Tyre Caracalla Tetradrachm and Antioch Gordian III AR Antoninianus

ANCIENT ROMAN EMPIRE

So, what do you guys think of these coins?
I have been watching the Caracalla tet for a while now, and only now had the money to spare, I just LOVE the eagle, and the murex shell on it, and think the history with the murex shell is all very cool and interesting. I have also never seen a frontal bust quite like this of Caracalla on a tyre tetradrachm.

Can anyone tell me the regnal year on the reverse of this coin?

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Roman Empire, Tyre, Phoenicia. Emperor Caracalla
Silver Tetradrachm, Tyre Mint - 213 - 217 A.D.

obv: Laureate bust of Emperor right, cuirassed and seen from the front.
rev: Eagle standing on club facing, wings spread, tail and head left, wreath in beak, murex shell between legs

13.4 Grams, Diameter 26.5 mm
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and also, I really have wanted a good Gordian III Antioch Antoninianus with a nice cuirassed bust, and I found one, for a very good price too, I like it alot. Silver looks nice it has a pretty nice bust, great cuirass with even some design left and visible above the shoulder flaps on the cuirass.
It is RIC 216 I believe.

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Emperor Gordian III ( 238 - 244 A.D. )
Silver Antoninianus
Antioch Mint, 242 - 244 A.D.

obv: IMP GORDIANUS PIUS FEL AUG - Radiate bust right, cuirassed.
rev: SAECULI FELICITAS - Emperor Gordian III standing facing right, in military attire, holding spear and globe.
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So what do you all think of my coins?

 

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No comments? I was just wondering whether the Tetradrachm has a regnal year on it, and if so what.

I think the Gordian coin goes nicely with my other Gordian III Antoninianii. I have a similar Emperor Standing from the Rome mint as well.

So first the one is the one from Antioch, 'SAECULI FELICITAS' and next two photos are of my Rome mint 'PM TR P V COS II PP' Antoninianiii of Gordian, and last, my Victoria reverse of AD 238.

The Rome Mint Emperor standing coin weighs 4.51 grams and the Victoria Aug weighs 5.49 grams.

 

Love the bust on the first one.

 

I'll help bump this up, great coins btw!

 

***Different Caracalla Tetradrachm

Can anyone give me any info on this particular Caracalla tetradrachm? the only info I have is that it weighs 14.5 grams.

Is this an Antioch mint issue?

obv: Laureate head right.
rev: Eagle standing on animal leg facing, head right, wings spread, wreath in beak

 

Nice addition, cool eagle!

 

Gracias! I am hoping to find out which mint it is from. I was thinking Antioch, but Caracalla Tets are still a bit new to me.

 

Tyre Tetradrachm - New photos.

I took some new photos of my Caracalla Tetradrachm from Tyre, does anyone know when this was struck?



Also does anyone have an idea of which mint my other Caracalla Tetradrachm in the post above is from?

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1 - The first photo is of the Tyre Tetradrachm (13.379 Grams) next to a Gordian III AR Antoninianus (4.51 Grams) to show the size difference.

2 - The second photo shows on top my Caracalla AR Denarius w/ 'PROFECTIO AUG' reverse, and below to the right is my Caracalla AR Antoninianus(5.2 grams) - Radiate bust right, seen from the front, w/ 'VENVS VICTRIX' reverse. And to the left of the Antoninianus is the Tyre Tetradrachm of Caracalla, kinda bad angles, and the coins are in flips, but shows the size difference

The rest are all of the Tyre Tetradrachm of Caracalla.

 

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This is not my specialty but I believe no symbol under the eagle means Antioch and Upa to D = COS IIII so 213 to the end of the reign.

 

So the tetradrachms in the east were made to compete with Parthian Tets, or were the locals just used to that denomination from the Greeks? I have some Parthian Tets, one Sassanid one, (Artishir), and a few Roman provincial ones. I was just wondering the purpose of the denomination. I also have some Athenian Tets, were these coins effectively made on those weight standards?

 

I believe it is the other way around. The Parthians did not use tets but made some in the western part of their realm for the use of subject people there who were into that system. There were several weight standards of these coins and I am not good at such matters (there is a Yahoo group for people who are). Athenian tets were 16g of good silver; the worst were 12g of not so pure silver. The way the rest fit together in a system made moneychanging a profitable occupation.

 

Well on the first one, which is from Tyre, the symbol under the Eagle, between it's legs is a Murex shell. On the other one the Eagle is standing on the leg and thigh of a sacrificial animal...
So you think that the lack of anything between the legs of the eagle or beneath signifies Antioch?

The second one I posted, the one that is NOT from Tyre, also seems to have what looks like a slightly younger portrait of Caracalla, so I was wondering if it was possibly struck either when he was co-emperor with his brother, or before that.... but after looking at the titles on the obverse, they seem to say he is Emperor. Having the title Autocrat.