Roman Tetradrachms from Damascus, Syria

About five years ago I was on a quest to get as many tets from different Syrian mints as possible. Acquiring a copy of Michel & Karin Prieur's book THE SYRO-PHOENICIAN TETRADRACHMS AND THEIR FRACTIONS, from 57 BC to AD 253, along with a strong interest in the Roman occupation of the Eastern Mediterranean area triggered this quest. What surprised me was Prieur listed only 7 different types of tets from Damascus, all struck in the reign of Caracalla, from AD 215-217, with the total cited amounting to 53 specimens. I'm sure many more have come to light since Prieur's book was authored in 2000. Never the less, tets from Damascus don't appear to be very plentiful compared to the countless millions of tets that were struck at other Syrian mints. Does anyone have an explanation for this?
In August of 2015 I bought a slabbed example of a Damascus tet at a Heritage auction, Prieur 1204, for $235.00, see photos below. The coin weighed 12.36 gm & was graded AU, Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5. What struck me as odd with this coin was under the mintmark of a rams head on the reverse, were 5 pellets. Could this be a designation of a workshop number or just a peculiarity of the celator? Different examples of this type show no pellets, 2, 3, or 5 pellets. Do other CT members have a take on this? Anyway I decided to sell the coin & look for a better example. In January of 2018 Heritage auctioned the coin for me & got $470.00 for it .





I recently acquired this handsome looking example, Prieur 1204, from a CNG auction, see photos below. The obverse is slightly off-center but the portrait is complete & finely engraved. The coin is 25 mm, 14.20 gm, 11h, is struck from fresh dies & is lustrous.


If any CT members have Damascus tets from the Roman occupation please post them.

 

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I know nothing about Damascus but it seems they remained fond of sheep until Philip issued this AE25. If there are no tets after Caracalla, are there other ram coins for each reign?

Damascus was made a colony under Septimius. I am surprised the Caracalla coin used Greek legends.

 

We bid on the same coins almost across all the platforms

 

That's an interesting bronze coin from Damascus , & I'm surprised the legends are not Greek . Most of the bronze provincials I've seen of Caracalla from Damascus have Greek legends, like the example below, BMC 14, photo courtesy of wildwinds.com.

Prieur writes: "The Main deity of the city seems to have been linked with the Hellenic god Hermes, & his symbol was a ram", hence the ram as a mintmark. Keven Butcher writes in: Coinage in Roman Syria: Northern Syria, 64 BC - AD 253 "Hadrian promotes the city of Damascus to Metropolis of Coele-Syria, circa AD 125. I have very few bronze provincials because it's so hard to find choice well struck examples that haven't been worn smooth.

 

I love these tetradrachms of Antioch and Syria. This year luckily CNG had a great offering on these from Michel Prieur collection. I was lucky to get few . Here is some of my wins of Prieur collection

 

Erhan, Congratulations, that's a great haul ! I love the Tet from Sidon, sporting the "Carriage of Astarte" mintmark. They rarely come up for sale. The Tyre Tet with Trajan / Melqart is a beauty too . The Antioch Tet with the left facing but of Nero has a wonderful portrait , & they are rare compared to the right facing portraits. What are the details on the Hadrian counterstamped issue ?

 

@Al Kowsky I agree. The Nero was an iconic coin. I love the portrait it has so much details and the beard neck is also very nice. It is my favorite between these and once I saw it in CNG I wanted it no matter what so I bid a bit higher but luckily got it with a fair price.

Here is the details on Hadrian coin from CNG:

CILICIA, Tarsus. Hadrian. AD 117-138. AR Tridrachm (25mm, 9.93 g, 12h). Laureate and cuirassed bust right, with gorgoneion on breastplate / Lion to left, attacking bull; c/m: laureate and draped bust right of Caracalla(?) within oval incuse. Prieur 766 for coin & 780 for countermark; SNG Levante 997 var. (bust type); SNG BN 1399 for coin and countermark; RPC III 3265; for c/m: Howgego 843. VF, toned, flan split: c/m: Near VF. Prieur places these issues under Caracalla.

From the Michel Prieur Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 51 (15 September 1999), lot 950.

Ex CNG 441 Lot 353

By the way, Here is my other Caracalla . This one is slabbed though .

 

I have a few Tets from that area. I am surprised that I have them, because the Imperial period of Rome is not really a focus if mine.

VOLUSIANUS:


RI Volusian 251-253 CE AR Tet Antioch mint Eagle - son of Treb Gallus
Prieur 694
Ex: @Mat


NERON:


Antioch, Syria
Nero Regnal year 8, Caesarian year 110, (AD 61/62)
AR Tetradrachm 25 mm x 14.05 grams
Obverse: NERWNOS KAISAROS SEBASTOU, Laureate bust right, wearing aegis.
Reverse: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, palm branch before, H/IP behind.
Ref: RPC4182

 

Despite the rough surface on the Zeugma Tet it has excellent detail. Zeugma Tets are all scarce or rare & rarely come up for sale .

 

The nice thing with Syrian Tets is you get a lot of "bang for the bucks".

 

I guess that means we both have good taste .

 

Here are a few I added recently

 

Svarog, That's a wonderful group of Antioch Tets ! The Galba Tet has a fine portrait & so does the 2nd Nero Tet . The Vespasian Tet has a lovely idealized portrait. But the real surprise in the group is the Tet of Gordian III . That coin was in my collection before I had Heritage auction it off, see photos below. I'm glad it found a happy home .

 

Such amazing set, here is my other tetradrachm of Vespasian. This one came from Cisjordania hoard and Michel Prieur collection.

 

Hi Al, Here is another one of yours that I have
Not sure about Nero below:

 

Thanks Erhan, there is just something special about these Tets, do you have more to share?
Here is another one that i like a lot: Nero & Claudius

 

Svarog, Your are right . That Tet was in my collection for a long time & I've never had a portrait of Philip I that I liked better than that coin .


Below are some better photos of that coin I took a long time ago.


Philip I, AD 244-249 (struck 246), 14.22 gm. McAlee 899, Prieur 304.

 

@Svarog I agree I love they heavy hefty feeling and the fact that their busts are so big and nice compared to official roman mints. I have couple more other than the ones shared here.

Caligula



Decius




Nero



Titus




Augustus

 

@Erhan .. That last coin of Augustus. Who's that at Tyche's feet on reverse? I mean is it river god or river goddess?