Rhodos is very well known for all it's beautiful big silver, but big bronze coins are not that known. The only two big bronze issues on Rhodos are 1. The very late issues after 48 BC, when Rhodos was only allowed by the Romans to issue bronze quasi-autonomous coins. But 2. Rhodos also issued big bronze coins during the attack on Rhodos of the Pontic king Mithridates VI in 88 B.C. This siege lasted six months and on the end it turned to be win for the Rhodians. The big bronze coin was made because Rhodos was unable to produce enough silver for military expenditures, therefore the Rhodians resorted to a fiduciary bronze coinage. Rhodos, Caria. AE bronze coin (88 B.C.) Obverse: Radiate head of Helios right. Reverse: Ρ - Ο Rose; in field to left, akrostolion; to right, palm branch. Reference: BMC 317 Size: 27mm; 13.69g This issue in good state often goes for a few hunderd dollars, mine is not in that good state but still has nice details on the reverse but I only paid a few tens of dollars. All in all very happy to have such a nice historical coin. For the people who want to know more about the siege: The attack on Rhodes probably came after Mithridates had sent his main fleet to attack Greece. As a result the attack on Rhodes was to be made in two waves, with warships in the first wave carrying part of the army and transport ships in the second with the main force. The Rhodian Navy made a limited attempt to block the first wave, before withdrawing from the battle. The Rhodians then withdrew into their harbour, and while Mithridates waited for the rest of his army to arrive their fleet inflicted two minor defeats on his ships. When the transports finally left Caunus they were scattered by a storm, allowing the Rhodians to inflict serious damage on Mithridates' army. Despite this Mithridates now had enough strength to attempt to carry out a night attack by land and sea, which ended in disaster. After that he decided to build a massive siege engine, in this case a flying bridge which was to be carried on two ships lashed together. This was to be raised against the wall using pulleys on the ship's masts to allow Mithridates's troops to storm the walls. This siege engine, nicknamed the sambuca (probably after a triangular four-stringed instrument favoured by Rhodian musicians), caused great concern in the city, but before it could be used against Rhodes, the sambuca collapsed under its own weight. Some of the credit was later given to the goddess Isis, whose temple was to be the site of the assault. After the collapse of his siege engine Mithridates retreated back to the mainland, to avoid being trapped on Rhodes by winter storms. I guess Mithridates didn't learn from Demetrios Poliorketes when building that big Sambuca Please share your (big) bronze coins of Rhodos!
I never knew about these before! Love it! From Rhodes, in my collection: Islands off Caria, Rhodes. AR Didrachm, 21mm, 6.6 g, 12h; c. 305-275 BC Obv.: Head of Helios facing slightly right. Rev.: Rose with bud to right; E and grape bunch to left. Rhodes, Caria 333 - 304 BC AE, 1.37g, 10mm; 1h Obv.: Diademed head of mymph Rhodos right Rev.: P-O to sides of rose, with bud/stem to both sides
Excellent write up (as always) @Pavlos! Wish I had one of those beautiful bronzes. As is I only have AR: CARIA. Rhodes Ar 338-304 BCE Obv: Diademed head of nymph Rhodos right. Rev: P - O. Rose with bud to right. BMC 74ff. Condition: Very fine. Weight: 1.32 g. Diameter: 10 mm.
There was a thread on the very largest bronze of Rhodes last year at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/rhodes-ae36.311054/ Here is the facing head variety. Thick enough that someone attempted to make a hole and gave up part-way through. Rhodes/Rhodos, Caria, 1st Century B.C., AE 19.7g, 35.5mm Obverse: radiate facing head of Helios Reverse: PO, rose, magistrate's name SFAIROS below, all within wreath In 164 BC, Rhodes became a permanent ally of Rome and it was sacked by Cassius in the 40s BC. I believe this was minted between those two events. Not sure how the chronology of the facing head type fits in with the right-facing type. During this period there was a giant bronze colossus just lying on the ground downtown! The 33 meter tall colossus had snapped at the knees during a 226 BC earthquake. The statue was so massive that after a Muslim army captured Rhodes in 653 AD it took 900 camels to haul the bronze away. I suspect that Rhodes' source of bronze for coinage was the less-interesting mangled chunks of the statue. Recycling was part of their culture; the colossus itself was made from weapons Demetrius Poliorcetes's army left behind. (I am unsure which ancient source documents this.) The colossus was 108 feet tall. Think of an 11 story building. About 1/3 as tall as the Statue of Liberty in New York. About the same height as the Las Vegas Statue of Liberty. A hollow 108' statue like the Colossus would have taken more than 900 camels to transport if it was complete. I am confident that the statue wasn't all there by the time it was sold for scrap. I believe some of the Rhodes bronze coins not only depict a Wonder of the Ancient World, but were made from the metal of that wonder.
Nice coin, and thanks for the excellent writeup. I picked up this one earlier this year, but had very little of that historical background information. CARIA, Rhodes. Rhodos AE29. 17.59g, 28.6mm. CARIA, Rhodos, Rhodes, circa 88-85 BC. HN Online 1274.2 (this coin, illustrated); HGC 6, 1467. O: Radiate head of Helios right. R: Rose in profile; winged thunderbolt to left, Isis crown to right. Ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 88 (28 April 2004), lot 57; Lakeview Collection
@Pavlos - thanks for the interesting write-up and coin! With your post and the added note from @Ed Snible, I will be on the watch for one of these. While I have no big bronze coins (or small bronze coins of Rhodes) I will share a coin from circa 88 BC. At this time in Rome, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, having brought to an end the first social war, was elected consul and prepared to lead his armies against Mithridates IV. Marius (about age 70) feeling under recognized for his contributions in the war with the socii, demanded that he lead the armies against Mithridates. This led Sulla to the unprecedented step of marching into Rome with his legions, degrading the authority of the senate. Sulla declared Marius and his followers enemies of the state, and they fled Rome for Africa. Sulla then proceeded with his original plan to head east and fight Mithridates IV of Pontus in the First Mithridatic War. He eventually signed a treaty with Mithridates: "...terms of agreement were made as follows: Mithridates was to renounce Asia and Paphlagonia, restore Bithynia to Nicomedes and Cappadocia to Ariobarzanes, pay down to the Romans two thousand talents, and give them seventy bronze-armoured ships with their proper equipment; Sulla, on his part, was to confirm Mithridates in the rest of his dominions, and get him voted an ally of the Romans." -Plutarch Life of Sulla 22 Caius Marcius Censorinus, 88 BC. AR Denarius Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right Rev: Horse galloping right; wheel and two stars above, palm branch in exergue Ref (edited): Sydenham 714; Marcia 19 The Marcia gens claimed to descend from ancient kings of Rome, Numa Pompilius and Ancus Marcius. C. Marcius Censorinus, was one of the leaders of the Marian party.
Great coins all, thank you for sharing! @zumbly Wauw yours is a lot fatter than mine, like 4 grams more, also great portrait of Helios. @Ed Snible That one is really interesting, definitely this coin is post 88 B.C. when looking at the style. Rhodos again changed their coinage after the siege by Mithridates (the so called post-plintophoric coinage) and the rose was visible on the reverse in top view rather than profile view. This changed again later on after 40s BC. Atleast the silver coins slowly started to cease between the 80's and 40's BC and clearly those big bronze coins were there to replace these silver coins. Thank you for sharing this interesting coin. Today the exact same type as my coin was sold at Nomos for 800 CHF, incredible, but I must say the condition is excellent. https://www.biddr.ch/auctions/nomos/browse?a=529&l=540950
