Hallo!
This coin is on the way to me:
Moesia inferior,
Nikopolis ad Istrum,
Diadumenian, AD 217-218
AE 27, 12.45g
issued under governor
Marcus Claudius AgrippaObv.: M OΠEΛΛI [ΔI] - AΔOVMENIANOC K
Bust, draped and
cuirassed, seen from behind, bare-headed, r.
Rev: VP A[ΓPIΠΠA NIKO]ΠOΛITΩN / ΠPOC ICT
Youthful
river god, in hip dress and with
chlamys, which is fallen
down from
his left shoulder, std. l., resting with right
arm on
Prora behind him and holding in
his left
arm aquatic
plant; the left
hand rests on unknown object
Ref: a)
AMNG I/1, 1807, plate XVIII, 4 (1 ex., in trade, same die)
b)
Varbanov 3645 (same dies)
c) Hristova/Hioeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.25.32.3
corr. d)
Megaw NIK4.38e (shown in
HrHJ!)
rare, F+, pretty green
patina, somewhat eccentric, legends partly unreadable
It is certainly the representation of a
river god, although here the vessel from which the water usually flows is missing. But the water
plant in the left
arm and the
Prora in the background leave no doubt. Because of the
Prora it will be a navigable river, which here would be the Ister (Danube).
But the further description of the details on the back
side causes problems:
(1) What
Megaw called
Thyrsos, I think is most likely a
Chlamys, which falls down from
his left shoulder.
(2) But what is the
river god sitting on? At least he is not sitting on the ground. But it is
nor a rock, as
Megaw means. The easiest way to do it is for those who have omit naming it completely.
(3) On what does he rests the left
arm? The object seems to be hollow. An
urn, like some mean? I guess not because the flowing water is missing. A
ton or a barrel? A
shield? That would be very unusual.
Then I found Pick's note at
AMNG I/1 no. 1698 for
Macrinus, where he says that it reminds him of a Kline also known from
river god representations from
Thrace. In addition fits that I see quite clearly 2-3 feet of a seat and left in front of it possibly 2 pillows. With the badly drawn support of the left
arm the back of the Kline could be meant then, whereby the die cutter mixed up the back of the Kline and an
urn, which otherwise occurs frequently. Another mistake is the distance of the left
arm from the round support, so that it does not rest at all.
I have coloured the critical parts:
(a) yellow: feet of the seat
(b) green: questionable pillows
(c) blue: unknown object
(d) orange:
Chlamys(e) white: aquatic
plantWhat do you think of this explanation? I would be happy about any opinion!
Best regards
