Rhodes AE36

I did not bid on this coin the first time around but when it showed up on the 'going cheaply' list, I sent a bid. I always wanted one of these after seeing a couple X6 examples but figured someone would go higher for his one which has relatively smooth surfaces compered to many. This AE36 is quasi-autonomous from Rhodes roughly from the time of Augustus through Nero.

There are many variations of the general type and I know nothing about them. The obverse is a radiate head of Dionysos right while the reverse is Nike advancing right. The reverse legend is POΔIΩN TAMIA TEIMOCTPATOY. I am missing a few letters from the name of the treasurer due to the coin being weakly struck. This fault, however, added some interest to me since it emphasizes the concave reverse centered on the broad, flat flan. Of course, now I need one that was boldly struck for comparison.

I don't have many Provincial coins without portraits of the Imperial family. However the coin that really made my want list as a result of this coin is the version that has Nero's portrait in place of Dionysos. CNG sold one much too good for the likes of me.
https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=333528

Who has big Rhodian bronzes to pile onto this thread?

 

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Interesting and beautiful @dougsmit

 

Lovely HUGE bronze. Cool shaped flan also! It kind of looks like the flan is very thick instead of broad and flat.

 

That’s a pretty sweet one, Doug.

 

Great toning and overall eye appeal.

 

That’s a really nice example. After seeing Steve’s these regularly tempt me too. I passingly considered bidding on this one, but other lots called louder. When I receive mine I now hope I won’t regret my choices!

 

Great addition Doug!

 

First time I watch a coin from that island. Very interesting.

 

I don't, unfortunately, but have also admired and wanted the type!

Your coin is a good example of the horror of FSR's photography, or are they scans? Whichever-- they are awful and you have to know how to interpret his images in order to assess the coin.

FSR's images of Doug's coin, compared to Doug's images:

 

Doug's image is far superior.

 

That's a very interesting coin, @dougsmit . It must have some heft in hand!

 

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
Ashton Imperial p. 80, 106; BMC 345 (pl. XLI #4)

In 164 BC, Rhodes became a permanent ally of Rome. It was sacked by Cassius in the 40s BC. I believe this was minted between those two events.

 

Love the reverse @Ed Snible

 

No, I failed, it would seem, to convey the shape of the flan since all refer to 'heft'. It weighs about 25g. The obverse is quite convex. The reverse is flat on the outside edge and concave recessed in the center almost a little like a scyphate. Frank's image show that better. My color is closer but a tad green. I'l try again when I finish with the bunch. Maybe there will be an edge shot???

 

I'm not sure it helps a lot in this case but I can see the thumb size depression on the reverse a bit better on this angle view.

 

Nice coin - I have always wondered why Rhodes struck such large bronzes - perhaps the need to only strike silver wasn't there in times of peace? Or perhpas the metal was simply available.

 

I love your large Rhodes bronze. I have one myself but it is so ugly I am embarrassed to post it here. It's 35mm and merely 19.6 grams. It's so lumpy and pitted that it looks like a miniature sausage pizza caked with mud. I was very glad to see excellent photos of one in very nice condition, especially the revealing side shots. Very cool.

 

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.

 

Demetrius fought with bronze weapons? I was taught in school that fighting with bronze against someone with iron was like fighting with a banana.

 

Wikipedia says "Much of the iron and bronze was reforged from the various weapons Demetrius's army left behind, and the abandoned second siege tower may have been used for scaffolding around the lower levels during construction." 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.

For those who can make it, come to New York and view the Statue of Liberty in New York from the inside. It is $21.50 to go inside and walk up the stairs and look out the crown. [You must reserve in advance at https://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/visit-the-crown.htm ].

I have climbed the stairs and looked out of the crown of the Statue of Liberty. The details of its construction that can be seen inside make the trip worthwhile. I went on a windy day and it was swaying a bit which was especially dramatic. 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 that my 36mm facing-head Rhodes bronze not only depicts a Wonder of the Ancient World, but was made from the metal of that wonder.