Another interesting coin in my Off the Beaten Path series. This one has a neat double portrait and an architectural reverse (and I do love architectural types!). Plus, it's from our own @John Anthony's new Vcoins store! I couldn't resit it. Titus and Domitian as Caesars [Vespasian] Æ26, 8.34g Stobi (Macedonia) mint, undated Obv: T CAESAR IMP DOMITIANVS CAESAR; Laureate and draped bust of Titus, r., seen from rear, facing head of Domitian, l. Rev: MVNICIPI STOBENSIVM; Temple with four columns; inside, cult figure; globe on pediment RPC 311 (8 spec.). Acquired from JAZ Numismatics, March 2022. Stobi in Macedonia became a Roman municipium sometime during the First century, perhaps under Vespasian. It was an important, flourishing city in the region situated at the crucial junction of the Axios and Erigon rivers. The city's first coins were struck under Vespasian, which might lend credence to municipium status being granted at this time. This undated copper diassaria(?) features Latin legends and dual portraits of the two Flavian princes on the obverse and an unknown temple on the reverse. Titus Caesar is given prominence over Domitian with his draped bust and left placement. The unidentified temple on the reverse possibly depicts a well known structure located within the city, or may just simply be a standard symbolic ethnic design. The figure depicted inside the structure may be a cult statue of Zeus, possibly attributing the temple to that deity. Please post your Macedonian coins. Thanks for looking!
Very cool! I like dual portrait coins! Good for you both, @David Atherton and @John Anthony. I have only one coin from Stobi, one of Julia Domna with the usual Victoria-Nemesis reverse type. I bought this one from David Hendin at Amphora nearly 20 years ago: Julia Domna AD 193-217. Roman provincial Æ 25.4 mm, 9.3 g, 7 h. Macedon, Stobi, AD 196-211. Obv: IVLIA AVGVST, bare-headed and draped bust, r. Rev: MVNIC STOBE, Victory-Nemesis advancing left, holding wreath and palm; wheel before. Refs: Moushmov 6548; Josifvoski 264; Varbanov 3891; cf. BMC 5.104,8. I don't post this coin often because the reverse type isn't special -- it's one where @dougsmit would say Victory-Nemesis is "just standing there."
Nice pickup, I like the dual portraits of the young Caesars. Here’s my only provincial from Stobi: Septimius Severus, Macedon, Stobi, (AE, 25 mm, 9.31 g). IMP C · S · P · SEVERV Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus to right./ Rev. MVNICI STOBENS Victory advancing r., holding wreath and palm.; in r. field, pellet-in-crescent
I love that coin on several levels: the interesting devices, rarity, even strike, and a rugged but lovely patina. When I listed it I thought, "This is going to make some Flavian expert like David Atherton very happy." And then you bought it! It went to the right home.
Stobi was my very first Provincial - I didn't get another Provincial of any sort for about 20 years. It came for free from a dealer named Bill McDaniels who had the best ancients price list I ever found for budget collectors - great stuff, well-described (but no photos) at great prices. If he was out of what you ordered, he would often substitute something he thought you might like, and it was always just fine. I wasn't too keen on Roman Provincials for a long time because I thought them unattractive and far too difficult to figure out. Since then I have become an enthusiastic convert to the beauties of Provincials - they are still hard to figure out though! Caracalla Æ 22 Diassarion (c. 198-217 A.D.) Macedonia, Stobi M AVREL ANTONVS AV, laureate head right / MVNI STOB, Nike advancing left carrying wreath and palm. Moushmov 6553; AMNG 15v;Josifovski 421-422 (V42, R126); Varbanov (E) 3948 (8.20 grams / 22 mm) McDaniels Sep. 1995 Free Almost 24 years later I got my next Stobi, another Caracalla, same type but with different legends and Nike facing the other direction. Had to pay for this one, but not much: Caracalla Æ 22 Diassarion (c. 213-214 A.D.) Macedonia, Stobi PIVS AVGV ANTONINVS laureate head right / MVNIC STOBE, Nike advancing right carrying wreath and palm. Josifovski 383 (V83, R95) Varbanov - Kuzmanovic Collection 784 (6.24 grams / 22 mm) eBay June 2019 $4.80 Talk about a slow approach to building a collection!
MACEDON. Stobi. Julia Domna, Augusta, AD 193-217. Bronze Triassarion (22 mm, 7.8 g). Obv: AVGVS-TA IV[LIA] Draped bust of Julia Domna to right. Rev. MVNICI [STOBEN] Victory advancing to right, holding wreath and palm branch.
Nice AE @David Atherton ! I don’t have a Stobi, but I have a funky prow (yeah, it’s @John Anthony ’s fault) Macedon, Amphipolis AE Semis, 21mm, 9.0g, 12h; 187-31BC Obv.: Laureate head of Zeus right. Rev.: AMΦIΠO / ΛITΩN; prow right, S to left, monograms to right. Reference: cf. SNG Cop 69 / Rare Ex: @John Anthony COMMENT: This is minted by locals in Amphipolis during the Roman Republic control of Macedonia. Clearly inspired by RR bronze types, with the local variations of a very long-necked figurehead
Caracalla. 198-217 AD. MACEDON, Stobi. Æ (27mm, 6.61 gm, 7h). M AVR ANTONINVS, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: MVNICISTO-BEN, Victory-Nemesis advancing left, holding wreath and palm frond; wheel at her feet to left. Varbanov 4035
Neat coins. Here's my one and only coin of Stobi: Caracalla. Macedon, Stobi, c. AD 209–c. 212. Æ 25 8.25g, 12h. Varbanov 4070–4. Obv: IMP C M AVR ANTONIN; man’s laureate head r., bearded. Rev: MVNICIP STOBENSI; Nike advancing r., holding wreath and palm branch.
