Dear friends of ancient Coins! There are a number of coins in my collection which I have not yet been able to identify satisfactorily. Until recently, these included the following coin, which is the subject of this article. Through my research I found out that altogether only 4 specimens have been published, which means that this coin is not common. The coin: I had already purchased it from Ancient Imports in 2008 with the description that it was from Tarsos and showed Ariadne in a biga. Probably Ancient Imports had confused it with the following coin: Tarsos, Maximinus I, SNG Levante 1104 var. This misdescription, however, was the actual reason for my purchase, as it was a rare mythological subject. Afterwards, however, it turned out that this description was wrong. Curtis Clay enlightened me that this coin was indeed from Maionia and that it was about Dionysos. Nevertheless, it was a special coin and when it was presented in the American forum I wrote enthusiastically: Such a coin is like a beautiful lady clothed in veiling garment where you nevertheless can imagine her shape and beauty underneath! And Pat Lawrence had replied: Jochen! Coins keep us alive, coins keep us young; even me (you are younger in years). You talk about your coin (and so would I) as if you were 25...The Empire lives in its coins, and the best Lydian ones combining a living style with delightful subject matter. Centaurs, indeed! That Maionia coin is one I'd already noticed in the literature. It is glorious. Now I have traced the history of this coin. It was first mentioned in 1835 (1) The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. 4, July to December, 1835, p.132, XXXII. "Rare and unpublished coins of Roman Emperors, Caesars, and Empresses, struck in Greek cities. - Letter III." https://archive.org/details/sim_gentlemans-magazine_1835-08_4/page/n25/mode/2up?view=theater The image is a drawing signed "H. A. Cgg. Dei." J.Y.Akerman already emphasises the beauty of the execution! It is said that this coin is in the British Museum. Then it could be identical with specimens (2) and (3)! Misdescriptions: (1) The Av. legend is misrepresented. Correct would be AV.KAI.Λ.CEΠ CEVHPOC ΠEPTIN. (2) The description says that each centaur holds a torch and a club. However, there are only 3 objects on the coin! Notes: (1) The Gentleman's Magazine was a London-based periodical first published in 1731 and published regularly monthly until 1907. It covered a wide range of topics from various sources and was the first to use the title Magazine (Wikipedia). (2) John Yonge Akerman (1806-1873) was Secretary of the Numismatic Society, F.S.A. The second mention of this coin was in 1845: (2) Numismatic Chronicle Vol. 8, April, 1845 - January, 1846. "Unedited Autonomous and Imperial Greek Coins" (Tenth Notice), by H. P. Borrell, Esq. [Read before the Numismatic Society, April 24th, 1845] p. 9, No. 4 Smyrna, 1 October 1843: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42682337 Here, too, the elegant design is emphasised. Unfortunately there is no illustration. But "Bank of England" and "from my cabinet" can only mean that Borell no longer had the coin in his possession at that time. Since the British Museum had already acquired his collection in 1833, it can be the coin from the Gentleman's Magazine of 1935. The only thing that remains unclear then is why he does not write this here! Misdescriptions: (1) In fact, however, Dionysus is not wearing an ivy wreath here. (2) Here it is said that one centaur carries a club in each hand, the other only a torch. In fact, however, 2 torches and a mace can be seen on the coin. Notes: (1) Henry Perigal Borrell (1795-1851): Collector of coins, especially from Asia Minor, and classical inscriptions. He lived in the Levant for over 30 years and established his collection in Smyrna. He was keeper of the Greek Order of the "Saviour" and a corresponding member of the Archaeological Institutes of Rome and Berlin. The British Museum acquired his collection (HPB) in 1833. (2) All issues of the Numismatic Chronicle (NC) can thankfully be downloaded for free at jstor.org. (3) Barclay Head, Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Lydia (BMC Lydia), London 1901, pp. 133, 43. Picture: Lydia pl. XIV (unfortunately only the reverse side!) https://www.academia.edu/30287052/Head_Barclay_Vincent_Lydia_MAP_and_PLATES_1_50_London_1902 Text: p. 133 https://www.academia.edu/37327131/Head_Barclay_Vincent_Lydia_TEXT These links lead to the reference BMC Lydia, 43, which is now considered the generally valid one. Since this coin is identified with Borrell, there is a presumption that coins (1), (2) and (3) are always the same specimen. If so, only 4 specimens would be known to date! Misdescriptions: (1) Head writes: "carrying flaming torches." Yet the centaur in front is clearly holding a club in his arm! (2) But instead the thyrsos is mentioned here for the first time! Notes: (1) Barclay Vincent Head (1844-1914) was a British numismatist. From 1864 he worked as an assistant in the "Department of Coins" of the British Museum. In 1871 he became senior assistant and from 1893-1906 he was the director of the department. Between 1874-1914, he and his colleagues published 27 volumes of the British Museum's catalogue of Greek coins, the "Catalog of Greek Coins", which is still one of the standard numismatic works today. His work "Historia Numorum", first published in 1887, still forms the basis of every scientific study of Greek numismatics. (4) Lanz Numismatics Munich, Auction 32, 29.4.1985, Lot 633 This coin has been in the Art Gallery of Yale University since 2009, from which the following provenance also originates: Marcel Burstein, Reno, Nev. by 1985. Lanz Auction 32, Lot 633, Munich, 29.4.1985 Frank L. Kovacs, San Mateo, Calif., 1985-2000 Ben Lee Damsky, 2000-2009 Yale University Art Gallery, since 2009 Misdescriptions: (1) TAAB in the Av. legend. A mistake that still caused me big problems! (2) "Centaurs with torches", mace not mentioned! This coin is also illustrated in the Art Gallery of Yale University under No. 2009.110.80, but without description. Dane Kurth has adopted it in her work "Greek and Roman Provincial Coins - Lydia (GRPC Lydia), 2020", unfortunately with the wrong description of Lanz with the torches and a wrong Av. legend "A TO B". According to information in the Ancient Coins forum of 24 May 2022, it corrected this error in a supplement which I do not have. (Will be continued)
