I must be going a bit insane, posting coins following Jochen's spectacular Marcianopolis examples, but here goes: Macrinus, with Diadumenian as Caesar. AD 217-218. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ Pentassarion (29mm, 12.98 gm, 6h). Pontianus, legatus consularis. Obv: Confronted heads of Macrinus facing right, laureate, and Diadumenian facing left, bare headed. Rev: Artemis advancing right, holding bow and drawing arrow from quiver; at side, hound springing right; reversed E (mark of value) to left. AMNG__: Varbanov__; H&J 6.29.13.2. Diadumenian, Caesar. 217-218 AD. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ (17mm, 3.46 gm, 12h). Obv: K M OΠEΛΛI ANTWNEINOC, bare head, draped (&cuirassed?) bust right. Rev: MAΡKIANOΠOΛITWN, cista with serpent. Pick, AMNG 805 (var- draped here); SNG Copenhagen 229. VF/ EF. Worn obverse die. Cista, shown also in a reflective position so as to see the details. Philip II. As Caesar, AD 244-247. Æ Pentassarion. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ (27mm, 13.79 gm, 2h). Prastinus Messalinus, legatus consularis. Obv: Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip II right, facing draped bust of Sarapis left, wearing calathus. Rev: Hermes leaning to left, with right foot on ram’s head, looking right, drapery on knee; and tortoise, left below, incorrectly described as an overturned jug by Varbanov, and others, with E (mark of value) and caduceus leaning on a tree stump to right. H&J 6.44.10.3 (R5); Varbanov 2107 (R5); AMNG I, 1209. Worn obverse die and weakly struck at the top of the reverse. Scarce and artistic type. The identification as a tortoise and not an overturned jug is quite clear, not only from the sharpness of this image, but mythology tells us that Hermes created the first lyre by using a string tied over a tortoise shell. Philip I, with Otacilia Severa. 244-249 AD. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ Pentassarion (27mm, 13.60 g, 12h). Prastina Messallinus, consular legate. Struck 244-247 AD. Obv: Confronted busts of Philip right, laureate, draped, and cuirassed and Otacilia left, diademed and draped. Rev: Tyche standing facing, head left, holding rudder and cornucopia; E (mark of value) to left. H&J, Markianopolis 6.41.38.1; Varbanov 2086. Philip II, as Caesar. 244-247 AD. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ Pentassarion (27mm, 12.69 gm, 1h). Obv: Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip facing r., facing draped bust of Serapis facing l., wearing kalathos. Rev: Homonoia standing facing, head l., holding cornucopia and patera. Varbanov 2097.
Perhaps a moderator can delete the double images above. Meanwhile, a sweet Tranquillina with a scarce gamma denomination: Tranquillina. Augusta, 241-244 AD. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Æ Triassarion (25mm, 9.46 gm, 12h). Obv: Diademed and draped bust right. Rev: Artemis advancing right, drawing arrow from quiver at shoulder and holding bow; at side, hound running right; Γ (mark of value) to left. H&J, Marcianopolis 6.39.13.1 corr. (obv. legend); Varbanov 2065; Moushmov 842.
Hello Jochen: I have one from the same reverse die. And it has the same object (Serpent? Animal tail?) emanating from the top right "ball of wool." Any idea of what that is?
