And this is my Anazarbus bronze. AE Severus Alexander (222-235). Anazarbus in Cilicia. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev. Nike, trophy over her shoulder, in biga stepping right. 26/29 mm, 15.87 gr.
So Pellinore is technically correct - the Bosporan issues are those of a Roman client kingdom, not provincials. So maybe we should include client kingdoms as long as the coins portray the bust of a Roman emperor?
Yes, I'm being liberal with the definition of "provincial", basically following what is laid out by Roman Provincial Coinage Online: http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/intro/whatisrpc/ They also include these client kingdoms (Bosporus, Edessa). I'd also like to include Pre-Imperial coins struck in areas under Roman Control, such as Macedon. I don't know if that will add any new cities to the list, but feel free to include such "Greek Republicans" to this thread.
TROAS, BIRYTIS AE12 OBVERSE: Head of Kaiberos left wearing pileus REVERSE: Club of Herakles, BI PY to either side, all within laurel wreath Struck at Birytis, Troas 3d century BC 1.14g, 12mm D&T220 // Depeyrot NC VII, 33 //SNG Cop 250// DeLaTour8145
CARACALLA AE23 OBVERSE: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind REVERSE: NIKOMHDEΩN ΔIC NEΩKOPΩN, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia Struck at BITHYNIA, Nicomedia, 198-217 AD 7.1g, 23mm RG 234; WADD RG S546,234(1-3)
Cool little conehead, but I don't think that city was under Roman control in 300 BCE. Nice Greek coin though
I love what you are doing @TIF, RPCCT. By including "Greek Republicans" you may be crossing the line with hardcore provincial collectors. I'll let you know if I talk to any. Bostra: Arabia Petraea, Bostra. Faustina Sr. AE16 Obv: ThEA FAV [CTEINA]. Draped and veiled bust r. Rev: City-goddess stg. facing, hd. l., holding scepter and resting hand on hip. Bizya: Thrace, Bizya. Marcus Aurelius AE25. Marcus Aurelius, AE25 of Bizya, Thrace. Obv: M AVRHLIOCOV HROC KAICAP, bare head right. Rev: BIZY HNWN, Herakles standing facing, head r. holding club on ground and lionskin. Thrace, Bizya, Pseudo-autonomous. Bust of Poseidon City; Province; Region Bizya; Thrace; Thrace Date 138–161 Pseudo-autonomous? Yes Obverse design draped bust of Poseidon, r. wearing Tainia. Obverse inscription (no obv. legend) Reverse design nude Dionysus standing, r., carrying transverse sceptre Reverse inscription ΒΙΖΥΗΝΩΝ Metal Bronze Average diameter 22 mm Average weight 5.08 g RPC 9313. Lindgren 754 Thrace, Bizya. Philip II, AE18. Eros Obv: M IOVL FILIPPOC KAICAP, bare head right. Rev: BIZVHNWN, Eros standing left, leaning on & extinguishing inverted torch. Varbanov 1606. Briula: Lydia, Briula. AE18. Helios/Apollo Obv: HLIOS / Radiate bust of Helios r. Rev: BRIOYLEITWN / Apollo standing head l., holding laurel branch and bow. Byblos: Phoenicia, Byblos. Elagabalus AE28 Obv: AV K M AVP ANTWNINOC, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right. Rev: IEPAC BYBLOY, hexastyle temple with central arch, Astarte standing facing within, foot on prow, holding sceptre, being crowned by Nike on column to right. SNG Cop 145 Berytos: Phoenicia, Berytos. Valerian AE30. Astarte Obv: IMP CP LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Radiate bust right. Rev: COL IVL AVG FEL BER, Astarte standing front with head right, left foot on prow, holding standard in right hand and aphlastron in left, raising robe. To right Nike on column, crowning her. 30mm and 15.3g.
