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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;maridvnvm, post: 7925580, member: 31620&quot;]Now we skip on to A.D. 198.... and the Battle of Ctesiphon where Severus succeeded in sacking the Parthian capital.</p><p><br /></p><p>The eastern mints had taken to copying the majority of legends and type from the contemporary Rome mint issues as is evident by the &quot;new style&quot; IMP VIII issues. The news from Ctesiphon must have reached the eastern mints before reaching Rome and likely had to improvise with their production until it could see how Rome reacted to the news of the Victory. We can assume that Severus adopted the title of PARTHICVS on the spot. We see the introduction of new titles of IMP XI PAR AR AD, where this now adds PARTHICVS to the earlier title from A.D. 195 of ARABICVS and the ADIABENICVS.</p><p><br /></p><p>When the news reached Rome, the Senate amplified PARTHICVS to PARTHICVS MAXIMVS which then resulted in new title on the Rome mint coins, IMP XI PART MAX and dropping the older victory titles which&nbsp; was then followed by the eastern mints when they became aware of the decisions of the Rome mint.</p><p><br /></p><p>During this small window there were coins produced in the eastern mints. The very first issue come from a single obverse die with three known reverses.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv:– L SEP SEVERVS PER AVG PIV IMP XI PAR P M, laureate head right</p><p>Rev:– AR AD TR P VI / COS II P P, Two captives seated back to back at the foot of a trophy</p><p>Eastern mint. A.D. 198</p><p>Reference:– BMCRE page 280 Sword, citing RD page 105. RIC 494b corr.</p><p><br /></p><p>Lots of things to note here. There is an odd usage of PIV on the obverse. The obverse legend ends PAR P M - (PARTHICVS PONTIFEX MAXIMVS) before the titles continue on the reverse as AR AB (ARABICVS ADIABENICVS). The whole structure of these titles seems quite awkward.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064ox_img.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>The same awkward title construct occurs on a matching Victory type</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064nk_img~0.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse die also occurs with SALVTI AVGG</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064ow_img.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>The eastern mints then standardised on PAR AR AD on the reverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv:– L SEP SEVERVS PER AVG P M IMP XI, laureate head right</p><p>Rev:– PAR AR AD TR P VI COS II P P, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm</p><p>Minted in Laodicea ad Mare, A.D. 198</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064nr_img.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>They then adopted a message more aligned with Rome with PART MAX on the obverse....</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv:– L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX, Laureate head right</p><p>Rev:– VICT PARTHICAE, Victory walking left, holding wreath in right hand, trophy over left shoulder; captive left.</p><p>Minted in Laodicea-ad-Mare. A.D. 198-202</p><p>Reference:– RIC IV 514; BMCRE 672; RSC 741.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064mm_img.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>which was later maintained on the reverse</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv:– SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right</p><p>Rev:– PART MAX P M TR P VIIII, two captives seated at foot of trophy</p><p>Minted in Laodicea-ad-Mare. A.D. 202</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064tj_img.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>I come to Alexandria as an almost afterthought. Alexandria also celebrated the earlier Victory in A.D. 195, which allows us to place this coin quite late in the chronology of the Alexandrian output, especially as they adopted the shortened ARAB ADIAB....</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv:- [IMP C]AE L SEP [SEV PERT AVG], Laureate head right</p><p>Rev:- ARAB A-DIA-B COS II P P, Victory walking left, holding wreath in right hand, trophy on left shoulder</p><p>Minted in Alexandria, A.D. 195</p><p>References:- RIC IV 346; BMCRE 326; RSC 47a</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI_064ip_img.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>I apologise for the long, drawn out post. I will leave it there and draw my contribution to this celebration of September to a close.</p><p>Martin[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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