A lesson in die matching

[Bacchus]

Here I discovered the benefits of die matching in examining coins of the Provincial series.

This first coin I bought as there was the possibility it could have been a Diadumenian - though two dies that I had never before seen.  The coin was reasonably well preserved with only the first part of the obverse legend missing (quite an important bit though) and while the photo was small the head was bare and youthful and similar (ish) to a 4 asaria example from the same mint that I remembered.  It was already attributed to Diadumenian and while I wasn't entirely convinced, could not afford to let the possibility go by.

Province  Moesia Inferior
City  Nicopolis ad Istrum
Size (mm)  18
Weight (g)  3.32
Die Axis  180
Tariff  1 assarion
Ob. Leg.  [...]LI ANTWNINO-[C]
Ob. Desc.  Bare head right – seen from behind
Rev. Leg.  [NIKOPOLI]T  PROC ICTR
Rev. Desc.  Tyche standing left holding rudder in right hand and cornucopia in left arm

As it turns out the Obverse legend was wrong - it was not LI but AI --  however


This second coin I spotted (unattributed) and thought - "I recognise that obverse die"  In this one the missing letters are determinable and so I could fill in the blanks of the first one.



Province  Moesia Inferior
City  Nicopolis ad Istrum
Size (mm)  18
Weight (g)  2.25
Die Axis  160
Tariff  1 assarion
Ob. Leg.  M AV P KAI ANTWNINO-[C]
Ob. Desc.  Bare head right – seen from behind
Rev. Leg.  NIKOPOLIT  PROC ICTRO
Rev. Desc.  Apollo standing left holding patera and branch

Now it is clear that both coins are those of Caracalla.  The second is Varbanov 2968.

Malcolm

[Bacchus]

The obvberse die did remind me of this coin - which is why I did not immediately discount the possibility of a Diadumenian.

Province  Moesia Inferior
City  Nicopolis ad Istrum
Size (mm)  27
Weight (g)  12.57
Die Axis  0
Tariff  4 assaria
Governor  Marcus Claudius Agrippa
Ob. Leg.  K M OPPEL ANTWNI DIADOVMENIAN-OC
Ob. Desc.  Bare headed bust right
Rev. Leg.  VP AGRIPPA NIKOPOLITWN
Rev. Desc.  Zeus standing facing, half naked, shouldering his mantle, holding sceptre in left hand and patera in right hand.
References; H. D. Rauch Mail Bid Sale 10 No. 224; AMNG I 1793, p.457; 


Malcolm

[whitetd49]

Good eye and a valueable lesson.  The portrait on that first coin looks nothing like Caracalla.  Without your detective work, I would not have thought twice about accepting it as Diadumenian.

[slokind]

Difficult, indeed.  And yet, there are Caracalla Caesar denarii that could have been the models for yours (attached).  Also, usually you can perceive that Diadumenian will have his father's nose, while Caracalla's brow slopes more.  Pat L.
It is this one:
• 15 03 01 AR denarius.  Caracalla as Caesar, draped bust to r.  M AVR ANTONINVS (divided over head?) CAES.  Rev. Minerva stg l. leaning on reversed spear and resting r. on her shield.  SECVRITAS PERPETVA.  RIC 2 and, with a different obverse die, pl. XI, 7.

[Pscipio]

These young Caracalla portraits with pointy nose remind me of a coin I should have purchased, some years ago, but I hesitated too long, so somebody else (I don't recall if it was somebody from the boards) took it with him. Nikopolis, Nemesis reverse, AE17, 2.68 g. One of my favorite little AE obverse dies.

Lars

[Jochen]

Hi Lars!

That was me, sorry.

Best regards

[Pscipio]

That comes as no surprise, but at least it has a good home then. Nothing to apologize for!

Lars