Show Us Your (Alexandrian) Tets

Hi CT'ers,

My Alexandrian collection is secondary to my Ptolemaics. Of many to choose from I'll display this one next:

Balbinus (ca Apr - Jul 238 CE), Year 01

Bi Tetradrachm
Size: 24 mm
Weight: 12.5 g
Axis: 0​

OBV: Balbinus laureate, draped and cuirassed bust facing right. Legend: AKΔЄKKAIΛBAΛBINOCCЄB. Dotted border (looks solid).
REV: Tyche standing cradling cornucopia in left arm, rudder at her feet to left. In left field: LA. Dotted border.

REFS: Emmett-3378.01; Geissen-Unlisted; Dattari-4687

(Yes, I know it's time for a better image.)

 

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Aw, I can't resist. Here's a few more ….







Maybe more later …

 

Some fantastic Alexandrian tets shown all around. @TIF's are, of course, especially droolworthy.

I'm currently waiting on one, but here's another fairly recent purchase.

FAUSTINA II
Billon Tetradrachm. 10.09g, 23.6mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 15(AD 151/2). RPC Online IV.4, temp #13732; Emmett 1953 (R3). O: ΦΑVϹΤΙΝ ϹƐΒ ϹƐΒ ƐVϹƐΒ ΘVΓ, draped bust right. R: L-IE, Nike flying left, holding wreath and palm branch.

And a few other favorites...

MARCUS AURELIUS
Billon Tetradrachm. 12.86g, 24.5mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 13 of Antoninus Pius (AD 149/150). Emmett 1868.13 (R4); Dattari (Savio) 3185 = Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 169 = RPC Online temp #14367/7 (this coin). O: M AVPHΛIC • KAICAP, bareheaded and draped bust right. R: Zeus (‘Jupiter Capitolinus’) enthroned left, holding phiale in his extended right hand and scepter with his left; at his feet, eagle standing left, head right, wings closed; L IΓ (date) across upper field.
Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection (purchased from Dr. Piero Beretta, Milan, April 1972); ex Dr. Piero Beretta Collection; ex Giovanni Dattari Collection


HADRIAN
Billon Tetradrachm. 12.55g, 26.2mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 15 (AD 130/131). Dattari 1268; RPC III 5768; Emmett 845.15. O: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ - ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹƐΒ, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear. R: Alexandria standing on left holding vexillum and presenting grain ears to Hadrian, wearing toga and holding sceptre, standing on right; L-IE in fields.

ANTONINUS PIUS
Billon Tetradrachm. 12.71g, 22.5mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 5 = AD 141/142. Dattari-Savio pl. 108, 8094 (this coin); Emmett 1362.5; RPC Online 14246 (2 spec., this coin cited). O: Laureate head left. R: L-E, Artemis advancing right, drawing arrow from quiver at shoulder, holding bow.
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.513); ex Giovanni Dattari Collection


CLAUDIUS II GOTHICUS
Potin Tetradrachm. 9.24g, 22.7mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 (AD 269/270). Emmett 3881; Dattari 5388. O: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: Elpis standing left, holding flower and raising skirt; L-B in field.
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection

SALONINUS
Potin Tetradrachm. 13.0g, 24mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 7 of Valerian I and Gallienus (AD 259/60). Emmett 3777; Dattari (Savio) 5377. O: ΠO ΛI KOP CA VAΛЄPIANOC K CЄB, bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: Eagle standing left, head right, holding wreath in beak; L Z (date) across field.
Ex Stevex6 Collection (CNG E-311, 25 Sep 2013, lot 948); ex Robert M. Harlick Collection (CNG E-281, 20 June 2012, lot 253)

 

WOW!.......Some beautiful coins!....Here's my humble two...
Antoninus Pius, 138 - 161 AD, AE Drachm, Egypt, Alexandria Mint, 34mm, 29.55 grams
Obverse: Laureate head of Antoninus right.
Reverse: L DEKATOV, Zeus holding patera and scetpre reclining left on open wings of eagle.
Emmett1699 // Dattari2933 // Koln1560 // Milne1905

