Hi All,
I have a
head of Zeus/seated
Zeus bronze on which I would like an opinion – but first some information:
E T
Newell, in
his article “The Pre-Imperial Coinage of
Roman Antioch (1919)”, identifies a
Tetradrachm of
Augustus dated 20BC. The
style of the coin is
head of Augustus/seated
Zeus and he places it between the
posthumous issue of Philip dated 21BC and other similar issues of Philip dated after 20BC (one dated 17BC). This places the
Augustus Tetradrachm in between
posthumous issues of Philip and
Newell suggests that the new design was a one year “commemorative” issued for the visit of
Augustus to
Antioch in that year and that after
his departure the old
Seleucid type was once more revived. Full information relating to the exact method of dating the
Tetradrachm of 20BC is in the link below.
However
Butcher and Ponting, in their article “The Silver Coinage of
Roman Syria under the
Julio-Claudian Emperors (2009)”, specifies that the first
Antioch Tetradrachm to bear the
portrait of
Augustus (seated
Zeus reverse) was dated to 5BC. They make no mention of the Augustan
portrait coin of 20BC, in fact, such a coin appears to have been unknown to them.
Now back to my original request: the photos below are of two '
head of Zeus/seated
Zeus' bronzes of
Antioch which are year 30 (lambda) and date to 20BC. As far as I know, these are unique in this series of bronzes in that the date is shown in the left
field and not, as all others are, in the
exergue. My question is whether this “one off” design is also a special issue for the visit of
Augustus.
I would appreciate your opinions.
All the best,
ColLinks:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/42663760?seq=1&loggedin=true#page_scan_tab_contentshttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/228627301_The_Silver_Coinage_of_Roman_Syria_Under_the_Julio-Claudian_Emperors