Vespasian and The Temple of Love

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by David Atherton, Jun 6, 2017.

  1. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Flavian tetradrachms from Cyprus are fairly scarce. So, I was quite thrilled to have won this coin recently at auction.

    RPC1803.jpg Vespasian
    AR Tetradrachm, 12.09g
    Antioch mint (for Cyprus), 75-76 AD
    RPC 1801 (17 spec.)
    Obv: AYTOKPATΩP OYЄCΠACIANOC KAICAP; Head of Vespasian, laureate, l.
    Rev: ЄTOYC NЄOY IЄPOY; Temple of Aphrodite at Paphos, in which conical xoanon; in exergue, H
    Ex Pegasi Numismatics VAuctions 36, 23 May 2017, lot 324

    Antioch struck a small issue of tetradrachms and didrachms for Cyprus in the mid 70s AD. The reverse types are typically ethnic, such as this coin's depiction of the Temple of Aphrodite at Paphos struck in 75 or 76. The famous temple figures prominently in Flavian lore as the place where Titus Caesar received a favourable oracle from the priest Sostratus in the early part of 69 prior to Vespasian's bid for the purple. The island experienced a devastating earthquake in late 77 or early 78 that destroyed three of her major cities. The temple shown on this coin was destroyed as well, but soon after was lavishly rebuilt in a similar design.

    All that remains today of the famous shrine are a few columns.

    temple aphrodite paphos.jpg


    Feel free to post any Cypriot or temple coins.
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2017
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  3. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Interesting coin and informative write-up! This is what ancient numismatics is all about!
     
  4. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Love the portrait. For a patrician he sure had a great Roman nose.
     
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  5. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Soaemias Sebaste Temple.jpg
    Julia Soaemias, AD 218-222
    Roman Provincial AE 21.4 mm, 12.48 g
    Samaria, Sebaste, AD 218-222
    Obv: SVAEMIAS AVGVSTA SEB, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
    Rev: COL L SE BASTE, temple of the Capitoline Jupiter with four columns; Jupiter standing in center between Athena and Hera. Wreath within pediment
    Ref: Rosenberger-36 (die match)

    Caracalla and Domna Markianopolis.jpg
    Caracalla & Julia Domna, AD 198-217
    Roman provincial AE Pentassarion; 12.01 g, 25.5 mm
    Moesia Inferior, Markianopolis. Magistrate Quintilianus, AD 212-217*
    Obv: ANTΩNINOC AVΓOVCTOC IOVΛIA DOMNA, confronted busts of Caracalla and Julia Domna
    Rev: VΠ KVNTIΛIANOV MARKIANOΠOΛITΩN, tetrastyle temple with peaked roof, statue of Serapis within holding hand upraised & scepter, ϵ to left.
    Refs: Moushmov-508; AMNG-688; BMC 3, 30, 19 var.; SNG Evelpidis 812; Lindgren II 713

    *From Selatie Stout, The Governors of Moesia, p. 101: "This governor is known only from coins of Antoninus Pius Augustus and Domna. These determine his date to be between 201, when Caracalla received the title Pius, and 217, when he died. The absence of coins of Severus and Geta make it probable that the date is between 212 and 217, during the sole reign of Caracalla."
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2017
  6. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    What an excellent find! I've never seen that reverse type in silver before.
     
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  7. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    Congrats David !! What a cool and interesting coin!!
     
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  8. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Love the heafty portrait, cool reverse too. Nice addition, as usual.
     
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  9. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Great catch David. I love the left facing portrait.
     
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  10. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    I REALLY like the very ancient Xoanon reverse! I only have one coin with that device and it is very special... Killer capture! Wow David!
     
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  11. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Yeah, it's a device you don't often see on coins.

    Today, the meteoric stone is housed in a museum near the ruins.

    Paphian_Stone_of_Aphrodite.jpg
     
  12. Nemo

    Nemo Well-Known Member

    Very nice catch David, not easy to find. I think the Cyprus issues are very appealing. I've come up the underbidder on that type a couple times. Here's one I did manage to grab a while back. One of these days I'll take another photograph with proper lighting.
    VespCyp.jpg
    Vespasian, 69-79 AD. AR Tetradrachm, 28 mm 12.94, Uncertain Cypriot mint, struck 75-76 A.D.

    O: Laureate head left, AVTOKPATΩP OVЄCΠACIANOC KAICAP
    R: Zeus Salaminios standing facing, holding patera in right hand, left hand resting on a short sceptre; eagle on left arm. ЄTOVC NЄOV IЄPOV H

    RPC 1801, Prieur 1561, BMC 21
     
  13. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    Awesome coin David! I have an Augustus from Paphos with this reverse but it's not much to see.

    So here's a temple from Aelia Capitolina.
    Clipboard4~4.jpg
    Judaea, Aelia Capitolina(Jerusalem), Diadumenian AE24
    Obv: M OPEL DIADV-MENIANVS C. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right – seen from behind.
    Rev: COL AEL CAP COMM / PF. Tetrastyle temple with Tyche-Astarte standing left, right foot on uncertain object, holding sceptre with left hand, uncertain object in r., statues of Nike on either side.
    24mm, 7.97g.
     
  14. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
    Vespasianus (69-79) - AR Tetradrachm (uncertain mint, RY H = 8 (AD 75-6), 13.01 gr.) - Laureate head left / Temple of Aphrodite at Paphos, conical xoanon within (BMC 17) - a.VF / rare

    not my coin
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2017
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  15. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    what a cool reverse!

    so can one of you explain this xoanon thing> i don't think i understand it. is it a statue? or a meteor? or a thing that held a meteor?
     
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  16. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    An xoanon is a primitive cult image, in this it's case a meteorite.
     
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  17. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Awesome coin!! So cool that the stone is still extant. (I've often wondered what became of the stone of Emesa.)

    Just picked up this Cypriot Ptolemaic:
    3980345.jpg
    PTOLEMAIC KINGS of EGYPT. Ptolemy III Euergetes. 246-222 BC. Æ Dichalkon (15.5mm, 3.17 g, 11h). Salamis (Cyprus) mint. Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right / Cult statue of Aphrodite Cypria standing facing on low basis. Svoronos 1008; SNG Copenhagen 647.
     
  18. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    A neat addition David!
     
  19. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    I love your latest addition - coins that show something that is still there are just great, ya know?
     
  20. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    I highly recommend Marvin Tameanko's Monumental Coins: Buildings & Structures on Ancient Coinage. A wonderful book written with charm and passion.
     
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  21. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

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