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Author Topic: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch  (Read 2237 times)

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Offline curtislclay

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Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« on: February 14, 2008, 10:56:54 am »
This coin belongs to Chinamul in the German Numismatikforum; he asked there for a citation and the correct reading of the legend below the arch on the reverse.

I found that this identical coin seems to be shown in the Complete Catalogue of the Dattari Collection, pl. 54, 7195.  The Dattari Collection of Alexandrian coins, by far the best and most complete ever formed, was dispersed through various European dealers and auction catalogues in the early 1970s, and apparently this rare Trajan drachm from the collection was eventually acquired by Chinamul.

Emmett 603 cites this drachm, year 12, legend BALINHOY in rev. exergue, quoting Dattari 1088 in the 1901 catalogue, pl. XXVII. 

I wonder, however, (1) where Emmett got this legend, since it is not visible on the worn Dattari 1088, nor did Dattari himself see any legend there, and (2) what is BALINHOY supposed to mean?  Can anyone else propose another reading and explanation of the legend?

Chinamul asked me to pose these questions in the American Forvm too!
Curtis Clay

Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2008, 03:27:03 pm »
Curtis:

The inscription comes from Feuardent 982bis, where a long discussion of the reverse inscription is inserted after the coin description. I will cut and paste the description later as it continues onto three pages of the catalogue. I am not sure if the reverse type  represents a triumphal arch or a nyphaeum. As with any unique inscription, I can not be certain that the reading of the inscription is correct.

Christiansen in The Roman Coins of Alexandria gives a Nyphaeum and a Triumphal Arch in year 12 but he assigns F982bis to a triumphal arch. Mionnet (volume 6)- 620bis might be a variety of the pictured coin, without an inscription. There are numerous coin citations in Christiansen which can be checked, including some in Paris (likely now in SNG France) and the ANS. To properly identify the reverse type would likely take a few hours of research.

In Emmett, when the inscription is completely in round brackets, it usually indicates that either some specimens have the inscriptions and others do not, or that the inscription is not confirmed.

The proposed translation in Emmett (page 282) is "bath house?"

When I have more time I will comment more fully on this type.

Iwaniw

Offline archivum

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2008, 03:46:22 pm »
Then "bath house" would presumably gloss the transcription BALNEION or maybe BALNEIOY (?), a tolerable match for what's still there to see.
Temper thy haste with sloth -- Taverner / Erasmus.

Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2008, 05:30:21 pm »
I thought I saw another specimen, so I am adding it to the discussion: Sotheby (Junfleisch collection: 9 March 1972 -- lot 53. The inscription given in the catalogue is: ROLANHOS (?),
but looks more like: BOLANHOV. Comparing with Chinamul's coiin, perhaps: BALANHOV?

This type looks more like a triumphal arch. Apparently, the Feuardent specimen is missing from it's place in Athens, according to Christiansen.


**edit: it actually is a little different from  a triumphal arch: it lacks the arches and it looks more like a temple, but with the usual triumphal arch top**

Iwaniw

Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2008, 06:03:56 pm »
Here's the Feuardent discussion:

Iwaniw

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2008, 10:57:42 am »
Iwaniw,

Thanks for answering my first two questions, where Emmett's reading of the inscription came from and what it might mean.  I am also interested to see the Jungfleisch specimen of the same coin.

In my opinion the main question, however, still remains unanswered:  what is the correct reading of the inscription, and what does it mean?  A couple of letters are unclear on the Jungfleisch specimen, and the inscription there may also be somewhat tooled.  Neither of Feuardent's interpretations, "baths" or "palace", seems convincing.

Hopefully a specimen with clear inscription will turn up someday, or somebody will come up with a compelling interpretation which shows us what the inscription must be on the specimens already known!
Curtis Clay

Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2008, 08:59:02 am »
Curtis:

I do not think the reverse type is a triumphal arch, even though it resembles one. There is something in the center of the building, but I can not identify. My only guess is that the type may be a decorative fountain.

Let us known if anything interesting appears on the German forum.

Iwaniw

Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2008, 05:02:46 pm »
I am adding some pictures of some other types that were issued in Trajan's 12 regnal year.

Picture 1= SNG France 1058 (type without inscription)

Picture 2= SNG France 1279 (date unknown) with standing figure

Picture 3= Dattari 1101 (Fountain or Nyphaeum) Three? standing figures

Picture 4= SNG France 1067 (variety of picture 3) Likely Mionnet 620 bis with single standing figure

Pictures 3 and 4 following this posting

Iwaniw

Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2008, 05:05:40 pm »
Pictures 3 and 4:


Offline iwaniw

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Re: Trajan Alexandrian drachm with labeled triumphal arch
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2008, 06:00:54 pm »
In Susan Handler's article: Architecture on the Roman Coins of Alexandria,  plate ii- coin 24, is another specimen without the inscription. The source of the picture is not given, but I suspect it is SNG France--1058 -- although it is a much clearer picture.

SNG France--1279 is also discussed and unlike the SNG France volume, it states the other known specimen is in the ANS and that specimen is of year 13. So very likely the ANs specimen is 1944.100.56262. The ANS database does not describe the statue.

Although MS. Handler illustrates many temples of Sarapis, she apparently missed the interesting ANS specimen (this type is also found in the BMC and Dattari collections), which likely is a more accurate picture of the Sarapeum.

Iwaniw

 

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