Dear PeteB! Nice coins. Especially the rev. of Philip I&Otacilia is wonderful, with clear details. This type is very rare. I have only a corroded one. But here is the same type for Philipp II: Moesia inferior, Markianopolis, 44. Philip II & Serapis, Caesar AD 244-247 AE 27, 13.94g, 26.96mm, 30° struck under governor Prastina Messalinus obv. M I[OVLIOC] FILIPPOC KAI / CAR AVG Confronted busts of Philip II, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, bare-headed, r., and Serapis, draped and wearing kalathos, l. rev. VP PRACT MECCALLEI[NOV MARK]IANOPOLEITWN (WN ligate) Hermes, nude, stg. crooked l., looking facing, r. foot set on ram's head, l. arm with chlamys resting on r. knee; between his feet turtle on ground, behind him tree stump with kerykeion before in r. field E (for pentassarion) ref. a) AMNG I/1, 1209, pl.XVI, 25, rev. same die (2 ex., Philippopel, Sophia Tacchella revue num. 1893, 73, 23) b) Varbanov (engl.) 2107 c) Hristova/Jekov (2014) No. 6.44.10.3 rare, about VF, slightly rough Pedigree: ex coll J.P.Righetti, No.10008 About the use of AVG in the younger Philip compare Mommsen 'Römisches Staatsrecht 2, 1164, note 5. (Pick) The rev. shows the statue of the Sandal Binder of Lysipp. Sometimes called 'Jason' or 'Cincinnatus' in error. It was found in Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli in 1769. Now it is in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek in Copenhagen. It is a Roman version of a Greek bronze original of the 3rd century BC, probably by Lysipp. The correct interpretation as Hermes based on the description in the Ekphrasis of Christodoros of Koptos. Recently von Mosch has published a work where he could explain that this statue shows Hermes rather loosening his sandals than fastening them. https://www.gmcoinart.de/upload/JNG_63_von_Mosch_1121.pdf (German) Best regards
Dear PeteB! I don't know what it should be. For a snake the head is missing I think. If it is a heap of 4 balls of wool than it fits a thread of wool. Jochen
Caracalla & Julia Domna, AD 198-217 AE 27, 13.37g, 26.98mm, 30° struck under governor Quintilianus obv. ANTWNINOC AVGOVCTOC IOVLIA DOMNA confronted head of Caracalla, laureate, r., and bust of Julia Domna, draped, l. rev. VP KVNTILINA - O - V MARKIANOPOL / ITWN Emperor, wearing military cloak, laureate, stg. r., holding reversed spear in raised r. head and parazonum in l. arm, l. foot on neck of captive with pointed cap, kneeling r., looking l. in l. field E (for pentassarion) ref. a) not in AMNG: rev. AMNG I/1, 682 var. (different legend break) obv. AMNG I/1, 683 b) Varbanov (engl.) 1027 c) Hristova/Jekov (2013) 6.19.34.8 (same rev. die) very rare, about VF/about EF, nice dark green patina Best regards
Elagabal, AD 218-222 AE 28, 10.69g, 28.04mm, 210° struck under governor Julius Antonius Seleucus obv. AVT.K.M.AVRHLIOC - ANTWNEINOC Bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r. rev. VP.IOVL.ANT CEL - EVKOV MARKIANOPO in ex. LITWN (small letters) Youthful Apollo Iatros, unbearded, nude, chlamys over l. shoulder, stg. frontal, head turned l., resting on snake-staff set in r. armpit ref. a) AMNG I/1, 832, pl. XVII, 4 (3 ex., Löbbecke, Rollin, probably Wiczsay too) b) Varbanov (engl.) 1559 c) Hristova/Jekov (2013) No. 6.26.7.3 (plate coin) rare, F+/about VF, bluegreen Patina Pick calls the rev. figure Asklepios and so does Varbanov. But the fact that he is nude proves that it is obviously Apollo as Apollo Iatros (Apollo Medicus).
Philip I & Otacilia Severa, AD 244-249 AE 27, 12.83g, 26.79mm, 225° struck under governor Prastina Messallinus obv. AVT M IOVL FILIPPOC AVG M WTAK / CEBHRAC (AVG and WT ligate) confronted busts of Philip I, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, r., and Otacilia Severa, draped and wearing stephane, l. rev. VP PRACT MECCALL - EIN - OV MARKIANOPO in r. field one below the other L / I / T / WN (PR, WN ligate) Tyche, in long garment, wearing kalathos, stg. frontal, head l., holding cornucopiae in l. arm and rudder in re hand in upper l. field E (for pentassarion) ref. a) AMNG I/1, 1205 var. (has different breaks and in l. field one below the other O/L/I/TW/N) b) Varbanov (engl.) 2086 var. (cites AMNG 1205 but is from same dies as the coin in Hristova/Jekov!) c) Hristova/Jekov (2014) No.6.41.38.2 (plate coin) very rare, EF, minor pitting, flan crack at 11 o'clock The depiction of obv. and rev. is so beautiful that the detractions can be neglected!