Book Score, Prieur, Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms

Are we showing Caracalla coins?

CARACALLA
AE23
OBVERSE: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
REVERSE: NIKOMHDEΩN ΔIC NEΩKOPΩN, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia
Struck at BITHYNIA, Nicomedia, 198-217 AD
7.1g, 23mm
RG 234; WADD RG S546,234(1-3)

 

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I really like these provincial busts where the hair is sometimes stylized as a bunch of large dots.

 

sorry can not find the other Tyrian coins of Caracalla,,,ooops my admin sucks, found a Damascus....
I now will focus on other coins than these..any suggestions?
Iberian? gaul? celtic? roman classics? or greek? greek maybe,,,,,that is it...)
My last day at work are killing me, but when I look at a shinny coins...then do not complain...my cat looks like Caracalla fat and hairy.

 

I made a joke earlier about memorizing all the varieties, but it would be enough work to memorize all the mint mark symbols. That's clearly the ram's head of Damascus. Antioch also uses a ram's head, of a different style altogether. Then there are all the other symbols, astrological, etc., that are associated with particular mints. Then the situation is compounded by the fact that symbols vary by emperor. The task is obviously not anywhere near as straightforward as reading imperial mint marks.

 

that why I like my Gabala with the crab !! very interesting piece !! Astrological sign, I first need to read the book completely.....I know a lot already, but indeed so many small differences, laurelhead, crown, nothing, beard no beard etc, different currasses, clothing and so on....no end..

 

Prieur is a good book to have, when it comes to collecting Syro phenician tetradrachms. I like that book and use it on a regular basis



Caracalla, Tetradrachm struck in Antioch, c.209-212 AD
AVT KAI ANTWNEIN C CEB, Laureate bust of Caracalla right
DHMARX.....PATO.TO.TOG, Eagle facing with wreath in beak
13.65 gr
Ref : Sear #2649 var, Prieur # 214A_001 (unique to date with this reverse legend lacking C : "should" be TOC.TOG. Thanks to Michel Prieur for the additionnal informations)



Caracalla, Tetradrachm struck in Laodicea ad Mare in 209- 212 AD
AVT KAI ANTWNEINOC CE, Laureate bust of Caracalla right
DHMARX EX VPATOC GO G, Eagle facing, holding wreath in beak, a star between legs
12.08 gr
Ref : Sear #2659 var, Prieur # 1176_028

Q

 

Indeed. I have been corresponding with a dealer at VCoins for the last 5 days to get this coin. I am pretty sure I now own it. The portrait jumped out at me.

You want to put your new book to use and tell me if this attribution is correct?


SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. Philip I. AD 244-249. AR Tetradrachm (26mm, 13.10 g, 6h). Struck AD 246. laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left / eagle standing facing, head and tail left, with wings displayed, holding wreath in beak; S C across field; MON VRB in exergue. McAlee 899; Prieur 304. toned.

Thanks in advance.

M

 

Great detail. Nice coin.

 

Not quite. Prieur 304 has no officina mark. Yours has Δ over the eagle's right wing, making it 308. This is the note from the text...

"After some time production was divided between six officinae. The officinae letters are unexpectedly in Greek numerals, but this is paralleled by the antoniniani which were struck in Rome at this time." (p. 53)

Great coin!

 

Thank you very much. When I see a large group go on-line at once I always wonder if the attributions are correct. I had a feeling about this one. I will amend the attribution and add the note. Truly appreciated.

 

Yeah, I just picked up this volume a couple of months ago in a numismatic book auction. TBH, I am so busy I have even opened the book yet.

 

Merry Greetings JA and Cheers to all of you. I have a Gordian III Tet rated scarce, with head left. Prieur 298.

 

That is a nice Gordian !! that I do not have yet...

 

Does Prieur explain the difference between MONVRB like 4to2's coin and ANTIOXIA like mine? Is it just a catalog or is their text? I've been wanting a MONVRB but never went into the hunt with cash.

 

Cheers.. This one has also SC in exergue. It represents Emperor Trajan Decius and was struck in Antioch,. Prieur 520. BMC 578.

 

Prieur cites H. R. Baldus' Moneta Urbis - Antioxia, Peus, Frankfurt, 1969. "His hypothesis that these coins were minted in Rome, with MON VRB standing for MONETA VRBIS is now widely accepted. This was confirmed when A. Burnett demonstrated that the same organization existed for Alexandria under Severus Alexander..." (Prieur, p. 53)

Although Baldus' text is readily available, it is in German, which I don't read. Burnett's article is in ANS Museum Notes 1983, however, and I just ordered it, so I'll report back. We do know of other issues, particularly during the reign of Trajan, where coins were minted in Rome for use in Syria.

The MON VRB series is the only only one that uses officina letters, which as Prieur notes, mirrors the production of antoniniani at Rome. But I don't see any difference in style between the supposedly-Rome and Antioch issues - maybe I'll order Baldus as well and do my best with a German dictionary. I'd like to get at least a gist of his arguments.

But Doug, there is something VERY interesting about your coin as well. Of the coins with reverse legend ending in YΠATO Δ, Prieur says, "These coins are the only evidence for a fourth consulate for Philip I, as no coins are known in the West with more than three consulates. We have allocated them to the year 249, as the third consulate is known to have been in 248."

 

I don't know if Prieur lists the coin below of Emperor Caracalla. I think it was struck in Antioch- Syria and has the Eagle head-Left. Didn't have an exact match on Wildwinds.

 

To be clear, are you saying mine MON VRB is minted in Rome for use in Syria, and Dougs' was minted in Antioch for local use?

 

Yes. At least according to Balduf, with corroborating evidence from Burnett, and the fact that certain other series are known to have been minted in Rome for use in Syria. As soon as I've had a chance to read those texts, I'll give you a book report.

 

Charles, I'm away from home at the moment, but I'll look it up later.