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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 3878348, member: 75937&quot;]<b>Unpacking a Greek Inscription on a provincial AE 33 of Tarsus</b></p><p><br /></p><p>I was enamored by the hunting scene on the reverse of this sestertius-sized provincial of Trajan Decius minted in Tarsus and acquired it earlier today from a British auction firm. Confused by the alphabet soup of abbreviations in its inscription, I cracked out BMC 21 and Sear and read the introductory materials to learn more about it. The research proved fruitful and I&#039;d like to share what I learned about the various letters and abbreviations.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/trajan-decius-tarsus-artemis-stag-and-hound-jpg.1024541/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>Trajan Decius. AD 249-251.</p><p>Roman provincial Æ 33 mm, 18.78 g.</p><p>Cilicia, Tarsus, AD 249-251.</p><p>Obv: ΑV ΚΑΙ Γ ΜЄϹ ΚVΙΝ ΔЄΚΙΟϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ, Π Π, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.</p><p>Rev: ΤΑΡϹΟV ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛЄΩϹ Γ Β, Α Μ Κ. Artemis standing right, drawing arrow from quiver and holding bow and arrow; at feet on either side, deer standing left and dog running right with raised paws, head left.</p><p>Refs: RPC <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/1347" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/1347" rel="nofollow">1346</a>; SNG Levante 1156 ; SNG France 1754; SNG von Aulock 6065; SNG Cop 33; Ziegler 808.16.33; Lindgren III, 926.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>OBVERSE INSCRIPTION: </b>ΑV ΚΑΙ Γ ΜЄϹ ΚVΙΝ ΔЄΚΙΟϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ, Π Π</p><p><br /></p><p>- AV is short for αὐτοκράτωρ, the Greek equivalent of <i>Imperator</i> (approximately equivalent in meaning to &quot;Emperor&quot;).</p><p><br /></p><p>- KAI is short for καῖσαρ, the Greek transliteration of <i>Caesar</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>- Γ ΜЄϹ ΚVΙΝ ΔЄΚΙΟϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ is a Greek abbreviation of <i>Gaius Messius Quintus Decius Traianus</i>, the name of the emperor.</p><p><br /></p><p>- Π Π is short for πατήρ πατρίδος, the Greek equivalent of <i>Pater Patria</i> (&quot;father of the country&quot;).</p><p><br /></p><p><b>REVERSE INSCRIPTION:</b> ΤΑΡϹΟV ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛЄΩϹ Γ Β, Α Μ Κ</p><p><br /></p><p>- ΤΑΡϹΟV ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛЄΩϹ is Greek for &quot;of the Metropolis of Tarsus.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>- Γ Β is a Greek abbreviation that is subject to some controversy as to its meaning, but probably is short for γράμματι βουλῆς, taking <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dgra%2Fmma" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dgra%2Fmma" rel="nofollow">γράμμα</a> in its sense of <i>laws</i> or <i>rules</i> and <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dboulh%2F" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dboulh%2F" rel="nofollow">βουλή</a> in its sense of <i>Council of elders, Senate.</i> Hence, &quot;by law of the council.&quot; This abbreviation only appears on bronze coins of the city, not billon, and I have to wonder if it is therefore the local equivalent of <i>senatus consulto</i> (S C), such as appears on the bronze denominations during the Roman principate and on the reverses of coins from Antioch.</p><p><br /></p><p>- Α Μ Κ is known from non-numismatic sources to be abbreviations for official titles of Tarsus:</p><p><br /></p><blockquote><p>- A (here used as an ordinal number, <i>first</i>, <i>number one</i>, corresponding to the Greek title πρώτης).</p><p>- M is short for <i>μεγίστης</i>, meaning <i>greatest, biggest</i>.</p><p>- K is short for καλλίστης, meaning <i>most beautiful</i>.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Basically, the reverse inscription means &quot;by law of the council of the number one greatest, most beautiful city of Tarsus.&quot; Ain&#039;t that a mouthful!</p><p><br /></p><p>Post your comments, coins of Tarsus, Trajan Decius provincials, or anything you feel is relevant!</p><p><br /></p><p>~~~</p><p><br /></p><p>Bibliography</p><p><br /></p><p>Hill, G.F. <i>A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Greek Coins of Lycaonia, Isauria, and Cilicia</i>. British Museum, London, 1900, pp. lxxxviii, lxxxix, xc-xci.</p><p><br /></p><p>Sear, David. <i>Greek Imperial Coins and Their Values</i>. Seaby, London. 1982, p. xi.</p><p><br /></p><p>Vagi, David L. <i>Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, c. 82 B.C.- A.D. 480</i>. <i>Volume One: History</i>, Coin World, 1999, p. 333.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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