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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ardatirion, post: 1663070, member: 9204&quot;]Most ancient coin collectors are familiar with the Roman issues of Alexandria. In this provincial capital, the emperors struck chalkoi to drachms in bronze, and tetradrachms in silver or billon, with tetradrachms produced until the reign of Diocletian. Production of the bronze denominations dropped off dramatically during the second century. And yet, papyri continued to record the use of these small coins. It is apparent that locally issued lead coins took their place. </p><p><br /></p><p>The first I have to show is from Antinoöpolis, the city founded by Hadrian on the spot of Antinoös&#039; drowning. Dealers sometimes date these to the life of Antinoös but the RY 2 date obviously precludes this chronology.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18271/Antinoopolis_-.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><b>EGYPT, Antinoöpolis</b></p> <p style="text-align: center"><b></b>Late 2nd-3rd century AD</p> <p style="text-align: center">PB Tessera (23mm, 5.21 g, 1 h)</p> <p style="text-align: center">[Dated RY 2 of an uncertain era?]</p> <p style="text-align: center">Draped bust of Antinoös right, wearing <i>hem-hem</i> crown; crescent before, [Θω behind]</p> <p style="text-align: center">Nike advancing left, holding palm frond and wreath; L [B flanking?]</p> <p style="text-align: center">Milne -; Dattari (Savio) 11655; Köln 3560 var. (size)</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left">Aproditopolis was a town in Upper Egypt. </p> <p style="text-align: left"><br /></p></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18271/Aphroditopolis.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><b>EGYPT, Aphroditopolis</b></p> <p style="text-align: center">PB Tessera (13mm, 1.78 g)</p> <p style="text-align: center">Eros standing left, stooping over bird to left</p> <p style="text-align: center">Head of hippocamp right (or swan right?)</p> <p style="text-align: center">Milne 5325-9; Dattari (Savio) 11856-7; Köln -; Rostowzew &amp; Prou 714 (dolphin)</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center">The reverse type here more closely resembles a swan than it does a hippocamp. While the swan is a symbol of Aphrodite, Dattari (Savio) 11857 clearly shows the head a hippocamp. It is possible that these are two distinct types.</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Arsinoe, located between Lake Meroe and the Nile, was a major cult center and home to the temple of the crocodile god Sobek. While it was the capital of the Arsinoe nome, this piece clearly demonstrates that the lead tesserae were issued by the cities, not the nomes, as many assume. The specimen below is undoubtedly the finest known and is arguably the best piece in my collection.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18271/normal_Arsinoe_tessera.JPG" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><b>EGYPT, Arsinoe (Krokodilopolis)</b></p> <p style="text-align: center">PB Tessera (25mm, 5.65 g, 12 h)</p> <p style="text-align: center">Head of pharoah right, wearing <i>nemes </i>crown; papyrus branch before</p> <p style="text-align: center">ΠΟΛЄωC ΑΡCЄΝΟЄΙΤωΝ (retrograde)</p> <p style="text-align: center">Sobek (crocodile) right on a pedestal, solar disk above; all within laurel wreath tied at the bottom</p> <p style="text-align: center">Milne -; Dattari (Savio) 6423; Köln 3495</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p> <p style="text-align: center">Ex Elsen 58 (12 June 1999), lot 1634</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ll continue later this week. If anyone has any other <b>NON-ALEXANDRIAN</b> provincial coins of Roman Egypt, I&#039;d love for you to share them in this thread![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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