The coin pictured below I recently won at a Heritage auction for the bargain price of $120, including the buyers premium . The coin was incorrectly listed by Heritage as Prieur 1541, it's actually Prieur 1540, with 11 examples cited by Prieur. The original paper storage envelope came with the coin with written information by Morris on it. The back of the envelope states "Gaza hoard #429" along with the weight of 12.4 gm. I don't know which hoard he was referring to since many coin hoards have been found in Gaza . Some research may payoff trying to pin down the hoard date & location...
A wonderful example, congrats. Here is mine. Geta (209 - 211 A.D.) SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. AR Tetradrachm O: AYT KAI GETAC CEB, laureate head right. DHMARX EX YPATOC TO B, eagle standing left on groundline, wings spread, head and tail right, wreath in beak. Star in upper left and right fields. Struck 211 - 212 A.D. 26mm 13.04g McAlee 720; Prieur 213; Bellinger 16.
I was browsing thru my photo archives last night & found a pair of standard issue Tets from Tyre, Phoenicia of Caracalla, struck AD 213-217, that I sold at auction several years ago. The engraving on these two coins is superior to the Geta Tet just acquired, but the portrait on the right side closely resembles the Geta Tet. Is this a family resemblance or an engraver making it look so ?
A beautiful Geta tetradrachm for sure Here are my two Geta's. I once got an email from Michel Prieur telling, about the one from Laodicaea, he thought the scratch you see across Geta's throat might very well be a sign of his Damnatio memoriae... It was very kind of him, because it would dramatically increase the interest for the coin, but I'd rather think it's just what it is : a scratch across the throat Geta, Tetradrachm - Antioch AD 208 AYT KAI GETAC . laureate head right DHMAPX EXVPA TO B, eagle standing facing on leg an thigh, head right, holding wreath in beak 13,40 gr Ref : Prieur #209_006 (same obverse die) Geta, Tetradrachm - Laodicaea, AD 208-209 KAICAP GETAC, Bare head of Geta right YTTA-TOC TO B, Eagle facing, head turned on the left, holding wreath in beak, star between legs 13,73 gr Ref : Prieur #1157_012 Q
The portrait coins of Geta from the Antioch Mint are by far the finest & most accurate. Using two Antioch Tets from this thread & one in my collection lets see how the engravers from Antioch portrayed age progression . This handsome Tet that Q posted shows Geta around 19 or 20 years old. This Tet from Mat's post shows an excellent portrait of Geta around 21 years old. My Tet shows the fully mature portrait of Geta at 23 years old, the year he was murdered .
Very nice new addition, Al. For what it's worth, I think that the portrait on my Caracalla tet from Tyre also has a strong resemblance to your Geta.
Shea 19, You're right, the resemblance is more than casual. I'll bet the same celator did both dies .
There was no "Morris". Actual collector's name was Phil Peck. Why his collection was called The Morris Collection is a mystery to me.
Carausius, I've gotten that same info from other sources. If it's the same Phil Peck who was the assistant curator of the Chase Money Museum I can understand why he wouldn't want his name revealed. Many suspicious people would speculate that his hand was in the "cookie jar" while holding that job .
