Given that I just posted a pic of a pile of 40 A-Pi drachms of Alexandria yesterday, I hope I'll be forgiven for showing yet another one of them today... This one comes from the same recent large group lot purchase which yielded the Scaurus/Hypsaeus denarius I showed the other day, and I felt that it too deserved its own thread. It's a little grungy, but not even close to being bad for a large Alexandrian bronze, and reverse is a very rare and interesting type - I haven't found sale records for any examples online, and it's unique to Antoninus Pius, apparently struck only in his second regnal year. A similar reverse, featuring a full-length figure of Sarapis between the Dioscuri, was struck in a few of Pius's later regnal years. Some members will remember an ex stevex6 example of this reverse now owned @TIF. That one has always made me jealous, but I feel a little better about not owning it now . Feel free to post anything related... A-Pi drachms, Sarapis and Dioscuri coins, neat group lot finds... ANTONINUS PIUS AE Drachm. 23.36g, 34.1mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 (AD 138/9). RPC Online Temp #14776 (6 spec.); Emmett 1652 (R5); Geissen 1299 . O: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС ƐVСƐΒ, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: L Β, draped bust of Sarapis wearing kalathos, facing front; on either side, the Dioscuri, each crowned with star, standing, facing, heads turned towards bust, holding spears and whips(?).
What a fantastic inclusion in the mixed lot! Here's that ex X6 coin again... EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Regnal year 8, CE 144/5 AE drachm, 33 mm, 23.2 gm Obv: [legend]; laureate draped bust right Rev: Serapis, wearing modius, standing facing; flanked by the Dioscuri who are also standing facing, heads turned towards Serapis, and each holding a flagellum ; [L] H in exergue Ref: Dattari 2864 (RY2); Dattari-Savio plate 148 coins 2864 and 8724; Emmett 1670.8; Not listed in Milne. Ex X6 Collection I'll refrain from posting all 50+ Antoninus Pius Alexandrian issues plus another dozen or two coins featuring Serapis but here's a sampling Antoninus Pius obol with a sphinx in the pose of the Great Sphinx of Giza: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius year 20, CE 156/7 AE obol, 18 mm, 4.36 gm Obv: laureate head right Rev: sphinx crouched/reclining left; L K above Ref: Emmett 1782.20 (unlisted reverse for year 20); unlisted in Geissen and Dattari ... Serapis... dear Serapis... the world's first designer deity? Serapis is a purposefully constructed syncretic deity dreamed up by Ptolemy I and his priests/advisors. The god was invented to make Greek culture and deities more palatable to Egyptians and so combines attributes of Greek Zeus and Egyptian Osiris and Apis. Their plan was wildly successful and worship of Serapis spread beyond the borders of Egypt. Serapis was depicted on coins for roughly 500 years after his invention. EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian year 4, CE 119/20 tetradrachm, 25 mm, 13.3 gm Obv: AVTKAITPAI AΔPIACEB; laureate bust right Rev: draped bust of Serapis right; L - Δ Ref: Emmett 889.4, R4; Dattari (Savio) 7462 var. (without crescent); K&G 32.124 After absorbing Zeus Ammon: EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian year 8, CE 123/4 billion tetradrachm, 23 mm, 13.2 gm Obv: ...TPAI AΔ... ; laureate bust right, slight drapery; crescent before Rev: draped bust of Serapis-Ammon right; L-H across fields Ref: Emmett 895.8, R5; Köln 858; Dattari (Savio) 1481; K&G 32.258 From a Hungarian Collection formed primarily in the 1930’s Serapis-ZeusAmmon-Helios-Poseidon: EGYPT, Alexandria. Lucius Verus year 4, CE 163/4 tetradrachm, 24 mm, 13.51 gm Obv: ΛAVPHΛI OVHPOCCEB; bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust left Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident behind shoulder; ∆/L in right field Ref: Emmett 2360 (4), R1; Köln 2148; Dattari (Savio) 9420; K&G 39.77 Serapis-ZeusAmmon-Helios-Poseidon-Nilus-Asklepios EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius year 5, CE 141/2 AE drachm, 20 gm Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident and cornucopia behind; L-Є in right field Ref: Emmett 1676.5, R1 Serapis head on a snake-god: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Regnal year 17 AE drachm, 33mm Obv: laureate bust right Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon standing erect right Ref: Dattari 2829; Emmett 1678.17 Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1982.1988, G.781) Serapis head on a snake-god, on a horse: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Æ drachm (32mm, 23.0 g, 12h); RY 23 (CE 159/60) Obv: Laureate bust right, slight drapery Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon serpent erect right on horseback advancing right; L K Γ (date) across field. Only the K is visible on this coin but this is the only year of issue for the type Ref: Cf. Köln 1852-3; Dattari (Savio) 8939; K&G 35.820; Emmett 1679 Ex X6 Collection.
Very nice @zumbly ! That is a really cool Drachm. The reverse is really different. When I first saw that bust of Sarapis on the reverse, I thought it was the first Roman depiction of The Buddha, just floating up between the Dioscuri! Since I collect Roman Republic, I have TONS of dioscuri. So, I won't bore you with them. Here is an Ant Pius Tet from Alexandria: RI Antoninus Pius 138-161 BCE BI Tet Alexandria Egypt Dikaiosyne Scale Ok, yeah, I will bore you with a few Dioscuri: RR Anon AR Quinarius 211-210 BCE Aplulian mint 16.5mm 2.1g Phrygian helmet Dioscuri Craw 102-2b RARE RR AE Aes Grave Sextans 270 BCE 37mm 55.28g Dioscuri R and L Baktria Greco-Baktrian Kingdom Eukratides I Megas 170-145 BCE Dioscuri AE Quadruple Unit RR Anon AR denarius Roma 211-206 BCE ROMA incus Dioscuri single horn-helmet Sear-- Craw 68-1b SICILY ISSUE RARE RR Servilius 136 BCE Roma Dioscuri galloping S 116 Cr 239-1 RR AR Sestertius After 211 BCE 12mm 1.0g Rome mint Roma r IIS - Dioscuri riding stars in ex ROMA Sear 46 Craw 44-7 RSC 4 This one is for @dougsmit RR Anon AE 23 Quincunx 211-200 BCE 6.96g Apollo P behind Dioscuri Luceria 5 pellets Cr 99-4 Syd 309 S 910 Rare
Oookay... so I think we've got Serapis covered! Seriously, what a fabulous set. I really need to get myself a Serapis-Pantheos. Also, thanks, @Alegandron, for bringing in the divine cavalry .
