New from JAZ Numismatics, intro by @John Anthony: An agalma is a cult image or statue, often placed on an altar as a votive offering. Here is Mt. Argaeus as an agalma, characteristic of the coins of Caesarea in Cappadocia. These bronzes, approximately the size of an as, are very scarce compared to the drachms with similar reverse. CAPPADOCIA. Caesarea. Gordian III, AD 238-244. Æ29, 12.0g, 12h; struck AD 243. Obv.: AY K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC C; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: MHTPO KAIC B N; Agalma of Mt. Argaeus placed on altar // ETς Ref.: Sydenham, Caesarea Suppl. 615a Show your coins of Mt. Argaeus or Gordian III. Also, note that JAZ Numismatics offers an interesting selection of coins most weeks, all you need to do to get on the auction contact list is to PM John Anthony.
I have many coins of G3, Roman or provincial... My best : G3 sestertius, wonderful portrait My worst : Edessa, Gordian III, AE 31mm. Obv.: [AVTOK. K. M. ANT. ΓOP]ΔIANOC [CEB.] , laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III right. Rev.: [AVTOK. ΓOPΔIANOC ABΓAPOC BACIΛEVC] , Gordian III seated right on chair set on platform facing Abgar X standing left and holding small nike. Abgar X was king of Osrhoene and a close ally of the Romans when Gordian III led a military expedition against the Sassanid Persians in AD 242. With such a coin, minted in Edessa, the city of Abgar, we see the hierarchy of powers, who is enthroned, and who is standing in front of him waiting for orders. In fact, this coin reflects the feudal system in the Middle East at the time, and is closely paralleled by Parthian reliefs showing the King of Kings enthroned and a vassal king standing in front of him.
Nice pickup, always enjoy these big Mt. Argaeus bronzes. Julia Domna, Cappadocia, Caesarea, (AE 29.5mm., 19.16g). IOVΛIA ΔOMNA AVΓ Draped bust of Julia Domna right/ Rev. MHTPOΠO KAICAPIAC / ЄT IΔ Mt. Argaeus surmounted by star.
What is depicted on coins when they represent Mount Argaeus? This volcanic mountain, today Erciyes Dagi in Turkish, looks actually like this : (as seen from Caesarea of Cappadocia - Kayseri, Turkey) Today you can go skiing on its slopes, there are resorts like in the Alps. Mount Argaeus is pictured on ancient coins from Archelaus (36 BC - 17 AD) to Gordian III (238-244 AD). These depictions are extremely diverse, here is a small sample, sometimes the mountain can be represented under much different aspects under the same emperor. It is something surrealistic. The oldest depictions look like . Some others, especially under Lucius Verus or an incredible medallion of Commodus, look like something by Salvador Dalí. Mt Argaeus is depicted as a strange mountain topped by a statue, or a star, or the Sun's quadriga, or different things, with sometimes bizarre spheres, something like an incuse ace of spades (a cave?) at mid-summit, and surrounded by dots, or peaks, or flames, or anything... What is it??? Do you know a serious article or chapter in which the image of Mt Argaeus on ancient coins is analysed, discussed, explained? My own personal theory is that these peaks, at least on depictions of the Severian period, may represent hoodoos (AKA fairy chimneys) typical of the Cappadocia landscape. Of course these hoodoos are not on Mount Erciyes, you can find them in the surroundings near Ürgüp and Göreme, more than 50 km West of Caesarea. But it is just my personal hypothesis, I never read anything in that sense.
Great coins all. Let's keep the Mt. Argaeus theme going! By the way it is 12,851 feet in height! I was thinking something like 4-5k feet so I was indeed surprised! And a stratovolcano to boot, higher than Mt. Lassen and Mt. Hood in the U.S. Cascade range...
As far as I know, this is the only depiction of Mt. Argaeus on an Imperial Roman coin (rather than a Provincial). Part of a scarce series of sestertii issued by Antoninus Pius at the time of his accession: Antoninus Pius Æ Sestertius (139 A.D.) "Aurum Coronarium" type Rome Mint ANT[ONI]NVS AVG PIVS P P, laureate head right / [CAPPADOCIA] [COS II] in ex., Cappadocia standing left, holding crown & vexillum, Mt. Argaeus with star above at left of her feet. RIC III 1056 (RIC 580 (R)). (23.34 grams / 31 x 29 mm) eBay June 2020 (France) "Hadrian's successor Antoninus Pius also issued a 'provincial' series of coins, in this case to celebrate the remission of half of the aurum coronarium ('crown-gold'). This was a demand made by the emperor on the communities of the Empire (and sometimes even on foreign states) at the time of his accession and on certain anniversaries of his rule. Antoninus' remission of half of this burdensome tax at the time he came to the throne was greeted with much enthusiasm and led to the production of an extensive series of aes coinage depicting crown-bearing personifications of various provinces (and even of the Parthian kingdom)." David Sear, Roman Coins and their Values, Volume 1, The Millennium Edition.
My only coin depicting Mt. Argaeus, with a statue of Helios at the summit, is from Lucius Verus. I like the deer on the lower left, and the rather mysterious boulders with treetops, as well as the flames(?) running up the sides.
