Hello All, In the interest of making myself crazy, I bought a badly worn Septimius Severus Provincial piece and decided I would figure it out. I saw no matches of any sort on Wildwinds. I then did an acsearch and found what appears to be a close match in terms of content, even if the certain devices are wrong. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2660091 Gorny and Mosch Giessener Auction 233, Lot 1866, 10/6/2015. The example from acsearch is with an eagle right, head left where mine is eagle left, head right, with wreath in beak in both. The ACS example has the eagle standing on a palm frond it appears (with my limited knowledge of fronds) whereas mine is standing on a thunderbolt. I have seen issues of Nikopolis ad Istrum with eagles standing on lightning bolts which gives me hope that this issue comes from there. In addition, CEVHPOC Pi (EP) is clearly legible on the obverse of my coin. On the reverse, the coin is either clipped or worn down in places. But I can clearly make out what appears to be GALLOY NIKOPi from about 10am to 5pm on the reverse. Which leads me to think that the magistrate was Gallus in Nikopolis. Of course I am running into the road block of not finding this coin on my two most used sites, WW and ACS. Does anyone have any information on this coin type that they can share with me? Reference number would be great. Thanks everyone! If you have been jonesing to post Severan or eagle coins for some reason and have not, feel free to dump them off here.
That's tough. Pick's AMNG I has only one coin from this magistrate with an eagle on the reverse and it's standing facing with outstretched wings on a ball and holding a wreath in its beak.
Way to be super general, Moushmov. Pfft. Haha, like I have ever written a reference book. I appreciate the help @Roman Collector. It is really making me crazy to not see a match anywhere. I am hoping some Severan collector out there will see this and maybe have another example.
I have a couple of Severus coins from this mint. One is unlisted in AMNG I, Moushmov, Varbanov, BMC, or Sear Greek Imperial: Septimius Severus, AD 193-211 Roman provincial Æ tetrassarion; 26.1 mm, 10.70 g, 6 h Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum Obv: ΑV ΚΑΙ Λ - CΕ CΕVΗΡΟC, radiate head right Rev: ΝEIKOΠΟΛΙ ΠΡΟC ΙCΤΡΩ, Zeus seated left, holding object patera and scepter. Refs: BMC--; Moushmov--; AMNG I--; SGI--; Varbanov-- Septimius Severus, AD 193-211 Roman provincial Æ tetrassarion; 25.6 mm, 10.03 g Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, Legate Lucius Aurelius Gallus, AD 201-204 Obv: ΑVΤ CΕΠΤ CΕVΗΡ ΠΕΡ, laureate head, right Rev: VΠ ΑVΡ ΓΑΛΛΟV ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ / ΠΡΟC ΙCΤΡ, Hemus reclining left, seated on cliff, r. hand over head, l. arm leaning on tree and holding spear, bear below, AIMOC before. Refs: Moushmov 1023, AMNG (Pick) 1315. Septimius Severus, AD 193-211 Roman provincial Æ assarion; 16.0 mm, 2.51 g, 12 h Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum Obv: ΑV Λ CΕVΗΡΟC, radiate head right Rev: ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ ΠΡΟC ΙC Refs: AMNG I 1425; Moushmov 970
@Roman Collector Those are all very cool! I really like the tetrassarion with the bear. Pretty awesome!
Varbanov 2636, I believe. This from Wildwinds: Septimius Severus AE28 of Nikopolis ad Istrum, magistrate Gallus. AV KAI CEVHΡOC, laureate head right / YΠ AYΡ ΓAΛΛOY NIKOΠOΛI ΠΡOC I, eagle standing facing on thunderbolt, head right, wreath in beak. Edited to add: Hmmm, actually the posture of the eagle on the OP looks more like "standing left, head turned right" than the "facing" of Varbanov 2636...
http://www.akropoliscoins.com/page8.html I have found use in the page linked above which lists the magistrates used by various rulers. It is most helpful separating Caracalla from the Elagabalus but can help figure out the left half of legends. I have not purchased any of the books on these mostly because I see so many coins not listed and have little use for books that provide nothing beyond catalog numbers. I have three Septimius by Aurelius Gallus coins from Nicopolis: Apollo Sautoktonos Trophy with captives Athena ...and one with eagle on globe and Caracalla.
Varbanov 2636: Eagle standing, facing, on thunderbolt, wings spread, head right, with wreath in beak. There are also eagle-on-globe varieties.
@zumbly @dougsmit @John Anthony Thank you all for the help. I agree with Doug in that unless you can see what description there is with a reference number you can not be sure if a coin actually is listed under something like Varbanov 2636 where “varieties” changes the status of a coin from a fantastic new discovery to just a variety of a coin posted online or in a book. Not that I think I am changing the world or buying unnoticed rarities for $13 here, for sure. It speaks to the problem that I feel pervades the collecting of ancients. It’s like the secrets of craftsmen in the Middle Ages. Knowledge held close to the vest to preserve the exclusivity and therefore price of that knowledge. Luckily there are cracks in the foundation of that wall so to speak when nice folks like you all help to educate the apprentice out of kindness. So for what it is worth I will settle on Varbanov 2636, var. Eagle on thunderbolt, head right, wreath in beak; Moushmov 980, var. same; AMNG I 1330 var. same.
Also, @dougsmit thank you for the Akropolis page. I didn’t know it existed. It is helpful and faster than trying to read Birley and figure out who was where.
