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Mark Antonys 'Fleet Coinage' - Some info around the system of denominations.
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<p>[QUOTE="Michael Stolt, post: 7364494, member: 100445"]Since I received my 'Fleet Coinage' dupondius' not long ago, I now have a set of all the larger denominations within the coinage (As, Dupondius, Tressis and Sestertius, mixed from both the light and the heavy series).</p><p><br /></p><p>I had some spare time today, so I made a little collage with the reverses of these coins to illustrate how the range of denominations were marked (the sestertius is quite worn on the reverse so the details are not the greatest sadly), what is interesting is the system used, with Latin legends, Greek numerals and different control marks. </p><p><br /></p><p>Apart from the coins represented here, the series was completed by two fractions, a semis and quadrans, marked S and with three dots (three unciae) respectively. </p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>As</b> has a single galley depicted on the reverse, one head of Medusa, and the Greek alpha (A or 1).</p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>Dupondius</b> has two galleys, two pilei of the Dioscuri, and the Greek beta (B or 2), as it's value is meant to be that of two Asses.</p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>Tressis</b> has three galleys, a triskeles, and a Greek gamma (Γ or 3) as it's value is supposed to represent three Asses.</p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>Sestertius</b> has a quadriga of hippocamps, an astragalos, and the Greek delta (Δ or 4) as it's value represents four Asses.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1283419[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I am also including the obverse of each coin in a little collage below. </p><p><br /></p><p>There seems to be some play going on with the values of the coins in some cases here as well. </p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>As</b> has jugate busts of Antony and Octavia. </p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>Dupondius</b> has two confronting busts of Antony and Octavia. </p><p><br /></p><p>The <b>Tressis</b> sports three busts on the obverse, jugate busts of Antony and Octavian facing a bust of Octavia.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for the <b>Sestertius</b>, there seems to be no obvious play with the number four on the obverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1283426[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>These unusual coins are examples of Mark Anthony's "fleet coinage," a series of bronzes in multiple, clearly marked denominations issued shortly after Antony's marriage alliance with Octavian, the nephew of Julius Caesar. The exact dates, the nature and purpose of the series have been the subject of much debate. David Sear places the commencement of the series in the summer of 38 BC at a still unidentified Eastern mint. The coins were struck in the names of Antony and three of his admirals--L. Sempronius Atratinus, M. Oppius Capito, and L. Calpurnius Bibulus, and falls into two distinct series, "heavy" and "light".</p><p><br /></p><p>Most of the coins depict overlapping, confronting or Janiform portraits of Antony and Octavia, his wife and Octavian's sister. A few also show Octavian, in a clearly subsidiary position. Reverses almost all feature nautical themes--galleys under full sail, or figures in chariots drawn by hippocamps. The admiral's names, themes, and the combination of Greek and Latin letters indicate the coins may have been used to pay sailors in Antony's fleet, and were intended for circulation in his Eastern realm.</p><p><br /></p><p>M. Oppius Capito (whose coins are represented here) was Antony’s senior naval officer, stationed at the main naval base at Piraeus. His coins are found distributed around central Greece, and were most likely struck at Piraeus. His coins are found in two series, a heavy and a light and it has been suggested that some were struck at Tarentum where part of Antony’s fleet was based during the joint action against Sextus Pompey in 37-36 BC.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coin references:</p><p><br /></p><p>RPC I 1470 - <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1470" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1470" rel="nofollow">https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1470</a></p><p><br /></p><p>RPC I 1469 - <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1469" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1469" rel="nofollow">https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1469</a></p><p><br /></p><p>RPC I 1463 - <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1463" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1463" rel="nofollow">https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1463</a></p><p><br /></p><p>RPC I 1462 - <a href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1462" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1462" rel="nofollow">https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1462</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Michael Stolt, post: 7364494, member: 100445"]Since I received my 'Fleet Coinage' dupondius' not long ago, I now have a set of all the larger denominations within the coinage (As, Dupondius, Tressis and Sestertius, mixed from both the light and the heavy series). I had some spare time today, so I made a little collage with the reverses of these coins to illustrate how the range of denominations were marked (the sestertius is quite worn on the reverse so the details are not the greatest sadly), what is interesting is the system used, with Latin legends, Greek numerals and different control marks. Apart from the coins represented here, the series was completed by two fractions, a semis and quadrans, marked S and with three dots (three unciae) respectively. The [B]As[/B] has a single galley depicted on the reverse, one head of Medusa, and the Greek alpha (A or 1). The [B]Dupondius[/B] has two galleys, two pilei of the Dioscuri, and the Greek beta (B or 2), as it's value is meant to be that of two Asses. The [B]Tressis[/B] has three galleys, a triskeles, and a Greek gamma (Γ or 3) as it's value is supposed to represent three Asses. The [B]Sestertius[/B] has a quadriga of hippocamps, an astragalos, and the Greek delta (Δ or 4) as it's value represents four Asses. [ATTACH=full]1283419[/ATTACH] I am also including the obverse of each coin in a little collage below. There seems to be some play going on with the values of the coins in some cases here as well. The [B]As[/B] has jugate busts of Antony and Octavia. The [B]Dupondius[/B] has two confronting busts of Antony and Octavia. The [B]Tressis[/B] sports three busts on the obverse, jugate busts of Antony and Octavian facing a bust of Octavia. As for the [B]Sestertius[/B], there seems to be no obvious play with the number four on the obverse. [ATTACH=full]1283426[/ATTACH] These unusual coins are examples of Mark Anthony's "fleet coinage," a series of bronzes in multiple, clearly marked denominations issued shortly after Antony's marriage alliance with Octavian, the nephew of Julius Caesar. The exact dates, the nature and purpose of the series have been the subject of much debate. David Sear places the commencement of the series in the summer of 38 BC at a still unidentified Eastern mint. The coins were struck in the names of Antony and three of his admirals--L. Sempronius Atratinus, M. Oppius Capito, and L. Calpurnius Bibulus, and falls into two distinct series, "heavy" and "light". Most of the coins depict overlapping, confronting or Janiform portraits of Antony and Octavia, his wife and Octavian's sister. A few also show Octavian, in a clearly subsidiary position. Reverses almost all feature nautical themes--galleys under full sail, or figures in chariots drawn by hippocamps. The admiral's names, themes, and the combination of Greek and Latin letters indicate the coins may have been used to pay sailors in Antony's fleet, and were intended for circulation in his Eastern realm. M. Oppius Capito (whose coins are represented here) was Antony’s senior naval officer, stationed at the main naval base at Piraeus. His coins are found distributed around central Greece, and were most likely struck at Piraeus. His coins are found in two series, a heavy and a light and it has been suggested that some were struck at Tarentum where part of Antony’s fleet was based during the joint action against Sextus Pompey in 37-36 BC. Coin references: RPC I 1470 - [URL]https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1470[/URL] RPC I 1469 - [URL]https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1469[/URL] RPC I 1463 - [URL]https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1463[/URL] RPC I 1462 - [URL]https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1462[/URL][/QUOTE]
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Mark Antonys 'Fleet Coinage' - Some info around the system of denominations.
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