So I suppose tastes just fall into line and maybe they select you. I find myself drawn to Trajan coins and the time period. I mean, height of the Roman world arguably. The column is tremendous. Wish the library of Hadrian was more intact surrounding it. But alas. Alexandrian Imperial Tetradrachms are great large coins with some interesting reverse designs. This one arrived today from Savoca. Only found one other variety of this type with the LIE to the right of the snake. Most seem to be L -- IE or below the snake. Traianus, 98-117. Billion-tetradrachm, year 15 (= 111/112), Alexandria; 12.89 g, 23mm. Obv. Head r. with laurel wreath AVT TRAIAN CEB ΓEPM ΔAKIK Rev. Agathodaemon serpent standing erect, head crowned, holding caduceus and grain ears. LIЄ (= yr. 15 = A.D. 111/12) Dattari 6889; Geissen verl. 570; Kampmann/Ganschow compare 27.370, Emmett 369; Curtis 312 As always, any corrections on attribution welcomed. Egyptian snakes are iconic. What others do you have?
Very nice addition. Hadrian (117 - 138 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: AYT KAI-TPAI AΔPIA CEB, Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. R: L Δ_EK_ATOY Agathodaemon erect right at left, wearing skhent and enfolding caduceus, facing Uraeus erect left at right, wearing disk and horns, enfolding sistrum, their tails knotted together and holding a club erect. Alexandria Mint, 125/126 (Year 10) 10.6g 19.5mm Emmett 804 Dattari 1552; BMC 668; Milne 1164; Curtis 351; Demetrio 1247 Rare The Caluceus refers to Hermanubis, the Sistrum is a symbol for Isis and the Club refers to Harpocrates Nero (54 - 68 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: NEΡΩ KΛAY KAIS SEBA GEP AVTO, laureate head right. R: NEO AGAQ DAIM, Agathodaemon serpent, coiled with head up, holding poppies and grain ears, L ς (date) to left. Year 6. 23mm 13.11g Milne 203; Emmett 106.6 (R4) ; RPC 5260 The Agathodaemon was a good spirit/demon that was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. He had the shape of a serpent with a human head. The Greek inscription on the reverse of this coin shows that this is the "neo" or "new" agathodaemon serpent, or, in other words, the new good spirit (of rule by Nero). Antoninus Pius (138 - 161 A.D.) AE diobol EGYPT, Alexandria O:Laureate bust r., drapery on l. shoulder. R: Agathodaemon erect, crowned with skhent; in field, L-IE. issued 151-2 (year 15) 7.45g 23mm RPC Online 15718 (this coin), Dattari-Savio Pl. 162, 3066 (this coin). From the Dattari collection. From the Orfew collection, ex Naville 34 lot 281, 17.09.2017. Giovanni Dattari assembled what was undoubtedly the best ever collection of Imperial-era Alexandrian coins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; see Lucia Carbone, “Giovanni Dattari and His Fabled Collection of Alexandrian Coins,” ANS Journal (Issue 2, 2018), pp. 6-27.
