Recently picked up this coin and would love some help or confirmation on my take on ID. Caesarea in Cappadocia Elagabalus, dated year 5 = 222 AD (last year of his reign) Obverse: AY K M AYPHΛI ANTωNEIN, Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Countermark on right shoulder of bust, male head in circle, possibly helios Howgego 12. Reverse: MHTΡOΠ KAICAΡI, agalma of Mt. Argaeus upon altar inscribed with date: ЄT Є (RY 5 = 222 AD) References: Sydenham 527e-f var (obv. legend); BMC 287 var (date) Size: 27mm, 11g Most of my belief that it is Elagabalus is based on this similar coin: http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=284&pid=14106#top_display_media And on the simplistic style of the altar on the reverse... here is one from Severus Alexander year 1 (222 AD), so pretty much months apart, which has the same style of altar: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2995144 So for timing of of the years here, correct me if I'm wrong, that the Roman "year" started on September 1 and not our January 1. So Elagabalus RYear 1 = May 218 - Aug 218 RYear 2 = Sept 218 thru Aug 219 RY 3 = Sept 219 thru Aug 220 RY 4 = Sept 220 thru Aug 221 RY 5 = Sept 221 thru March 222 when he was killed. And the SA coin example above for RY 1 = March 222 thru Aug 222 ? Have I got this right? (BTW, it was listed as Aurelian and came with an old collector's envelope with Aurelian written on it...)
me too:. Cappadocia Caesarea SEVERUS ALEXANDER AE coin. Minted between 222&235 A.D. It measures 24 MM and weighs 10.06 Grams (only attribution that came with it-seller did not know it was an Argeus reverse) not sure about this o one either, bought it for the reverse patina showing off an active lava flow... This one seems to also have a countermark like yours Justin Lee.
Nice bronze, Justin. Lucius Verus (161 - 169 A.D.) Caesarea, Cappadocia AR Didrachm O: AYTOKR OYHPOC CEBACTOC Bare-headed and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. R: YPA TOS B ,Mt. Argaeus surmounted by Helios standing left. Struck 161-166 A.D. (as COS II) Caesarea, Cappadocia Mint 6.3g 20mm Metcalf, Caesarea 131d; Sydenham, Caesarea Hadrian (117-138 A.D.) AR Didrachm CAPPADOCIA, Caesarea O: ADPIANOC CEBACTOC, laureate head right. R: YPATOC G.PATHPPA, Helios standing on Mount Argaeus, holding globe and sceptre. 20mm 6.35g Sydenham, Caesarea 263; Metcalf, Caesarea 92a Commodus (177 - 192 A.D.) AR Didrachm Caesaria, Cappadocia O: AYT M AYP KOMO ANTωNI, laureate head right. R: YΠATOC ∆ ΠAT ΠA-TPI, Mt. Argaeus surmounted by star. Cos IV, struck 183-185 AD. 21mm 3.96g Metcalf 155f; Sydenham 372a
Nice! Looks like date ЄT Z to me... I don't have the Greek alphabet memorized so maybe someone will post before I can look it up.
Enough shows of the OP coin to rule out all but Caracalla and Elagabalus. Caracalla year E was figured on his father's reign so he would have been much younger than shown here. All the Severans used the type. Mine is Septimius year 2. There is no such thing as the 'Roman year'. Various rulers used different systems and you have to look up which was used by which ruler and city. Some rulers changed their systems in the middle of the reign; some counted from the reign of a predecessor; some cities like Alexandria had their own system that was not like the one used elsewhere. I do not know the exact dates for Elagabalus year five. If I recall correctly Severus Alexander as Caesar has coins from Alexandria dated to year 5 of Elagabalus but started over and has coins of his own year 5 when he was Augustus and looked older. You can decide how important it is to you to have a date translation into the current system (Gregorian, Julian, AH, others?). I prefer to learn what I can about the coin and what year 5 meant to them then but don't lose to much sleep on translations. How far do you go correcting for changes in the way leap years were handled?
hmm...i would have guessed it was Severus but i can also see it maybe being Elagalabus..yours also has a counterstamp mark similar to mine..but writings all Greek to me Severus Alexander, Cappadocia bronzes
I recently got my first type like this, for Severus Alexander, with a blurry countermark. My attribution is uncertain. Severus Alexander Æ 26 Caesarea, Cappadocia Year 1 (222-223 A.D.) AYKMAYΡH CƐOY AΛ[ƐX] ANΔ[ΡO?] laureate and draped bust right / MHT[ΡOΠ] KAICAΡIA, Mount Argaeus on altar w. ƐTA. RPCO 6736 (sim.) Countermark: Helios head right (5 mm). Howgego 12i (?). (12.81 grams / 26 mm)
Yea, Mike, I would've guessed it would be pretty much the same as the SA I referenced at the end of my OP. Great coin!
