Early Imperial (?) bronze from Macedonia

[Adalbertus]

Dear Collegues,
Any clues about this coin? It was found within Early Imperial context in Roman settlement on Vardar/Axios.
weight: 4,19g; diam.: 1,63cm
I would be grateful for any clues, as it is very important to interpret a key archaeological stratum.
PS. I'm sorry for poor quality photo, it still waits to be photographed by professional.

[shanxi]

The reverse reminds me of Demeter with torches driving a biga of serpents. There is such a type from Thessalonica.

But I am by no means sure, and I can´t find a head left.

[Pekka K]

Caligula / Nike, Thrace, similar to this:
(Different placing of legends)

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3287618

Pekka K

[Meepzorp]

The reverse reminds me of Demeter with torches driving a biga of serpents. There is such a type from Thessalonica.

But I am by no means sure, and I can´t find a head left.

Hi shanxi,

I think this is the coin you are thinking of (scroll down, second coin):

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/meepzorp/rp_macedon_pt06.htm

Pekka's attribution seems to be correct.

Meepzorp

[SC]

It would help to know where along the Vardar / Axios it was found.  It is a long river, and as far as I can tell the only cities right along it (or close to it) that struck coinage were, from north to south, Stobi, Pella and Thessalonika.  

I don't think that is a figure in a biga (like the Demeter in a biga from Thessalonica).  The "wheel" is set well behind the figure, and if you look where it is aligned it appears that it might be part (the start ?) of the legend.  I think the figure is Nike (or Victory), not Demeter.

Take a look at the obverse legend of RPC 1626, a coin for Augustus from Amphipolis.  It uses the same "wheel" symbol for the theta in        .  In fact the obverse has some other similarities.

More importantly, reverses from Thessalonica struck under the Julio-Claudians often have soething like   on the reverse.

Nike was common at Stobi, where it was almost the only type used after Marcus Aurelius.  However, Stobi does not appear to have struck coins until Vespasian and the bust looks distinctly Julio-Caludian.  

Nike was also common at Thessalonica, which struck coins from before Augustus.  There was a Nike used for a coin struck under Marc Antony and Octavian, then for a smaller denomination under Nero, then it was a common type under the Flavians, Antonines and Severans.

To me the obverse appears to have TIB on the left and IOC on the right.  TIBEPIOC  

An unlisted or imitative issue for Tiberius (or for Augustus or Claudius if my eyes are decieving me on the TIB) struck at Thessalonica??

Shawn

[shanxi]

Hi shanxi,

I think this is the coin you are thinking of (scroll down, second coin):

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/meepzorp/rp_macedon_pt06.htm

Pekka's attribution seems to be correct.

Meepzorp

Yes, I thought there is a wheel, but as otlichnik stated it is probably part of the legend. Pekka K´s Nike fits better.

[Adalbertus]

First I'd like to thank you all for valuable input.
The coin is from Negotino Gradishte (supposedly Antigonea ad Axios, but very unlikely) in Republic of Macedonia. Numerous coins from all the minting centres you mentioned, Stobi, Pella, Thessaloniki and Amphipolis, were found there (see S. Bitrak, N.V. Sekunda, "Coins from Excavations at Negotino Gradište, 2009-2011", Numismatic Chronicle 175 (2015), pp.345-356).
I'm really glad, as identification you proposed goes well with other finds from the context, that is fragments of Arretine Ware dated for AD 30-40s.
Regards,
Adalberrtus