Roman Egypt (Alexandria): billon tetradrachm of Hadrian, ca. 117-138 AD; canopic jar of Osiris

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10 from me, but Roman Egypt is my favorite niche of coin collecting .

Your new coin has loads of appeal.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 18, CE 133/4
Æ drachm, 26.4 gm
Obv: AYT KAIC TPAIAN (A∆PIANOC CEB), laureate and draped bust right
Rev: Canopic jars facing; L I H across fields
Ref: Emmett 933.18, R1


EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian
year 11, CE 126/7
billon tetradrachm, 26 mm, 12.6 gm
Obv: AVTKAITPAI AΔPIACEB; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
Rev: L ENΔ EKATOV: Canopus of Osiris right
Ref: Emmett 827.11, R3; Milne 1205

I'd forgotten about this one-- my first "canopic" tet. Looks like I bought it ~2014.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
Regnal year 2 (138/9 AD)
billion tetradrachm, 24 mm, 12.63 gm
Obv: AVT K T AIL ADP ANTWNINOC EY CEB, bare head right
Rev: ETO VCB, canopus of Osiris right on cushion
Ref: Emmett 1373

 

My contribution, Diobol with canopus of Osiris.



The OP coin type was one of the first ones I bought. I won't show it since the OP is much nicer.

- Broucheion

 

A couple of Hadrians:

Hadrian, AE drachm, Nilos reclining.

Egypt, Alexandria - Hadrian. (117-138)
Year 127-128

Type: AE Drachm, 32mm 24.42 grams

Obverse: AVT KAI TPAI AAPIA CEB, Laureate draped and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: LDW (delta) EK in exergue, Nilos reclining left upon a crocodile, holding cornucopia and reed, Genius emerging from the cornucopia and pointing at letters IS in upper field

Reference: Milne 1269





The coin is quite historical and commemorates Hadrian’s arrival in Egypt in the year 130-131.




Hadrian. 117-138 AD.

Æ Drachm, 36mm, 22.1g, 11h; Alexandria, Year 15 = 130/1 AD.

Obverse: AVT KAI - TRAI AΔPIA CEB; Bust laureate, draped, cuirassed right.

Reverse: Alexandria kisses the hand of the arriving emperor; he is laureate and togate, stands left, extends right hand to Alexandria and holds scepter in left; she stands right wearing elephant skin headdress, guides the emperor's hand to her mouth with her right hand, and holds two wheat ears downwards with her left hand; in lower field L - IE.

Reference: Cologne 1034; Emmett 964/15.

 

I find it very interesting! Here is my example of a Hadrian with the Canopus jar of Osiris on the reverse, although mine is from Hadrian's regnal year 11 as opposed to yours from year 3 (gamma). I'm not sure I agree that this coin-type really demonstrates the Roman interest in Egyptian history: Osiris was still part of contemporary religion for people in Egypt, which still encompassed the traditional deities, in addition to syncretistic gods like Serapis.

Hadrian, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 11 (126/127 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ - ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Canopic Jar of Osiris (a/k/a Osiris-Canopus Jar and Osiris-Hydreios)* right, surmounted by Atef crown above [ram?] horns; L ΕΝΔ - EKATΟΥ [= Year 11 spelled out]. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 5640 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5640; Köln 939 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band II (Hadrian-Antoninus Pius) (Cologne, 1978, corrected reprint 1987)]; Milne 1205 [Milne, J., A Catalogue of the Alexandrian Coins in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, 1933, reprints with supplement by Colin M. Kraay); Emmet 827.11 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Dattari (Savio) 1327 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]. 25 mm., 13.41 g. (Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 212th Buy or Bid Sale, August 2020, Lot 497.)