ALEXANDRIA One of my favorites, a pretty large coin with a personification of Alexandria. Nero Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria. Year 12=65/6 AD. NERW KLAV KAIS SEB GER, radiate bust right, wearing aegis / AVTOKPA, draped bust of Alexandria right in elephant skin headdress, LIB to right. Köln 172-174; Curtis 36-54, Dattari 204, SGI 633, RPC 5289.
Can I cheat and use an old and perhaps outdated mint attribution? Byzantium Vespasian AR Denarius, 3.32g Ephesus mint, 71 AD RIC 1424 (R3), BMC - , RSC - , RPC 827 (1 spec.) Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS III TR P P P; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: LIBERI IMP AVG VESPAS; Titus and Domitian veiled, togate, stg. front (heads l.), each with patera; below, BY mint mark Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection. Harold Mattingly in both the first edition of RIC II and BMCRE II erroneously attributed the home mint for Vespasian's BY mint mark denarii as Byzantium. More recent scholarship has shown all the Eastern mint mark denarii to be the product of one mint - Ephesus.
This is the second time in two days I've had this question, but here it goes again: why is this considered a provincial coin? Perhaps I'm being simplistic, but it has a RIC number, a Roman Imperial Coinage number, so I assumed it was a settled issue. (fabulous coin regardless, a type on my wish list)
It also has a RPC number. Is the answer it is considered both? I've noticed that the provincial tag only applies to imperial coins from mints that produced both Greek and imperial coins. Tarraco, for instance, is not in RPC.
There is certainly uncertainty (haha) in determining what belongs in the category of provincial and realistically I guess there will always be debate. Judge's ruling on including your Vespasian in this list: accepted! Judges ruling on using outdated scholarship to assign it to Byzantium: denied! bonus points for being clever though
The history of Bostra has already been mentioned. Here are some of mine, a camel drachm of Trajan, a JM/Tyche type (probably the most common coin you can collect from Bostra)... ...and a large bronze of Philip I commemorating the Nabataean festival in honor of Dushares, their primary deity, held every year on December 25 - the AKTIA ΔOVCAPIA...
PISIDIA, Cremna, Aurelian (270-275 AD), AE25, 7.73g Obv: IMP C S L D OM AURELIAN Bust Rev: "MAROC O L CREMN Marsyas Lindgren and Kovacs A1313A ex-Clark's Ancients, Lovette Collection Syria, Cyrrhestica, Cyrrhus, AE22 Obv: ΑΥΤοΚΡ ΚƐСΑΡ ΤΙΤ Ɛ[ΛΙ(sic) (ΑΔΡΙ) ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС С(Β ƐΥ(СƐ))]; Antoninus Pius laureate head right Rev: [ΔΙΟΣ ΚΑΤΕΒΑΤΟΥ] ΚΥΡΡΗΣΤΩΝ and numeral letter Α in right field; Zeus Kataibates seated left on rock, holding thunderbolt over eagle and long scepter; A to right. RPC Volume IV 8539 (temporary) Cyrrhus was a city in ancient Syria founded by Seleucus Nicator.
CALAGURRIS AUGUSTUS AE As. 10.64g, 27.7mm. SPAIN, Calagurris. Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. L. Baebius Priscus and C. Gran. Brocchus, duoviri. ACIP 3122a; RPC I 441b. O: MVCAL IVLIA AVGVSTVS, laureate head right. R: L BAEB PRISCO C GRAN BROC II VIR, Bull standing right, head facing. Ex Archer M. Huntington Collection (HSA 1001.1.20771) The city of Calagurris in Hispania was one of the last strongholds of the renegade Roman general Quintus Sertorius. Pompey Magnus beseiged it unsuccessfully and was forced to withdraw after losing a great many men. It was taken in 72 BC by Pompey's legate, Lucius Afranius, after many of its citizens, having in desperation resorted to cannibalism, eventually died of disease and starvation. The city later experienced a resurgence during the Empire under Augustus.