In the light of this interesting discussion, here is another Alexandrian coin, a diobol of Hadrian, with a nice animal on the reverse - that is, on coins, I don't want to meet that serpent in real life, holy as it may be. Obv.: Laureate head right. Rev.: Large serpent (Agathodaemon) to the right, date L IB (12 = 127-128). 22-23 mm, 6.19 g, 5h.; Emmett 1111, but year unrecorded by Emmett. 10, 11, 14, 16 and 17 are mentioned by Emmett, but not this one. The seller said it was L IE (15), but I think it clearly shows a B, not an E. Or am I misinterpreting something?
Looks like a B to me. Offhand I don't know if the letter E in this time frame was rounded or squared, or if there was any consistency to the letterform during this period of Hadrian's Egyptian output. Is it possible that what looks like an I is something else? An artifact of corrosion or patination? It looks like a raised and purposeful I but it is worth considering since the year 2 is known for this diobol. Speaking of denominations... this seems light for a diobol. Emmett doesn't list the Agathodaemon reverse for an obol but the weight is more like an obol. I wonder if other references might have this classified differently. I'll try to remember to look into that later. Regardless of all these things... cool coin . I'm partial to Agathodaemon and all his variations. EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian billon tetradrachm, 22.5 mm, 12.9 gm regnal year 5 (CE 120/1) Obv: laureate head right, crescent in right field Rev: Agathodaemon serpent standing erect right; L-E Ref: Dattari-Savio plate 71, 1532 (this coin); RPC 5270; Emmett 803.5 Ex Dattari Collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1853-1923) EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian. Regnal year 10, CE 90/91. Æ diobol (25mm, 10.86 g, 12h). AVT KAICAP ΔΟ ΜΙΤ CEB ΓΕΡΜ, laureate head right / Agathodaemon serpent, wearing the skhent crown (emblematic of upper and lower Egypt), on horseback galloping left; L I (date) below. Köln –; Dattari (Savio) –; K&G 24.109; RPC II 2585; SNG Copenhagen 214; Emmett 277.10 (R5). Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection Ex West Coast/Lloyd Beauchaine Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 41, 19 March 1997), lot 1110 Ex Classical Numismatic Review Vol. XVI, No. 1 (January 1991), lot 31 Ex Numismatic Fine Arts Fall Mail Bid Sale (18 October 1990), lot 2365 Appearances: Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 39 (this coin) Obverse illustrated in Emmett as the header for the Domitian section, p. 24 (this coin) Fully illustrated in Emmett, p. 26 (this coin, discussing the unusual reverse). https://www.cointalk.com/threads/so-these-exist-snake-cowboys.314032/ EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Æ drachm (32mm, 23.0 g, 12h); RY 23 (CE 159/60) Obv: Laureate bust right, slight drapery Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon serpent erect right on horseback advancing right; L K Γ (date) across field. Only the K is visible on this coin but this is the only year of issue for the type Ref: Cf. Köln 1852-3; Dattari (Savio) 8939; K&G 35.820; Emmett 1679 Ex X6 Collection. EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Regnal year 17 AE drachm, 33mm Obv: laureate bust right Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon standing erect right Ref: Dattari 2829; Emmett 1678.17 Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1982.1988, G.781)
MACRINUS Pentassarion AE28 OBVERSE: AVT K OPEL CEVH MAKREINOC K M OPEL ANTWNEINOC - confronted busts REVERSE: VP PONTIAN-OV MARKIANO/ POLIT, Coiled serpent with radiate head Struck at Markianopolis, Moesia Inferior, Magistrate Pontianus; 217 - 218 AD 12.6g, 28mm Hr & J (2012) 6.24.22.6
Thank you for your beautiful coins and thoughtful comments! I compared my coin to the one on RPC online, but that B is formed a bit differently. And the I might be something else, but it certainly is a purposeful form on the coin. You are right that this coin is light for a diobol, but obols look different, they are much smaller. I have this one, that I bought on one of the valued Cointalk JAZ auctions. Picture courtesy JAZ. AE Obol, AD 126-7. Obv.: AVT KAI - TRAI A∆PIA CEB, laureate head right. Rev.: Stag with large antlers standing right, looking upward, date L IA (year 11) in fields. 17 mm, 5.68 g, 17 mm, 12h. BMC Alexandria p. 99, 854, Milne 1235; Emmett 1169.11; Sear 3824; Dattari 2023; SNG Cop 336; RPC 5693 (39 pieces).
Here's a Nerva tet with serpent: NERVA (96-98 A.D.) EGYPT, Billon Tetradrachm 25mm 12.7 grams Obverse: Bust of Nerva right, KAIS SEB AVT NEPOVAS Reverse: Agathodaemon serpent coiled with head right, holding cadeucus and grain ears between coils, wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt LA in exergue Reference: MILNE 542, Dattari 638 (rare)