*See https://egypt-museum.com/post/189683370661/osiris-canopus-jar#gsc.tab=0, with photos of the Osiris-Canopus Jar from Hadrian’s Villa, now at the Vatican Museum, describing it as “A Canopic jar with the head of Osiris emerging from it. In the cult of Isis and Serapis, during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Osiris-Canopus jars (also known as Osiris-Hydreios) were carried by priests during processions. As they are solid, each symbolically carried water from the Nile, fertility that originated from the god Osiris, one of Egypt’s earliest fertility gods. Osiris-Canopus was named after the ancient Egyptian town of Canopus, on the western bank at the mouth of the westernmost branch of the Delta known as the Canopic or Heracleotic branch – not far from Alexandria. Roman Period, ca. 131-138 AD. Grey basalt, from Hadrian’s Villa. Now in the Vatican Museums (Gregoriano Egizio). 22852.”

 

No problem! We all lift portions of our coin descriptions from others!

 

In case anyone wants to know Alexandria is an interesting place to visit, though there are surprisingly few monuments and ruins to be found. There is the theatre, which has been excavated about 15 feet below street level. A large column dated to the time of Diocletian exists, also below street level. The architecture of the city is largely 8-10 storey concrete tilt-up buildings like the kinds you see in other Egyptian cities of 20th century origin. There are a few edifices which hearken back to the colonial days under France and England, but fewer than exist in Cairo.

There is a large statue of Alexander the Great on horseback along the main road into the city (thought to be a remnant of the Canopic way). And off to the side of this are a few hills, ruins of the stands of the hippodrome. If you walk out into the center of an empty field encircled by these "hills" you can imagine being in the center of the hippodrome. When you walk down to edge of the sea and the corniche, a road that follows the coast you can see Pharos Island and the remnant of the Mamluk fortress which was built on the site of the Pharos, called Qeit Bay which dates back to 1477 A.D. Some of the original cut stones of Pharos were used in its construction.

In the central park of the city which is verdant and features grass and palm trees you can order beverages from strolling vendors who offer "shay" and "ahwa mas buut" (tea or coffee). There are a large number of stray cats in the park who come up to you to get bits of food. (I even saw cats eating croissant rolls).

Anyway, just the impressions of a traveler taking in the sights. One thing you don't see are shops selling coins and antiquities. I actually was hoping to buy a few coins while there but apparently what is found by the locals is put into the international marketplace surreptitiously (or at least that's one theory). The weather is pleasant, even in summer. It was a welcome respite from the heat of Siwa Oasis, which is situated in the Sahara only about 30 miles from the border with Libya. I had visited Siwa beforehand and stayed about a week, though when visiting the Oracle of Amun I didn't get any personalized feedback.

 

Thank you! Perhaps someday the location of the tomb of Alexander will be found. It was apparently still around in the Roman era, because both Caesar and Octavian are supposed to have visited it, as well as Caligula, Septimius Severus, and Caracalla. By 400 AD, though, St. John Chrysostom wrote that nobody knew where it was. (Source: Wikipedia article on Tomb of Alexander.)

 

I hope so. The problem with the city is that the new city is built directly on top of the old city, so just imagine the wonders that could be found if more excavation were possible. Even the elusive tomb of Alexander or the palaces of the Ptolemies.

 

..kool coin...so i reckon we'd call that a 'gut-jar'...what they used to put the mummys inerds in?...nice!

 

These "jars" weren't like the actual containers for organs -- they were solid.

 

Sorry no Canopic Jars, but I enjoy popping in a Scarab and an Ox.


Egyptian basalt heart scarab,
Late Period,
c. 664 - 332 BC
1.9 cm.
Ex Boston Museum of Fine Arts



Egyptian
red/black stone amulet of a trussed ox
Late Period, c. 664 - 332 BC,
nicely carved with mineral deposits throughout. 25x16mm.
Ex collection of Norma Goldman (1922-2011), Classics Professor at Wayne State University, acquired during the 1960's-70's

 

me neither melord....learn sumpin new everyday..

 

I suppose the improved embalming techniques included the use of more natron salt and wrapping up the organs individually. (Hmmm...) Here's a good article on mummification from the earliest times down through the Roman period.

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies