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Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161. Æ Drachm (34mm, 27.68g, 12h). Dated RY 11 (AD 147/148). Obv: ΑVΤ ΚΤΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ-ΑΝΤⲰΝ(Ɛ)ΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ-ƐVϹ; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Elpis standing left, holding lotus blossom and raising a fold of her skirt; L ЄNΔ Є KATOV (date) around. Ref: Köln 1578; Dattari (Savio) 2543; K&G 35.404; RPC IV.4 Online 13617; Emmett 1501.11. Very Fine, nice dark patina. Ex Datarri Collection. Ex Colosseum Coin Exchange (Aug 2009).

Next: Even more Roman Egypt.

 

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We have seen tetradrachms and drachms so now how about an Antoninus Pius diobol with bull? Holed and ex. SteveX6 (old timemer here remember him).


Next: An Alexandrian denomination not shown yet in this run

 

CLAUDIUS
AE Dichalkon. 2.47g, 15.5mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 10 (AD 49/50). RPC I 5179; Emmett 100 var. (obv. legend); Dattari (Savio) 170. O: [TIB] ΚΛΑY, laureate head right. R: Frog (Heqet?) seated right, LI (date) above.

This one is usually referred to as a dichalkon (quarter-obol), but some consider it more accurate to call it a hemiobol. There's a lighter weight Alexandrian bronze denomination, confusingly also catalogued sometimes (and more correctly?) as a dichalkon, but by others as a chalkous.

Next: Another denomination of Roman Egypt (ie., not a tetradrachm, drachm, diobol, or ~2g "dichalkon")

 

An obol:

Hadrian, AE Nome Obol, Year 11 (126/127 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint (for Arsinoite Nome). Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder, AΥΤ ΚΑΙ - ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹΕΒ / Rev. Head of Egyptian Pharaoh right, no beard [identified with Amenemhat III, under Greco-Roman name of Pramarres], wearing nemes [royal striped headdress] with uraeus [sacred cobra, worn by deities and pharaohs] at forehead; APCI (= Arsi[noites]) to left, date L IA (Year 11) to right. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 6296 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6296 ; Emmett 1211.11 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; BMC 16 Alexandria, Nomes 72-73 at p. 357 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892)]; Sear RCV II 3831 (ill.); Köln 3381/82 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band II (Hadrian-Antoninus Pius) (Cologne, 1978, corrected reprint 1987)]; K&G N6.6; Milne 1229 at p. 30 (var. with beard; see p. 139 col. 2 bottom) [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]. 19.4 mm., 5.32 g. Purchased from Zuzim Inc., Brooklyn, NY Jan 2021; ex. Fontanille Coins, Auction 96, July 2017, Lot 7. [Footnotes omitted.]

The dealer's photo, which switches the obverse & reverse from their usual positions.



Next, another Roman Alexandrian coin with a "traditional" Egyptian deity or theme depicted on the reverse rather than something entirely or partly Greek or Roman in origin.

 

ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Drachm. 28.01g, 36.4mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 8 (AD 144/5). Menelaites Nome. RPC Online Temp 13971/78 (this coin). O: AVT K T AIΛ AΔP ANTωNЄINOC CЄB ЄVC, laureate head right. R: MЄNЄΛAЄITHC, Harpokrates of Canopus (part human, part crocodile) left, holding finger on right hand before mouth, cornucopia on left arm; altar before, L H (date) in exergue.
Ex Phil Peck (“Morris”) Collection

Next: Year 8

 

.

 

Regnal year 8.

Cappadocia, Caesarea. Severus Alexander AE20.
Obverse: AYK CEOV ALEΞAND, laureate bust right.
Reverse: MHT P K AIC, three stalks of grain tied together, ET - H.

Next: Dated provincial not Alexandrian.

 

ANTIOCHIA ad Orontem (the river) - Syria, Seleucis and Pieria
Obverse: KAIΣAPOΣ ΣE-BAΣTOV - laur head of Augustus right
Reverse: ETOVΣ - ΘK - NIKHΣ - Year (9+20 =) 29 in the Actian Era - after the “Victory" (= the battle of Actium in 31 BC)
Turreted Tyche of Antioch seated right on rocks - holding curving palm branch - at her feet river god Orontes swimming right with head facing
In the reverse field two mono-grams:
(1) “ΥΠΑ” (year) ”ΙΓ” (I+Γ=10+3)= COS XIII (Augustus got the consul-III-title in 2 BC) and
(2) momgram “ANT” = Antioch

Next - a silver Claudius I portrait coin

 

Dated provincial:



Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman provincial Æ 26.85 mm, 13.64 g, 12 h.
Samaria, Neapolis, AD 159/160.
Obv: ΦΑVCΤЄΙΝΑ CЄΒ ЄVCЄ CЄΒΑ ΘVΓ, diademed and draped bust, right.
Rev: ΦΛ ΝЄΑCΠΟΛЄѠ CVΡΙΑC ΠΑΛΑΙCΤΙ, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae; year ЄΤ ΠΗ.
Refs: RPC IV.3, 6340 (temporary); Lindgren A2431B; SNG ANS 973; Hendin 880; Rosenberger 20.
Notes: The obverse titulature, ΦΑVCΤЄΙΝΑ CЄΒ ЄVCЄ CЄΒΑ ΘVΓ, is translated as "Faustina Augusta, daughter of Pius Augustus" and corresponds to the Latin FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL found on imperial issues for her. Ex George Fisher Collection.