Maionia, BMC 43, a coin search (part 2) The last coin comes from the Leypold Collection. (5) SNG Austria, Leypold Collection, Asia Minor Coins of the Imperial Period, Volume I, 2000. Leypold I, 1072 Misdescriptions: (1) CEOVHPOC instead of CEVHPOC. (2) "Kybele in Centaurenbiga r." (According to Dane Kurth, this has been corrected in Lexypold II!). Notes: (1) Primarius Dr Franz Leypold (1911-2005): Austrian numismatist, known for his research on the Maria Theresa thaler. In addition, he had amassed an important collection of small Asian coins, which is now in the Austrian National Bank. The TAAB in the rev. legend: The TAAB in the rev. legend has been uncritically adopted by many. This was actually the current occasion for my research. The magistrates of Maionia (lat. Maeonia) bore the title Archon (also Archont). This was added to the rev. legends in the genitive case as APXONTOC or APXONTOC A (= 1st archon), because there were several, but the 1st archon was at the top of the hierarchy. If he was elected for the second time, the legend was called A TO B (= Archon for the second time) or even A T Γ (= Archon for the third time). But this did not explain the TAAB. Only Tom Mulally and then Prof. Leschhorn enlightened me that it should not be called TAAB, but ΓA AB, where ΓA is a name component, so the archon was called Iulianus Ga. Leschhorn's "Lexikon der Aufschriften auf griechischen Münzen" even lists a legend ΓAB (Hirsch 249, 2007, 2011), which suggests that the archont was called Iulianus Gab. Now, at last, the mystery was solved! (6) Coin of the Hoeft Collection Finally, my own coin with the most complete description so far: Lydia, Maionia, Septimius Severus, AD 193-211. AE 36, 21.58g, 35.7mm, 180°. struck under Iulianus Gab., 2nd time 1st archon Av.: AV.KAI.Λ CE - Π CEVHP[O]C ΠEP - TIN Bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r. Rv.: [EΠI IOVΛIAN - OV] - ΓA. - A.B.APX[ONTOC] In section [M]AIONΩN. Dionysos, with topknot at nape of neck, in long dress, holding thyrsos with ribboned pine cone at upper end in left arm, resting right elbow on the backrest, leaning right in a two-wheeled car richly adorned with figures (maenads?), pulled by two centaurs; the one in front holds a club in his right arm and looks back to Dionysos to the left, the one behind holds a torch in his right arm and a second one in his raised left. Ref: (1) The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. IV, 1835, p.132. (2) Henry Perigal Borrell 4, in NC 1845-46. (3) BMC Lydia, p. 133, 43corr. (4) Lanz Numismatics, auction 32, 29.4.1985, 663corr. (5) Leypold I, 1072 (as Cybele!, corrected in Leypold II!). (6) Dane Kurth, Greek and Roman Provincial Coins - Lydia (GRPC Lydia), 2020 119 corr. Note: I have decided not to use the term "biga" here, but to replace it with "two-wheeled cart". A biga, after all, is a fighting cart in which the fighter does not sit but stands. It is not clear to me why this is not noted in the description of the coin! Details: And finally, I would like to draw attention to some details that have not been mentioned in the description of the coin so far, but which are important in assessing the beauty of its execution, of which Akerman already spoke in 1835. (1) No one has noticed until now that the front centaur has turned his head to the left and is looking back at Dionysos: Note the finely worked sculptural profile! (2) The description of the upper end of the thyrsos was also missing until now. Clearly visible behind the head of Dionysos is the pine cone with the 2 ribbons. 2) The female figure (maenad?) with which the chariot is decorated has not been mentioned anywhere so far. On the coin from the BM you can even see 2 figures. Signs of a treatment? On all other specimens this is a part of the backrest. Art History: The triumph of Bacchus, his triumphal return from cultically subjugated Asia, and his marriage to the Cretan king's daughter Ariadne was often summarised in a single artistic-mythological motif. The following picture is by Annibale Caracci (1560 -1609) and is a section of the ceiling fresco in the Galleria of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome (1597-1600): In this fresco, the chariot of Dionysus is drawn by 2 tigers, a symbol of his dominion over wild nature. This is also true of the centaurs on the coin, who still have their club but have been tamed by Dionysus. Literature: (1) The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. IV, 1835, p.132, (2) Barclay V. Head, Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Lydia, 1901 (pdf online) (3) Numismatik Lanz Munich, Auction 32, Coins of Antiquity, 29.4.1985 (4) Yale University Art Gallery (online) (5) Dane Kurth, DGRC Lydia, 2020 (6) Collection Hans-Joachim Hoeft, Forum Ancient Coins (7) Münsterberg, The Greek Official Names (on-line by Ed Snible) (8) Wolfgang Leschhorn, Lexicon of Inscriptions on Greek Coins, 2009 (9) The Little Pauly (10) wildwinds.com (11) Wikisource Best regards Jochen
