Apologies if this has been done before, but I was thinking this might be fun since we haven't had a big pile-on thread in awhile. Let's post our coins alphabetically by CITY, starting with "A" (coins struck in Alexandria, Arles, Antioch, et al) and with two days given to each letter of the alphabet. Feel free to post your coins even if someone else has already posted coins from that city, but bonus points if you can post coins from a city not already shown by other members. The points mean nothing, but you get bragging rights . I'll start with a few of mine...
AMASTRIS PAPHLAGONIA, Amastris Circa 1st century BC AE21 8.46g, 21.4mm SNG BM Vol IX 1311 var (control) O: Helmeted head of Ares right. R: AMAS-TREVS, sword in sheath, crescent to left.
ABAKAINON SICILY, Abakainon Circa 450 - 400 BC AR Litra 0.58g, 12.5mm HGC 18 O: Bearded head with shaggy hair right. R: ABA, boar standing left; acorn before. Notes: Toned. Rare variety.
ALEXANDRIA ANTONINUS PIUS AE Drachm 22.17g, 35mm EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 9 (145/6 AD) Dattari (Savio) 8632; Emmett 1621.9 O: AVT K T AIL ADR ANTWNINOC CEBEVC, laureate head right. R: Nilus reclining left, holding reed and cornucopia from which emerges a Genius; crocodile below, L ENATOV (date) around.
ARLES MAGNUS MAXIMUS AE4 0.90g, 14mm Arles mint, 383 - 388 AD RIC 29a; Cohen 7 O: D N MAG MAXI-MVS P F AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bsut right. R: SPES RO-MA-NORVM, campgate topped with two towers and a star, PCON in ex.
Good golly, I could take us to page 6 with A alone! Granted, my collection is heavy with Roman Egyptian and Ptolemaic dynasty coins. A quick count-- and not all have been cataloged-- shows >100 coins from cities beginning with A. I won't post them all but here is a breakdown: Aegina (Islands off Attica) 2 Akragas (Sicily) 1 Alexandria (Roman Egypt) 80+ Alexandria (Ptolemaic) 13 Amisos (Pontos) 7 Amphipolis mint (a few) Apollonia Pontica (Thrace) 1 Arados (Phoenicia) 1 Argos (Argolis) 2 Assos (Troas) 1 Athens (Attica) 1 ... and a smattering of other Roman coins from "A" mints. A few representatives follow. ALEXANDRIA EGYPT, Alexandria Hadrian, CE 117-138 Æ Drachm, 35 mm, 24.8 gm; Regnal year 15 (CE 130/1) Obv: AVT KAI TPAI ADPIA CEB; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind Rev: Hadrian standing left, togate, holding sceptre, greeted by Alexandria, clad in elephant's skin headdress, chiton, and peplos, holding two grain ears in her left hand, and kissing Hadrian's extended right hand; L-IE (date) below. Ref: Emmett 964(15), R1 This coin commemorates Hadrian's visit to Alexandria in CE 130. His beloved companion, Antinoüs, drowned in the Nile on the trip. The circumstances are unclear and some historians suggest it was an intentional sacrifice. Hadrian mourned the loss of his lover. Antinoüs was deified, a cult began, and the city of Antinopolis was established on the Nile's bank not far from where he drowned. EGYPT, Alexandria. Gallienus year 13, CE 265/6 tetradrachm, 21 mm, 9.1 gm Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: AVTKΠΛIKΓAΛΛIHNOCCEB; eagle standing right, holding wreath in beak, palm over shoulder; L IΓ across field Ref: Emmett 3806(13), R1 Ex Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 88.203 (accessioned 1888); Benjamin Pierce Cheney Collection EGYPT, Alexandria. Claudius II Gothicus year 1, CE 268 tetradrachm Obv: AVTKKΛAΔIOCCEB; laureate draped bust right Rev: eagle standing right, head left, wreath in beak; L- A in right field Ref: Emmett 3878(1), R1 (Included in this post because of the stunning relief and artistic portrait) EGYPT, Alexandria. Ptolemy II Philadelphus Post-reform series 3 struck in Alexandria circa 260 BCE AE obol, 22 mm, 8.75 gm Obv: head of the deified Alexander right, wearing elephant skin headdress Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIΟY; eagle with open wings standing left on thunderbolt, Λ between legs Ref: Svoronos 483? EGYPT, Alexandria. Ptolemy IV Philopater 221-205 BCE AE42, 67.9gm Obv: Head of Zeus Ammon right with ram's horn, wearing taenia diadem Rev: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt; Σ between legs; Cornucopiae left decorated with royal diadem Ref: Svoronos 992
