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<p>[QUOTE="SeptimusT, post: 3159549, member: 91240"][ATTACH=full]810634[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Obverse</b>: DIVI F IMP CAESAR, bareheaded bust of Augustus right</p><p><b>Reverse</b>: A PLAVTIVS PRO COS, temple of Aphrodite at Paphos and courtyard</p><p><b>Struck ~21 BC at Paphos, Cyprus, 15mm, 3.5g, RPC 3906</b></p><p><br /></p><p>I’ve had this one a while, and I’ve hesitated to post it because mine is not especially well preserved (a better one can be viewed <a href="http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/augustus/RPC_3906.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/augustus/RPC_3906.jpg" rel="nofollow">at Wildwinds</a>), but the fascinating imagery won out. At first glance it’s a little difficult to figure out what you’re looking at, but historical and archaeological context tells us that it is a temple to a rather unique deity. [USER=79017]@Andres2[/USER]'s thread on <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-coins-on-stamps.321621/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-coins-on-stamps.321621/">ancients on stamps</a> shows a coin of Trajan depicting the same shrine.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Temple of Aphrodite at Paphos was a place of some renown, the existence of which likely predated its identification with Aphrodite. The Aphrodite worshipped at this temple was that abstract shape we see at the center of the coin, which was actually a conical stone. Some say it is a meteorite, but this appears to be erroneous. The stone still exists today, and is housed in a museum near the ruins of the sanctuary. <a href="http://imca.cc/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=68" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://imca.cc/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=68" rel="nofollow">By some accounts</a>, a thick crust of libation oils causes its blackened appearance, and interestingly enough Homer describes the anointing of Aphrodite's shrine at Paphos <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D343" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D343" rel="nofollow">in The Odyssey</a>. Tacitus <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0080%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D2" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0080%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D2" rel="nofollow">recorded a visit</a> of Titus to the temple, who was curious to see the unusual shrine there.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://imca.cc/insights/2006/II04-img/BlackStone.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p> </p><p><br /></p><p>Even though the stone was identified with Aphrodite, it reminded me of Elagabalus and his stone, and indeed some sources suggest a Syrian or Phoenician origin for the cult at Paphos. Regardless of its origins, I think it’s amazing that it’s still there, and it certainly makes for a unique representation of a local deity on provincial coinage. I was able to find a few other varieties showing this temple by searching here and Wildwinds, and I’d love to see any other examples of related coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="SeptimusT, post: 3159549, member: 91240"][ATTACH=full]810634[/ATTACH] [B]Obverse[/B]: DIVI F IMP CAESAR, bareheaded bust of Augustus right [B]Reverse[/B]: A PLAVTIVS PRO COS, temple of Aphrodite at Paphos and courtyard [B]Struck ~21 BC at Paphos, Cyprus, 15mm, 3.5g, RPC 3906[/B] I’ve had this one a while, and I’ve hesitated to post it because mine is not especially well preserved (a better one can be viewed [URL='http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/augustus/RPC_3906.jpg']at Wildwinds[/URL]), but the fascinating imagery won out. At first glance it’s a little difficult to figure out what you’re looking at, but historical and archaeological context tells us that it is a temple to a rather unique deity. [USER=79017]@Andres2[/USER]'s thread on [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-coins-on-stamps.321621/']ancients on stamps[/URL] shows a coin of Trajan depicting the same shrine. The Temple of Aphrodite at Paphos was a place of some renown, the existence of which likely predated its identification with Aphrodite. The Aphrodite worshipped at this temple was that abstract shape we see at the center of the coin, which was actually a conical stone. Some say it is a meteorite, but this appears to be erroneous. The stone still exists today, and is housed in a museum near the ruins of the sanctuary. [URL='http://imca.cc/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=68']By some accounts[/URL], a thick crust of libation oils causes its blackened appearance, and interestingly enough Homer describes the anointing of Aphrodite's shrine at Paphos [URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D343']in The Odyssey[/URL]. Tacitus [URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0080%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D2']recorded a visit[/URL] of Titus to the temple, who was curious to see the unusual shrine there. [CENTER][CENTER][IMG]http://imca.cc/insights/2006/II04-img/BlackStone.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER][/CENTER] Even though the stone was identified with Aphrodite, it reminded me of Elagabalus and his stone, and indeed some sources suggest a Syrian or Phoenician origin for the cult at Paphos. Regardless of its origins, I think it’s amazing that it’s still there, and it certainly makes for a unique representation of a local deity on provincial coinage. I was able to find a few other varieties showing this temple by searching here and Wildwinds, and I’d love to see any other examples of related coins.[/QUOTE]
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