Antoninus Pius, 138 - 161 AD
Billon Tetradrachm, Egypt, Alexandria Mint, 23mm, 11.94 grams
Obverse: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Antoninus right.
Reverse: Nilus reclining left holding reed and cornucopia from which emerges Nilus, crocodile below.
Emmerr 1413.13 // Dattari 2294 // Koln 1594 // K&G 35.426

 

Anyone who collects Alexandrian coins (or ancients of any kind) might want to own the NFA catalog quoted above. I bought five coins from that sale but none were as high end as TIF's cowgirl snake. I have looked at my copy so many times that it is falling apart. At that time I did not look at Alexandrian probably for the reasons TIF stated and the price many of them were bringing even in 1990. I did not buy it in the CNG sale listed above either (I have that catalog but bought none). I was not very smart. Looking at those 25+ year old catalogs is a little depressing. More coins then had better surfaces like I prefer compared to the harshly cleaned material that seems more fashionable today.

 

This thread has turned into the best showing of Alexandrians I recall. The Emmitt books is great but has rather few photos. The crowd here between us all could make a decent sampling of the available coins - perhaps a tenth of one percent of the types??? That makes me want to repeat here my Severus/Domna coins for reference of those who happen across this thread in the future.
Septimius Severus year 2 Dikaiosyne


Septimius Severus year 4 eagle
Septimius Severus year 5 Serapis

Septimius Severus year 9 eagle

Julia Domna year 2 Nike in quadriga

Septimius Severus year 4 Dikaiosyne

Septimius Severus year 20 Caracalla and Geta

The last is interesting to me as illustration of how few coins were made in that period. It is an obverse die link to a coin dated year 18. The die was replaced later in year 20 with one bearing the new style portrait like the coins of thr Rome mint under Caracalla. I doubt the die was worn out but just outdated in style. I 'need' a coin of this die struck before year 20 and a new portrait die from year 20 but neither are really likely to turn up unless my luck improves greatly.

As a warning: CNG sold a coin not long ago that confirmed my suspicions that my Domna year 4 was a cast fake of the coin shown in the Dattari/Savio plates rather than the coin itself. Mine is on black below; the real one is on white. The seller died a while back so I can not return it (but probably would not anyway - I like the story).
https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=365491

 

Those Severan tets are fantastic, especially the Domna with Caracalla and Geta shaking hands! So envious .

 

No shortage of "drool-worthy" tetradrachms @TIF, @dougsmit, @Spaniard, @zumbly, @Broucheion, @Ed Snible, @Severus Alexander...any hope that this thread would cure me of my interest in coins of Alexandria is fading.

Here's an on-line resource that I have found recently for these coins. There is an interesting library which has an NFA Fall 1991 sale catalog and a few other resources with nicely digitized plates.

And I will add one more coin to the mix with the syncretic god Hermanubis, a combination of Greek Hermes and Egyptian Anubis - in the Roman representation, leaning to Greek sensibilities, he is a fully anthropomorphic young god, losing the jackal head of Anubis and gaining attributes of Hermes.

Egypt, Alexandria, Claudius II Gothicus, 268-270 AD, BI Tetradrachm (9.49g), Regnal Year 2 (269/270)
Obv: Laureate and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Nude bust of Hermanubis right, draped over left shoulder, upright palm-winged caduceus to right
Ref: Dattari 5392

"Osiris has a name made up from "holy" (hosion) and "sacred" (hieron); for he is the combined relation of the things in the heavens and in the lower world, the former of which it was customary for people of olden time to call sacred and the latter to call holy. But the relation which discloses the things in the heavens and belongs to the things which tend upward is sometimes named Anubis and sometimes Hermanubis as belonging in part to the things above and in part to the things below. For this reason they sacrifice to him on the one hand a white cock and on the other hand one of saffron colour, regarding the former things as simple and clear, and the others as combined and variable."
-Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, 61

 

I feel out of place with my 3 tets now lol. You all have shown some amazing coins.
Something to aspire to

 

Numerian, Feb/March 283 - Oct/Nov 284 A.D.

