Egyptian Drachm: A Variation of a Magnificent Ancient Sculpture Type

Thanks! This makes much more sense.

Thanks for always reading and giving your informed feedback on so many of the threads here. You are a credit to the forum, my friend! You are obviously very knowledgeable in this collecting area (more so than me for sure!).

To clarify what I was trying to get across with my original post, I think that both the existing statues and the coins showing a Reclining Nilus are referencing the same artistic tradition established by the original Hellenistic statue. What I mean is that the original statue forever linked Nilus shown in a reclining position with the nilometer measurement through the personifications of the pekheis. The "IϚ" shows up overwhelmingly on the Reclining Nilus reverses but much less often on other types. If it were an independent attribute or even a hopeful invocation you would think it would show up more often on the types where Nilus is the primary subject.

To illustrate what I mean I went back and did a quick accounting through the CNG archives to quantify how often IϚ shows up on a sampling of reverse types.




Reclining Nilus with "16" (Image courtesy of CNG)

85% of the examples I found of the reclining type had the "16" called out either in the legend or near the genius like in this example. Some of the examples I did not count as having a "16" were worn enough that they may have originally so the percentage is probably higher.



Seated Nilus without "16" (Image courtesy of CNG)

Only 10% (2 of 20) of the seated Nilus reverses had a "16" that was not associated with the date. It is interesting though that a lot of these seem to have been minted in RY 16. The example you posted, Z, is an example of a coin not in RY 16 that also does not have a "16".


Seated within Temple (Image courtesy of CNG)

This is a cool reverse and seems to show the seated on a rock type in miniature. There is not a "16" noted on the design.


Nilus bust right (Image courtesy of CNG)

This type shows a bust of Nilus, usually with a cornucopia and genius but none of the examples showed "16."


Nilus on Hippo (Image courtesy of CNG)

None of the very cool Hippo type showed a "16"


Seated Nilus with Euthenia (Image courtesy of CNG)

None of the reverses with Euthenia or Alexandria (seated or standing) that I found had a "16."

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So I guess in conclusion I am theorizing that the "16 cubits" is most closely linked to the reclining reverse specifically and that all of the other Nilus representations are drawing from different artistic inspirations in which the "16" was not necessarily an essential part.

 

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Thanks, Curtis... this reply and the comparisons clarify for me what you originally meant. I don't disagree, but do think it makes the exceptions all the more interesting. Did the idea of having the IϚ "bleed" into those non-reclining varieties (not from year 16) that did have them? And, at the very least, I'm now a little less annoyed with my A-Pi reclining Nilus drachm without the IϚ (just a very little bit less, to be honest ):

RPC IV.4, 15243 is one variety that has the ΙϚ in place of a genius.

Not the same variety as the one you show, but here's a Nilus and Euthenia reclining with the ΙϚ.

Not early as cool as the hippo riding type, but a hippo biga is still pretty cool, right?


And just to throw it out there, sometimes you get the ΙϚ but no genius...



Another interesting point of note, it seems the reclining Nilus type was introduced during Domitian's reign, but none of the several varieties had the ΙϚ. The convention seems to have started with the issues of Trajan. Domitian did however issue this very cool type which actually shows Nilus surrounded by all 16 pekheis! Their having gone to the trouble, I wonder why they decided to replace the sphinx on the sculpture with a hippotamus?

 

Excellent examples to show the use of "IϚ" outside the reclining type. The replacement of the pekheis in the bust variety with "IϚ" is especially interesting.

From what you have seen do you think the use of "IϚ" outside of the reclining type is more common that the data I gathered from CNG suggests? (it was not a very large or representative sample after all)

That Domitian type is very cool and at the very least seems to be drawing its inspiration from the same source as the statue. What a chore to fit all those little things on coin even the size of a drachm!

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For no other reason than the fact that I want to post this because I came across it in my research and thought it was cool, here is another Hellenistic representation of Nilus sitting around with his cornucopia

 

Thanks Spaniard! Great eagle reverse drachm!

Thanks Al. It was very cool. In fact the room that the statue is housed in is modeled to look like a Roman basilica with the floors made out of authentic ancient mosaic tile. The Augustus Prima Porta was in there as well. It was my favorite part of the museum!

