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<p>[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 3118118, member: 19463"]It isn't quite that simple. At the risk of being overly educational and definitely being too lazy to look it up (you can do that): Alexandria started their new year on one o the last days of August depending on whether a year was a leap year or not. When a new ruler was crowned, he struck year one coins until new years day (August 30, lets say) and then started with year two. If he became emperor in August, year one would be very short. If he started in September, it would be almost a whole year. Similarly, the last year would be shortened according to when he died. Most junior rulers used the year dates of the senior ruler so, for example, Caracalla used dates matching his father Septimius Severus and continued counting when he was himself the senior. This means there are no LA coins of Caracalla since they did not start striking for him until year 5 (LE). Your LB coin was issued from late August to late August starting the year after his first part year ending in late August. You have to know when he became emperor in his mind to know when to start counting. For example, ther are no LA coins of Septimius Severus since Alexandria was under the control of Pescennius Niger until after the end of August 193 but when Septimius took the city, he was into his second year so the first coins are LB. Confusing? Yes. I never have found a list showing which years were leap years but that is only a day here and there. The proper date for your coin may be 294-5 if Diocletian started counting in August or 295-6 if he started in September or later. That is the part I'd have to research so that is the job I leave for you. Dating ancients is part of the fun. No?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 3118118, member: 19463"]It isn't quite that simple. At the risk of being overly educational and definitely being too lazy to look it up (you can do that): Alexandria started their new year on one o the last days of August depending on whether a year was a leap year or not. When a new ruler was crowned, he struck year one coins until new years day (August 30, lets say) and then started with year two. If he became emperor in August, year one would be very short. If he started in September, it would be almost a whole year. Similarly, the last year would be shortened according to when he died. Most junior rulers used the year dates of the senior ruler so, for example, Caracalla used dates matching his father Septimius Severus and continued counting when he was himself the senior. This means there are no LA coins of Caracalla since they did not start striking for him until year 5 (LE). Your LB coin was issued from late August to late August starting the year after his first part year ending in late August. You have to know when he became emperor in his mind to know when to start counting. For example, ther are no LA coins of Septimius Severus since Alexandria was under the control of Pescennius Niger until after the end of August 193 but when Septimius took the city, he was into his second year so the first coins are LB. Confusing? Yes. I never have found a list showing which years were leap years but that is only a day here and there. The proper date for your coin may be 294-5 if Diocletian started counting in August or 295-6 if he started in September or later. That is the part I'd have to research so that is the job I leave for you. Dating ancients is part of the fun. No?[/QUOTE]
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