Hello ladies and gentlemen, My package from the Saturday auction arrived today from a different country, after being sent on Tuesday - well done, FedEx. (of course, things are back to normal for another package, sent on Monday from Germany, usually they arrive on Friday morning, but now FedEx decided to send it from Munchen to Paris and back to Dietzenbach - Germany ) Now in regards to my package today, I received 4 coins. All OK, decent quality, decent prices, the one I was expecting impatiently was the Maximinus Thrax from Tarsus with the Three Graces (impressive in hand, biggest in my collection - 37 mm and 26 grams)... but I didn't forget about this one (Silver, 6.60g 21mm) CAPPADOCIA, Caesarea. Trajan. 98-117 AD. AR Didrachm 112-114 AD. AYTOKΡ KAIC NEΡ TΡAIANO CEB ΓEΡM ΔAK, laureate and draped bust of Trajan, r., seen from rear, globe beneath / ΔHMAΡX EX YΠATO ς, female bust (Artemis ?) in chiton, holding spear in r. hand and patera in l. RPC III, 3006; S 196a, Metcalf Hoard 335–351 and Pl. 18–19, Metcalf Conspectus 64e, Ganschow 131d I think the auction house made a mistake in the initial attribution - Sydenham 196; Metcalf 64c. I checked and my coin appears to have the globe under the bust (64c doesn't). Not a big mistake, but I try to be as accurate as possible when attributing my coins. For my tastes, a good coin. Ticks some nice boxes - a Trajan coin, especially with a good portrait - a reverse I did not have in the collection - a new denomination - didrachm. Always liked Caesarea coins for their portraits, accurate and if it weren't for the Greek legends, one could swear these are Imperial coins from Rome. Interested to hear your theories about the reverse character, as it appears Artemis is not 100% certain. Please post Trajan coins, coins with uncertain characters, didrachms, Caesarea coins or anything you feel relevant.
I like that coin! What interesting reverse iconography. If the goddess is truly holding a spear and patera, it would be Juno/Hera.
Ozie, Nice score ! Pictured below is my favorite Trajan provincial . PHOENICIA, Tyre. Trajan, AD 98-117 (dated year 18, AD 113-114). AR Tetradrachm: 14.18 gm, 26 mm, 6 h. Obverse: Bust of Trajan on eagle, club in left field. Reverse bust of Heracles. McAlee 463; Prieur 1518.
Good one, a Trajan with Melkart is on my radar too. But I kept seeing either coins in bad condition, or too good (and therefore .... too expensive). A Caesarea didrachm was also on my radar and I was quite happy to get a decent example with a decent price.