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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Al Kowsky, post: 8255794, member: 97383&quot;][ATTACH=full]1455430[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>ROMAN-SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare, Caracalla, AD 198-217 (struck AD 215-217). Billon Tetradrachm: 14.53 gm, 26 mm, 1 h. Prieur 1179. <i>CNG 510, lot 472.</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p>I won this coin last month to add to my growing sub-group of &quot;War Tetradrachms&quot;. Prieur cited 265 examples of this coin type <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />, &amp; I&#039;m sure well over 100 more examples have been added since his book was published in 2000. For those unfamiliar with the label &quot;War Tetradrachms&quot;, these coins were struck at over two dozen different mints to fund Caracalla&#039;s planed invasion of Parthia. Caracalla wanted to annex the Kingdom of Parthia peacefully if their king would give his youngest daughter&#039;s hand to him in marriage <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. When the king refused the enraged Caracalla <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie4" alt=":mad:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> planed a full scale invasion, but he was assassinated before the final march to Parthia <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. These coins show a serious decline in metal quality &amp; engraving. They were debased from a fineness of 60% to about 35%. Many of the earlier tetradrachms of good silver were melted down to fund this project. Despite the crude appearance of this coin it has some redeeming features; the coin is well struck, the portrait is in high relief, it is in mint state aside from a few small deposits, &amp; it cost me less than $200 <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><b>CT </b>members are welcome to post examples of their <b>War Tetradrachms <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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