A new type of Claudius Attalus for Nikopolis

[Jochen]

Dear friends of Nikopolis!

Here I want to post a new type for Commodus of Nikopolis struck under governor Claudius Attalus. Sadly the coin is very worn. But after some days of inspection I think I got it:

Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Commodus, 177-192
AE 29, 9.01g, 29.11mm, 180°
struck under governor Claudius Attalus
obv. AVT K L AVR - KOMODOC
         Bust, draped and cuirassed, laureate, r.
rev.: [HGE KL ATTALOV NIKOPOLI PROC?] / ICTRON
         Emperor, holding spear, on horse advancing r. at a walk
ref. a) not in AMNG
      b) not in Varbanov
      c) not in Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov (2017)
      probably unpublished
extremely rare (R10), F+/F-, dark green patina

The coins of Claudius Attalus for Nikopolis are rare per se. This type seems to be a new one. The rev. legend is a bit uncertain. I think I could recognize the H of HGE and the letters K L ATTALOV N match the remains of the rev. legend. The end of NIKOPOLITWN I couldn't not determine. It could be all between NIKOPO and NIKOPOLITWN where the last one is too long. The other 2 types which are known for Attalus have NEIKOPOL and NIKOPOLI.

Best regards

[clueless]

Nice find !

Cheers,

Clueless

[Joe Sermarini]

Are you confident it is genuine? It looks possibly cast. If it is, the obverse and reverse might be from different coins. Also the legends may have been modified.

[Jochen]

Dear Joe!

That's the problem. I have grave doubts about ist authenticity.

Best regards

[Joe Sermarini]

I think your doubts are justified.

[Meepzorp]

Hi Jochen,

I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but I have a Roman Provincial AE coin from Epiros, Nikopolis (same city name, different country) with a similar reverse. My coin depicts Augustus on the obverse. However, it is a posthumous issue minted under Commodus (the same emperor that issued your coin).

Here is my coin (first coin):

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

Coincidence?

Meepzorp

[Jochen]

Hi Meepzorp!

Thank you for your post. The motive "Emperor on horseback", galloping or pacing is a standard motive. So it has not been necessary to copy it from another type. Because the rev. legend of my coin is very long I think it bears the name of the issuing authority.

Best regards

[curtislclay]

I would doubt that the coin is of Claudius Attalus at Nicopolis, since its obverse seems quite different from the coin of Attalus at Nicopolis on Wildwinds, which I think may now be in Jochen's collection (first picture below).

Maybe this is a coin of another mint, with a different ethnic continuing into the exergue, which has been altered on Jochen's new specimen into ICTPON.

Anchialus, Hadrianopolis, and Philippopolis all issued coins similar to Jochen's with Emperor on horseback reverse for Commodus; see example for Philippopolis below (CNG E395, 12 April 2017, 266). However after some searching I have not found a coin which matches Jochen's so closely that it appears to be the original type from which Jochen's coin was tooled.

[Jochen]

Dear Curtis!

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

Best regards