Yes the statue is quite busy but in person at least the huge size makes it seem less so. It is much larger than life size.

Also great coins Doug. Thank you for sharing!

 

I didn't go through search results in RPC online very thoroughly, but I'd say they're more common than the CNG records show, but not actually outright common. The CNG search shows none for a few varieties where examples do in fact exist, and looking specifically at the low percentage in CNG for the Nilus seated variety with ΙϚ, when I took two common (Rated 1 and 2 in Emmett) A-Pi regnal years (RY 9 and RY 11) for seated Nilus on drachms, RPC Online shows the opposite :

RY 9 : 32 out of 34 examples covered in 13577, 14878, 14879, 15312 have the ΙϚ and only 2 don't.
RY 11 : 18 out of 19 examples covered in 13622, 15881 have the ΙϚ, and 1 doesn't.

On the other hand, looking in RPC again at another common year, RY 18, in all 15 examples, the ΙϚ has been dropped.

So... . How about I just post another coin.


ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Drachm. 26.83g, 33.5mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 5 (AD 141/2). Emmett 1628 (R3); Dattari 2776; RPC Online temp 14830. O: Laureate head right. R: Nilus seated right on rocks upon which a crocodile climbs, Alexandria-Euthenia wearing elephant-skin headdress standing left, holding corn ears and sistrum; [L E] in exergue.
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.413)

 

Excellent Alexandria coin and neat provenance. I'm starting to think somebody may have run a coin heist at the Art Institute of Chicago... Also, thank you for the interesting data. Perhaps the convention was not as straight forward as I thought. It has been a fun conversation nonetheless! Many thanks Z.

 

A thought provoking thread @Curtisimo and many excellent coins (@zumbly). I will add this coin which is very similar to the seated coin of @DonnaML, also no visible rock. However this coin is quite different metal with no hint of silver content.
Egypt, Alexandria, Hadrian, AD 117-138, AE Tetradrachm, dated RY 22 (AD 137/8)
Obv: Laureate head right
Rev: Nilus seated, facing left, holding reed and cornucopiae; crocodile right below; LKB (date) in upper left field
Ref: Dattari 1438

 

It really does look a lot like mine -- same year, even -- although the obverse is in much better condition. I wonder why the metal looks so different.

 

I love the Nilus type of drachm:

Hadrian, drachm stuck at Alexandria. LIH = year 18, 133/4
Nilus reclining on a crocodile. Emmett 1014. Sear II 3776.


This one is not is such good condition, but has Nilus reclining on a hippo.
Hadrian, drachm stuck at Alexandria. LΔWΔEK
Emmett 1015. Sear II 3757

 

That tiny hippo would make a nice little snack for the crocodile! But it's cute.

 

Nice coins Sulla. I really like the color and surfaces on this coin even if there is not an indication of silver. It’s also a very nice portrait of Hadrian to boot. Thanks for sharing!

Those are both great coins. There is no denying these coins feel great in hand. Yours even more so with the fantastic detail on your top example. I like the hippo too!

 

What a COOL Drachm, @Curtisimo ! Very nice.

LOL, TRICKA reminded me of

What a cool CHALLENGE!

ALEXANDRIA


RI URBS ROMA 223-336 CE Romulus Remus She-wolf S R Alexandria mint AE 15mm 1.5g RIC VIII 8 C2 Left Rare


CROC!


RI Augustus oak crown Agrippa rostral crown L AE Dupondius 26mm 12.6g Type III 9-3 BCE Nemausus chained Croc wreaths RIC I 158


EGYPTIAN DRACHM


Egypt Ptolemy IV 221-205 BC AE 37mm 42g Drachm Zeus-Ammon Eagle Tbolt SV 974


ANTONINUS PIUS


RI Antoninus Pius 138-161 CE BI Tet Alexandria Egypt Dikaiosyne Scale


RIVER GOD


Campania AE Apollo-Achelous -275-250BCE PLATE COIN 3 KNOWN RARE SNG ANS 474 - Listed Potamikon pg 232 Plate 343


ANYTHING / RANDOM (I will keep it in Egypt...)



Egypt Amenhotep III Scarab 1390-1352 BCE cartouch Neb Maat Ra 43.37g 45mm ex Gustave Mustake