Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 7781156, member: 19463&quot;]That article was a painful read.&nbsp; The Alexandria mint legionary denarius shown is weak on the right side reverse legend (as are many of the type).&nbsp; Were it there, we would see the legend is LEG III IT AVI </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334922[/ATTACH] </p><p>(There are rare ones (below) with AVG but the die in the article is AVI).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334923[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Legion III Augusta was stationed in Africa (by Augustus) to guard the grain supply and would be the legion familiar with mint workers and the populace of Alexandria.&nbsp; Why, then, does the legend include IT?&nbsp; My opinion is that the coin was copied from an example from the Rome mint issue in honor of the completely different Legion III Italica like mine below. If the mint at Alexandria only saw one coin as a sample, I wonder if it was short the legend at the right so AVI or AVG was substituted believing the A in ITAL was the start of the name of their local legion.&nbsp; There is no reason to believe they understood or cared about the meaning of the IT.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334927[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>There exists a coin that reads LEG IIII IT AVG that once belonged to Barry Murphy that was nothing more than evidence that copying all those IIIII&#039;s could get confusing.&nbsp; These guys were ordered to make coins, not to make sense.&nbsp; I do not know the current location of that coin today but wish I had paid more than I thought it was worth back then.&nbsp; A smart person would have bought Barry&#039;s collection in its entirety. </p><p><a href="http://bpmurphy.ancients.info/severan/ssalex3.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://bpmurphy.ancients.info/severan/ssalex3.htm" rel="nofollow">http://bpmurphy.ancients.info/severan/ssalex3.htm</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Where anyone got the idea that this coin had any relation to III Parthica is beyond me. As a matter of trivia, Legion III Augusta was disbanded by Gordian III for its role in the defeat of his grandfather and uncle.&nbsp; In Africa, they were just usurpers but when Maximinus was dead and Balbinus and Pupienus &#039;restored&#039; them to full emperor status making the kid Caesar, the deceased pair became &#039;must have&#039; coins in many collections.&nbsp; I do wonder if the elder Gordians ever saw a coin bearing their picture.&nbsp; Were any coins for them struck before they had died? My guess is no. I can prove nothing.&nbsp; Can you? </p><p><br /></p><p>It was mentioned that the Syrian mint (wherever you choose to place &#039;Emesa&#039;) issued coins for LEG VIII AVG as well as for XIIII GEMMV.&nbsp; Since some of these coins used the &#039;first legend&#039; used at Rome in 193, some people continue to assign these coins to 193 as did I when I read and believed RIC/BMC.&nbsp; I&#039;m not saying none were made before January 194 but having a legend ending AVG on an Eastern coin proves nothing.&nbsp; These coins tend to be struck on smallish flans so showing full data can require a lot of looking or settling for multiples that compliment each other. </p><p>My best first legend, &#039;Emesa&#039; VIII:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334933[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>with IICOS added to the reverse</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334934[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>XIIII GEMMV pieced together</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334935[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1334936[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1334937[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I do wish that article had been reviewed by one of a half dozen CT regulars who might have had suggestions.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in