so to them! Perhaps because they are affordable and represent a more manageable collecting range than Roman Imperials. It would be far easier to make a "one of each emperor/ess" set from Roman Alexandrian coins compared to Imperials. Buying Emmett's book certainly increased my interest. Trolling for misattributed coins is fun.
Nice => sweet new addition ... wow, you're really becoming the Alexandrian Princess, eh? (very cool) Carinus Potin Tetradrachm 283-284 AD
IMHO, Zumbly's coin is exceptional for Carinus whose coinage in general never has appealed to me. The majority of his coins show two figures shaking hands or passing a statue. Having a type with a captive is at least different. I only have one Carinus antoninianus with other than the two people reverse. It is unusual in that it has a mintmark LVG naming the city. Most coins of the period make you guess from style or other evidence.
I have no Carinus tets, in fact not many tets at all, but I think the OP coin is lovely. Here is my only Carinus.
Carinus with Athena seated all members of Carus family with this reverse. The Carinus also as augustus year one, according Emmett rarity 5. Obv. A K M A KAPINOC CEB, Laureate and cuirassed bust right Rev. L A, Athena saeted left on throne, with Nike and Spear. TETRADRACHM. L A Year 1 as Aug. 18mm, 8.3gr, Die 0.
The majority of his coins show two figures shaking hands or passing a statue. I am not aware of these types for Carinus, the two figures are indeed very common on his coins mostly Carus-Carinus or Carinus-Numerian. The Antioch and Siscia mint minted a large number of the VIRTVS AVGG(G) coins, the person on the left always receiving Globe or Globe with Victory or just Victory. It's indeed true one can't compare these reverses with those of Probus he had much more different and interesting coins. Rome mint Ticinum mint a special emission with T in left field, extremely rare Siscia mint the common VIRTVS AVGG Like Doug's without LVG
Nice coins Doug I still wonder why only in Cyzicus, in this period, Jupiter(naked) and a emporer instead of 2 emporers (dressed)? (Antioch-Tripolis)
I have a few Carinus. This one is worthy of sharing due to the exceptional scarcity of the bust type for the emperor. Carinus Obv:– IMP C M AVR CARINVS AVG, Radiate, bust right in imperial mantle Rev:– SALVS AVGG, Salus standing right, feeding snake Minted in Lugdunum (_|D / LVG), Emission 7, Officina 4. early A.D. 284 Reference:– RIC 216 var (not listed with this bust type in RIC). Cohen -. Bastien 574 (1 example cited) This would appear to be only the second example of this bust type for Carinus known.