AMISOS (Various bronzes from PONTOS, Amisos) PONTOS, Amisos 85-65 BCE, time of Mithradates VI Eupator AE29, 19.5 gm Obv: helmeted head of Athena right; gryphon on helmet Rev: AMI-ΣOY; Perseus standing facing, holding harpa & Medusa's head; Medusa's body at his feet, monograms flanking him Ref: SNG BM Black Sea 1166; Stancomb 684; SNG Copenhagen 137 (best guess) This was a find at a local jewelry store and may be my biggest cleaning success. A "before" picture is here. APOLLONIA PONTIKA THRACE, Apollonia Pontika Mid-late 4th century BCE AR drachm, 10 mm, 3.2 gm Obv: Facing gorgoneion Rev: Upright anchor; A to left, crayfish to right Ref: Topalov, Apollonia p. 348, 11 (Won by accident. While keeping an eye out for my desired lot in a Pecunem auction, I glanced at the screen and misread the current lot number which had two seconds left. I clicked as I noticed the mistake. I no longer Skype while bidding but don't regret winning this coin .) ARADOS PHOENICIA, Arados Trajan. CE 98-117 CY 375 (CE 116/7) Æ22, 9.65 g Obv: draped bust of Astarte-Europa right; before, small laureate and draped bust of Trajan Rev: bull charging left Reference: SNG Copenhagen 81; BMC 374 (One of my earliest ancient coin purchases and still a favorite) ARGOS ARGOLIS, Argos 330-270 BCE AR Triobol or Hemidrachm, 14mm, 2.4 g Obv: forepart of wolf left, retrograde Σ above Rev: large A; Π–Ρ above, club below; all within shallow incuse square Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 1083.3; HGC 5, 667 ex Dr. Georgios I. Michael Collection
I think you hit Alexandria out of the ball park there, TIF . I knew "A" was going to be a big one for some of us, but wow, 80+ just from Alexandria during the Roman period! That's a beautiful group, btw, keep 'em coming...
I have gone a bit overboard since buying Emmett's book . Not all of them are posted to my website but ~40 can been seen there, starting on page 2 of the Roman coin overview page: http://www.tifcollection.com/#!roman/c22tz
Oh wow, I forgot my new turtles! Doug, those Akragas are very interesting and I hope to someday acquire several from that city. AEGINA ISLANDS off ATTICA, Aegina. 456/45-431 BCE AR stater; 20mm, 12.32 g Obv: land tortoise, head in profile, with segmented shell Rev: large square incuse with skew pattern Ref: SNG Delepierre 1774ff; BMC Taf. 24.11 ISLANDS off ATTICA, Aegina. 475-470 BCE AR obol; 0.97 gm Obv: sea turtle with single row of dots on back Rev: windmill-shaped incuse punch Ref: SNG Delepierre 1511; SNG Cop. 505
So cool to see all those Akragas coins, Doug. I'm already loving this thread. No doubt I'm going to end up with a whole slew of new additions to the want list by the time we're through.
Nobody wants the points for the common ones? Athens tetradrachm, 5th century BC Athens 1/4 obol or 1/96th of the above
Amiens (Magnentius is pretty common from there) Constantius II is less so. Constantius Gallus was hard to find.
Great coins => sadly, I have work calling, so I'll try to post later-on today ... wow, but awesome coins so far!! (man, I'm a bit jealous of those sweet Akragas babies!!)
A. POSTUMIUS A.F. SP.N. ALBINUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS POSTUMIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: HISPAN, veiled head of Hispania REVERSE: A ALBIN S N, togate figure standing left between legionary eagle and fasces, POST A F in ex Rome 81 BC 3.34g; 20mm Syd 746; Cr372/2
AEOLIS, KYME AE 18 OBVERSE: Head of the Amazon Kyme right, wearing taenia REVERSE: Horse advancing right; KY above, jug below raised leg; ΠΥΘΙΩΝ (Phytas(?) in ex. Magistrate Struck at Aeolis, 250-200BC 7.39g, 18mm SNG Cop 101