Hodgepodge

A bunch of disparate coins going into my store this week, but they're just too lovely and interesting not to share now.

For starters, a strong, sharp tetradrachm of Syria, Philip I. These issues, inscribed ΥΠΑΤΟ ∆ are the only evidence that Philip was awarded a fourth consulate - no Western issues are known with more than three consulates. Prieur assigns them to his last year of rule, AD 249. In 248, Philip sent Trajan Decius to quash the revolts of Pacatianus in Moesia and Iotapianus in Syria. Decius’ legionaries subsequently proclaimed him emperor, whereby he marched to Verona and defeated Philip.



Philip I, AD 244-249.
Billon tetradrachm, 26mm, 11.8g, 7h; Antioch mint, AD 249.
Obv.: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΙΟΥΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥC CΕΒ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, from behind.
Rev.: ∆ΗΜΑΡC ΕΞΟΥCΙΑC ΥΠΑ ΤΟ ∆, eagle standing right, wings open, head right, wreath in beak,
ANTIOXIA / S - C in exergue.
Reference: Prieur 445, p. 65.

More to come as I get them organized - post anything you please.

 

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Nice one! Cant wait for the others

 

Yours is nicer than mine unless you like your birds left. They also come bird facing, for Philip II and for Otacilia. Do you have a MON VRBS mintmarked one?

 

I do not, but I believe Carthago does - perhaps he'll post it. (For the uninitiated, the coins with ANTIOXIA in exergue are minted in Antioch. The coins with MON VRBS in exergue were minted in Rome, for distribution in Syria.)

 

Nice, I like it alot.


Philip I (244 - 249 A.D.)
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch
Billon Tetradrachm
O: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΙΟΥΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC CΕΒ, Radiate and cuirassed bust left seen from the front.
R: ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞΟΥCΙΑC ΥΠΑΤΟ Γ, Eagle standing right, wings spread, head right, wreath in beak.
ANTIOXIA/S C in two lines below.
Antioch Mint, Stuck Year 3 246/247 A.D.
11.7g
26mm
Prieur 359

 

Rabbath-Moba was built on the site of the Biblical town Ir-Moab. It was located East of the Dead Sea, and inhabited during Roman times by the Nabataeans.

Today's entry in the category of Far-Less-Than-Run-Of-The-Mill-Provincials is this medium-sized bronze of Septimius Severus, Ares standing reverse. (Rabbath-Moba would later be known as Areopolis, and today, er-Rabba, Jordan. It has not been excavated - who knows what interesting things it might someday reveal about the intersection of ancient Roman and Arabian cultures!)

At any rate, there was a brief run of Roman Provincial coinage at Rabbath-Moba during the Severan Dynasty: Severus, Domna, Caracalla, Geta, Elagabalus. All the coins are really tough to find in any condition at all. This one grades F, but it's an excellent example of a rare issue...



Septimius Severus, AD 193-211
AE28, 13.4g, 6h; Rabbath-Moba mint, CY 105 = AD 210/11.
Obv.: AVT K L CEOVHΡOC; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus right, seen from behind.
Rev.: ΡABBAΘMΩBΩN ΘEOC AΡHC; Ares standing facing on high base with pilasters, between two flaming altars, holding dagger and shield with spear.Date P-E across fields.
Reference: Spijkerman 5.

 

Wait, you have a store? What? Where?

Very nice Tet btw.

 

Now I don't throw around the phrase FDC very often, but how else would you describe this coin? A hemidrachm of Tabaristan, perfect strike, perfect style, excellent flan, perfect surfaces, perfect preservation. A stunning example of early Islamic coinage imitating Sassanian types. (Tabaristan was one of the last holdouts against the Muslim Conquest.) You need sunglasses to look at this coin for its brilliance.



Abassid Governors of Tabaristan, Sa'id b. Da'laj
AR Hemidrachm, 24mm, 2g; Year 125 (AD 742).
Obv.; Sassanian style bust imitating Khosrau II right; Arabic marginal legend: name written in Arabic (kufic); phrases "GDH" and "Apzut" behind the crown, corrupted form of phrase "arun" at 7 oclock.
Rev.: Fire altar flanked by attendants; date and mint.
Reference: H.M. Malek, "The Dabuyid Ispahbads of Tabaristan," AJN 5-6 (1993-4), 42.

 

One last coin for the night, but not much info on it. Hemidrachm of Persis, Manuchtir II, 2nd century AD. Really nice Persian bust on a less common denomination...



Lots of Eastern stuff this week. I didn't plan it that way, just sort of happened.

 

Nice coins so far but I especially like this one, mainly since it is a very nice early Islamic issue, which I'm into.

 

Perfect.

 

There are a lot of these Tabaristan hemidrachms on the market right now but few are as well struck as this one. The thin flans tend to lose detail in one of the reverse figures but many sellers still call them mint state because they have no wear. Mine is typically poorly struck with complete flatness on the right side reverse figure. The poor ones are still attractive coins but you should pay for what you get.

 

Sorry, not me.

 

cool new coin JA, that provincial is neat, wasn't familiar with that place at all.

my tabaristan is rougher yet, but not bad really.

 

Here's one of those tiny mussels of Gryneion, 11mm, and a really nice one, but a little crusty...

 

So I was out shopping for RR denarii the other day, and came across this one of L. Calpurnius Piso L.f. Frugi, Horseman galloping right type. This is a very common type, which can be had in much higher grades, but this a variety that seemed quite scarce to me (if I'm wrong, please let me know).

This one has tongs on the reverse - I only found three on acsearch here, and only one of those has the grasshopper/C obverse. At any rate, I think it's quite unusual to find minting implements on coins so I had to snag it.

 

Leaping griffin prancing horse - a distinctive type from Alaesa, Sicily.

 

Let's not forget about Apollodotus! Here's an ae drachm with elephant and zebu - one of the best I've seen in terms of strike and surfaces. A chipped flan, but hey, if you can't appreciate the beauty of this coin despite the chips, you shouldn't be collecting ancient coins...

 

Man griffin and horse / elephant and bull! Winners!

 

Wow!! => those are awesome, awesome new examples JA (congrats)

=> I have most of 'em (I love the mussel => great coin-type)