Big provincials from Cilicia

I may have found a specialty. I find myself drawn to big provincial issues.
Night-time Greg may have purchased this recently
CILICIA, Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Trebonianus Gallus. 251-253 AD. Æ 32mm (16.56 g)
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / Busts of Serapis and Isis facing one another.

Yes, there's double-striking on the reverse. Yes, there's a little light-green gunk on the obverse. But i really like it.

In fact, my portrait series of emperors includes quite a few provincial issues from Cilicia. Yes, some people prefer the style of imperial portraits. But I'm trying to include as many diverse and bizarre coins as i can in my own portrait series.

If you have big coins of Cilicia, please post

 

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Nice looking coin Greg.

 

This one is not big, but it is from Cilicia.

CILICIA, KORYKOS CITY COINAGE
AE 19
OBVERSE: Turreted head of Tyche right; A behind. Circle of dots
REVERSE: ΚΩΡΥΚΙΩΤΩΝ, Hermes standing left, holding caduceus, ΕΥ/ΕΠΙ/ΕΡ in left field
Struck at Cilicia 1st century BC (100-30 BC)
5.87g, 19.42
SNG Levante 792; SNG France 1075

 

Very nice, Bing. I quite like turreted Tyche portraits.

A question (maybe someone knows the answer). Since Cilicia is in southern Turkey, and subject to their antiquities laws - does this mean that coins from any current or future excavations in Turkey belong to Turkey and will not be available to collectors? So the only coins from Cilicia (or anywhere in Turkey) available to collectors would be those currently in collectors' hands?

 

And those found outside Turkey IF that country's antiquities laws don't forbid it.

 

Great coin! I too love provincials . Such a rich variety of designs and history!

 

oh man, what a great lookin' coin...go late night greg!

man, i love big provincials.

here's my largest.



Hadrian 117-138 AD Æ Drachm (35mm, 15.4g) Dated yr 2 (117/8 AD) Alexandria
Laureate bust right, slight drapery. / Nilus reclining left, holding reed and cornucopia; below; L B (date) in ex. Köln 760.


ooops, sorry...i don't follow directions well. not a coin of cilicia.

 

Nice Hadrian. I've got a similar 'Nilus reclining'. I've considered collecting Alexandrian drachma - it's just they're so expensive in a nice grade.

 

Nice pickup, night-time Greg. I do like the style of these Seleucia ad Calycadnum whoppers.

My big Cilician is from Anazarbus.


MAXIMINUS THRAX
AE Hexassarion
20.44g, 38mm
CILICIA, Anazarbus, 235 - 238 AD.
Ziegler 663 (Vs2/Rs4), SNG Levante 1480 (same obv. die).
O: AY K G IOY OYH MAZIMEINOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: ANAZ END MHTRO B-G CYNQYCIA OI KOYMENHC, (ME and NH ligate), female figure (Synthysia), holding bipennis over shoulder, standing left before bull standing left.

 

She's holding a WHAT over her shoulder?

But seriously, spectacular coin. At 38mm, that must be about as big as provincials get.

 

Late-night Greg, you really don't want to mess with a woman with a bipennis. It's a double-headed axe. Synthysia was the personification of a ceremony that accompanied popular multi-city religious/athletic games held in the provinces. Feasting was involved and lots of cows presumably needed to be chopped up.

 

That's a nice looking coin! Good buy! I like provincials myself, they often have more interesting reverses.

 

The OP coin has been cleaned, probably lightly tooled and re-patinated. That's not meant as a criticism - almost all ancient coins are cleaned, and many of them get "improved" by various means.

It's up to the individual collector to decide how much improvement is aesthetically acceptable. Certainly most of us would not want uncleaned ancients, or our trays would be full of little clumps of dirt.

How much tooling is acceptable? In my opinion, some very light smoothing of the fields is ok, as it makes the devices clearer. Personally I draw the line at enhancing the devices.

How much re-patination is acceptable? I think the reverse of the OP coin is reasonably well-done. The obverse is too heavy - the dirt is painted on in thick clumps, which makes me wonder what it's hiding. Major pitting? Bronze disease? (Restorers of ancient coins use a concoction of fine modeling sand and epoxy resin to paint coins.)

All of our night-time personas would do well to study the following page. There's no reason we can't make astute buying decisions in the dark as easily as we make them while Sol is running his course...

About tooled, painted, and fake coins.

 

Thanks JA! I was not familiar with this website.

 

Great OP-coin, Smeagol (simply awesome, my new coin-friend)



I love coins from Cilicia (it's one of my off-chute avenues) ...

Cilicia Uncertain, AR Obol
400-300 BC
Triptolemos? & Eagle on Lion




Cilicia Tarsos
164-27 BC
Club in Wreath & Zeus seated




Cilicia, Tarsos
circa 100 BC
Tyche & Sandan with Horned Lion




Cilicia, Soloi
100-30 BC
Aegis/Gorgon & Aprodite riding Bull




Cilicia Aigeai
100-0 BC
Tyche & Horse-head




Cilicia Ninica-Claudiopolis AE37 (w c/m)
222-235 AD
Severus Alexander with Julia Maesa (c/s)

 

I'm glad you like it, Golem. Although it's a bit deflating when you think you know about coins, then someone who knows more comes along, and then you realise you hardly know a thing. It's a learning curve. How to recognise re-patination? How to spot subtle tooling? Much to learn, young padawan has.

Awesome your Cilician coins are. Your Tyche & Sandan with Horned Lion most of all, I like.

 

Hey brother Greg - don't be deflated. I have coins in my collection that are re-patinated, which I bought as such, because I wanted them. Like I said, no criticism, just something to be aware of.

 

It's a good education, John. I learn a lot from guys like you and Doug.

 

Hey, Smeag => I've seen JA buy some pretty raunchy lookin' coins, so keep your chin-up ...



... granted, your OP-coin "may" have had a bit of body-work, but it's definitely still a fine looking coin (as a few smart dudes have already stated => most ancients have been cleaned and tweaked before they hit the showroom floor ... it's merely trying to stay away from the 3's that are dressed-up like they're 9's)

... I have a few Glam-rock coins in my closet as well ...



... but you're correct => this place certainly helps keep the unwise-purchases to a minimum!!

 

Haha yep I have a few too. I bought my OP coin on vcoins, so I assumed i was safe.

Actually i have a Clodius Albinus sestertius that I swear is disintegrating. It looked lovely and green the day I bought it. Now I'm not even sure if it's recognisable as a coin.