Roman Provincial Egypt

Billon Tetradrachm, 8.26 grams, 20.7 mm, Alexandria mint

Obverse: AK M A NOVMEPIANOC CEB
Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: Athena seated left on high backed throne, wearing crested helmet, long scepter in left hand, Nike offering wreath in right hand.

Reference: Köln 3192-3193; Dattari 5607, Emmett 4013; Sear 12272

I particularly enjoy the patina on this coin, as well as the finely crafted reverse.






Carinus (283-284 A.D.)

AE Tetradrachm of Alexandria, 19mm 7.19 grams

Year 2 = 284 AD.

Obverse: A K M A KAΡINOC CEB, laureate, cuirassed bust right

Reverse: L-B, Elpis standing left holding flower and hem of skirt.

Reference: Milne 4701-3, BMC 2454, Koln 3177

 

I have a gallery of the majority of the Probus types here if anyone is interested with over 50 Probus Tets. some are ex Emmett and ex Curtis:-

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1721

It is missing the emperoron horseback type which I had written off as never seeing on for sale but I did see one for sale earlier this year that went for way beyond my budget would allow.

 

@TIF has a fantastic collection, a very creative mind, does her homework, and just a wonderful person. I, and I assume many of us, has missed her hiatus from here. She has been quite busy in her stressful personal life, but I hope she makes some time to visit with us more. I have missed her.

 

Naw, it has a great beat, it is easy to dance to... I would give it an R8.

ON BANDSTAND


RI Trajan Egypt AE Dichalkon Laureate hd L Rhinoceros walking L LI-Z yr 17 CE 113-114 12.9mm 1.25g Emmet 719 var. rhino
EX: SteveX6 collection

 

I keep posting my mystery Domitia tetradrachm and hope someone knows of a counterpart....

 

I just came across this Alexandria BI tetradrachm, but I am not sure about the emperor, possibly Caracalla (on one of his better days)?

Any ideas?

10.1 grams
19.5 mm, 12 h.

 

It's Claudius II. You can make out enough of the legend to ascertain his name (AVTKKΛΑV...), plus the portrait style, flan, and eagle are typical of the later Alexandrian tets. Emmett 3878, "eagle standing right, head left, wreath in beak". It's regnal year 3. This type was issued in all three of his regnal years.

 

Thanks! I'll make a note and label for the coin.

I really don't remember when I acquired it, but it has been knocking around in a box for over twenty years, I reckon - time to treat it with some respect.

 

Inspired by this post and the mysterious "Aiello" notation for my coin in RPC Online, I tracked down the 1979 Alex Malloy auction catalog.

https://archive.org/details/auctionsalexivma00mall/
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctionlots?aucCoId=511227&auctionId=520573

788 coins of Roman Egypt, mostly pictured, pictured on low-quality newsprint with ink so fresh it may bleed off the paper through your computer screen.

My coin was a die match to Aiello's coin in that auction but NOT the same coin. Same dies, though, I think.

Anyway, if anyone is collecting Roman Egypt and wants a 1979 provenance you may find your stuff in that catalog. The Internet Archive has 14 other Malloy catalogs, all from the 1970s, available for view and download.

 

Excellent, thanks!

 

Thanks for this, Ed. I was hoping to find Malloy LIII (May 1988) there, but no luck. Coincidentally, though, I had a coin provenanced to that very 1979 auction with the Aiello coins, and looked it up - only to find that it was NOT my coin. I'll now be looking through the Aiello section to see I can replace in my collection that false provenance with a real one.