I have been brought 6 more coins in the market for verification and possible purchase. All are outside my comfort zone, so I can I beg some assistance again? Last is identified on it's ticket as Elagabalus Alexandria AR Tetr. Weighs 9.54g and measures about 23mm across. Is this correct ID? This one gives me most concern for authenticity as it seems very sharp, particularly on the reverse - is it right?
Agreed. But the ANT at the beginning of the right side obverse inscription confirms it as Elagabalus. My hunch is that it is legit, but I can't be certain just from the photo.
I think the coin looks okay but I would say the portrait looks more like Caracalla in general. I do defer to @Mat on tetradrachmae in general, however.
Looks to me like Elagabalus, uncertain Syrian mint, genuine, Prieur 261A (similar style, same erroneous "consul for the fourth time" on reverse).
This interests me, as is often, the attributions of Caracalla or Elagabalus may be harder to pin down on Roman Provincials. I'm attempting to improve my ability at discerning between the two. I'm leaning towards Elagabalus on this coin (due to the portraiture), however, my attempts at locating a reference match is proving difficult. Could this be a contemporary imitation, perhaps?
For attributing Elagabalus provincial coins, this site is very helpful: https://sites.google.com/site/elagabaluscoins/site-map
Are there many provincial coins that depict Caracalla as a youth on the obverse? All the ones I've seen show him as a rather surely-looking adult.
There are a handful. Of course, I implied among youthful portraits (Caracalla as Caesar). The bearded "surly-looking adult" ones are fairly easy to discern. For example, these coins are often attributed as Caracalla. https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/search/...ight_max=&diameter_min=&diameter_max=&format=
my youthful Caracalla: Pisidia, Galatia, Antioch (Colonia Caesareia Antiocheia), 206 - 211 or 218 - 222 AD 23 mm, 5.623 g Ref.: Krzyzanowska Group C (CAR19) XIX, 37-38 var (rev legend with CAS resp. CAE); https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6/6566 RPC attributes it as Caracalla or Elagabalus Ob.: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS A laureate head right Rev.: (AN)TIOCH G(E)NI COL CAS Tyche of Antiocheia standing left, holding branch and cornucopia
ELAGABALUS, Tetradrachm Antioch, 218-222 12.65 g - 24 mm Prieur 261 AYT K M A AN(TωNЄINOC CЄ)B, Laureate head right ΔHMAPX ЄΞ YΠATOC(TOB), Eagle facing, head and tail left - Δ - Є - Star
I stand corrected. The examples above force me to reconsider my assumptions. I would have attributed all of them to Elagabalus. Next, I suppose you will tell me that a koala bear is not a real bear.
