Dating a Roman Provincial AE by translation of obverse legend

I posted this one a week ago or so and I've been studying it with great interest. At first, my interest focused on the countermark, and I am thankful that @Marsyas Mike was able to assist me in its identification.


Trajan, AD 98-117.
Roman Provincial Æ 26.3 mm, 15.83 g, 1 h.
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch, late AD 115 to early 116.
Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ΑΡΙϹΤ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΔΑΚ, laureate head, right. Countermark: laurel branch in incuse rectangle, Howgego 378 (69 sp.).
Rev: S·C in laurel wreath; Є below.
Refs: RPC III 3616; cf. BMC 20, p. 185, 286 (with same countermark); Wruck 196; McAlee 489(e).
Notes: According to Romancoins.info, this is one of a group of countermarks on eastern provincial coins with possible links to the legionary administration of the eastern frontier towards Persia. The countermark was applied before A.D. 132-135. Reverse die-match to the RPC III plate coin (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford).

Since then, I've been focused on the obverse inscription on this coin. According to several examples in the British Museum collection and at RPC III online, the inscription comes in three types.

The first type is undoubtedly the earliest and reads ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΔΑΚ; this is the Greek equivalent of IMP CAES NER TRAIANO AVG GER DAC. Trajan held the title of Germanicus upon assuming the throne in AD 98 after the death of Nerva and therefore the presence of this title is not helpful at dating any of his coins. He received the title of Dacicus in AD 102, following the battle of Tapae. Coins with this inscription must be dated to the time period of AD 102-114.

The second type of obverse inscription reads ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ΑΡΙϹΤ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΔΑΚ, corresponding to the Latin IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC. Trajan received the title of Optimus in AD 114, following the defeat of the Armenians in AD 113/14. The title is in use on Imperial and Alexandrian obverse inscriptions from AD 114-117.

The third type reads ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ΑΡΙϹΤ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΔΑΚ ΠΑΡΘ (see BMC 20, p. 185, no. 287), corresponding to the Latin IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTH. Trajan received the title Parthicus in AD 116, and Imperial and Alexandrian coins issued from 116-117 bear that title.

Therefore, the authors of RPC III date my coin to AD 114-116, after the assumption of the title Optimus in 114 but before the assumption of the title Parthicus. However, there is a clue in the inscription that I believe allows the date to be narrowed down even further, and that is the presence of NEP (Greek for NER). On the Imperial coinage, Mattingly notes that the title Optimus appears in the form of OPTIMO PRINCIPI on the reverses of Trajan's bronze issues in AD 114, but it is not until after the spring of AD 115 that there "follows a short issue with the obv. IMP CAES TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P--the 'Nervae' yielding place to 'Optimo' ... Late in A.D. 115--early 116--comes an issue exactly similar to the last except that 'Ner' reappears after 'Caes' in the obverse legend."*

Assuming there is a correspondence between the Greek titulature of the issues of Antioch and the Latin titulature on the issues of Rome -- and there appears to be -- this coin can be dated to late AD 115 to early AD 116, when CAES NER, appears on the inscriptions along with OPTIMO.

Post anything you feel is relevant!

*Mattingly, Harold. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum. Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian, British Museum, 1966, p. lxiv.

 

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That is some very impressive sleuthing, RC. I still struggle figuring out dates on the Imperial coins that come my way (in Latin)! I never thought the Provincials had enough to go very far with this line of inquiry - you have proven me wrong!

I guess it's time to look over my crusty collection of Provincials to see what I can figure out...some of them do have pretty lengthy legends - a Philip I from Antioch, for instance - more Greek than Fraternity Row on this one:


Philip I 8 Assaria
Syria, Antioch ad Orontem
(244-249 A.D.)
AYTOK KM IOYΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CEB, radiate, cuirassed bust left /ANTIOXEΩN MHTΡO
K[OΛ]Ω[N], turreted and veiled bust of Tyche right, star below, ram r. above, Δ-E S-C in fields.
BMC 528; McAlee 993c.
(17.49 grams / 29 mm)

 

That's a fantastic piece of detective work.

 

Very good write up, well detailed!

 

Wow, RC-- the depth of your research and thinking is always impressive! You're so prolific too! You either never sleep or are very quick. Or both .

 

LOL, I think he is a Roman Imperial Robot...

A legacy passed down from generation to generation after the Fall of the Western Roman Empire...