Next: Faustina II provincial.

Edit -- too late. Still on silver Claudius.

 

Well, Divus Claudius...

Didrachm from Caesarea, Cappadocia.

Obv.: NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERMANI - Laureate head of Nero r., early coiffure.
Rev.: D[IVOS CLAVD AVGVST GER]MANIC PATER AVG - Laureate head of Claudius r.
Mint: (58-60AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 7.44g / - / -
References:

• RPC 3631
• RIC 613
• BM 413
• Syd 69

Acquisition: HJB, eBay 22/2/2008



Next - another coin with portraits of two emperors.

 

Next: coin with murderer and the one he murdered

 

Caracalla Augustus & Geta Caesar, Billon/AE Limes Denarius, cast[?], unknown mint, 199-200 AD or later. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Caracalla right, ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS / Rev. Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust of Geta right, P SEPT GETA CAES PONT. Official Prototype: RIC IV-1 Caracalla 38, RSC III Caracalla and Geta 2. 18 mm., 3.0 g.



Next, another "limes denarius."

 

12 hours

Private cash coinages of Annam (Vietnam)
c. 1575 AD
AE Cash | 2.03g | 21.5mm
Obv: Tong Nguyen Thong Bao (宋元通寶)
Rev: Blank
Copying a tenth century Northern Song legend, see it on Zeno, #259619

​

Next: More private or non-government coins

 

Next up: cool design

 

The quadriga of lions design is so cool ...


Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman AR denarius, 3.30 g, 19 mm, 6 h.
Rome, 21st emission, AD 205.
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: MATER AVGG, Julia Domna, as Cybele, seated left in quadriga of lions and holding branch in her right hand.
Refs: RIC 562; BMCRE 48; Cohen/RSC 117; RCV 6592; Hill 759; CRE 354.

... that the Italians re-released it as a reverse design!




Next: Ancient coin design reused on a modern coin.

 

1 Euro 2007 issued by Greece:



next same topic

 

Athena on 100 Lire from Italy.




Next: Ancient anything on currency.

 

Romania 5.000.000 lei 1947.

Next - she wolf with twins - but not the Rome commemorative 4th century coin

 

Next up: anonymous RR

 

Roman Republic, Anonymous [probably Caecilius Metellus Diadematus or Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus], AR Denarius 128 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet, * [monogram for value: XVI asses] behind; otherwise anepigraphic / Rev. Pax or Juno driving biga galloping right, holding reins and long scepter in left hand and branch (olive or laurel) in right hand; elephant head under horses, facing right with trunk curving down, wearing bell dangling from neck; ROMA in exergue. Crawford 262/1, RSC I Caecilia 38 (ill.), BMCRR 1044, Sear RCV I 138, Sydenham 496. 18.5 mm., 3.89 g., 11 h.*




*One of only four anonymous Roman Republican denarii after ca. 154 BCE (see also Crawford 222/1, 287/1, & 350A/2), and the only one of the four that can be identified with near-certainty. See Crawford Vol. I at p. 287, explaining that the elephant head with dangling bell depicted on the reverse signals that the moneyer belonged to the Caecilii Metelli family, and recalls the victory of L. Caecilius Metellus, Cos. 251, over Hasdrubal at Panormus in 250 BCE, and the capture of Hasdrubal’s elephants. (See also the denarii depicting elephants or elephant heads issued by, e.g., M. Metellus Q.f. [127 BCE, Crawford 263/1a-1b], C. Caecilius Metullus Caprarius [125 BCE, Crawford 269/1]; Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius [81 BCE, Crawford 374/1]; and Q. Caecilius Metullus Pius Scipio [47-46 BCE, Crawford 459/1].) Therefore, it is generally accepted that this denarius was issued by either L. Caecilius Metellus Diadematus (Cos. 117), or L. Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus (Cos. 119), with the authorities seemingly preferring the former, given that his three brothers all held the moneyership. (Id.; see also Sear RCV I at p. 99; Harold B. Mattingly, “Roman Republican Coinage ca. 150-90 B.C.,” in From Coins to History (2004), pp. 199-226 at p. 219 n. 75.)

The uncertainty in identifying the goddess in the biga arises from the inability to identify definitively the branch she holds: an olive branch would mean that the goddess is Pax, and a laurel branch would mean that she is Juno Regina. (See Crawford at p. 287.) Grueber (in BMCRR) and Seaby (in RSC) identify the goddess as Pax; Crawford and Sear note both possible identifications.

Another Roman Republican elephant.