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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Types| ▸ |Architecture||View Options:  |  |  |   

Architecture on Ancient Coins
Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Ephesos, Ionia

|Claudius|, |Claudius,| |25| |January| |41| |-| |13| |October| |54| |A.D.,| |Ephesos,| |Ionia||cistophorus|
In 30/29 B.C., the Koinon of Asia and Bithynia requested permission to honor the Augustus as a living god. "Republican" Rome despised the worship of a living man, but an outright refusal might offend their loyal allies. A cautious formula was drawn up, non-Romans could establish cults and build temples for divus Augustus jointly with dea Roma. Communitas Asiae (Community of Asia) was pro-consular Roman province comprised of Lydia, Iconia, Caria, Mysia, Phrygia, and Hellespontus.
SL113456. Silver cistophorus, RPC Online I 2221, RIC I 120 (R3, Pergamon), RSC II 3, BMCRE I 228, SRCV I 1838, NGC F, strike 5/5, surface 3/5 (2400265-002), weight 10.53 g, maximum diameter 26 mm, die axis 180o, probably Ephesos (near Selçuk, Turkey) mint, 41 - 42 A.D.; obverse TI CLAVD CAES AVG, bare head left; reverse Temple of Roma and Augustus, two columns, podium with four steps, within temple Augustus and Roma stand facing, Augustus in military garb with spear in right hand and shield in left, Fortuna crowns him with wreath in right hand and holds cornucopia in left hand, ROM ET AVG (Roma and Augustus) on entablature, COM - ASI (Communitas Asiae) across field at center; from a Virginia Collector, ex Eastern Numismatics Inc. (Garden City, NY, 17 Jan 2013, $1695); NGC| Lookup; very rare; $1700.00 (€1598.00)
 


Crusaders, Principality of Achaea, William II of Villehardouin, 1245 - 1278

|Crusaders|, |Crusaders,| |Principality| |of| |Achaea,| |William| |II| |of| |Villehardouin,| |1245| |-| |1278||denier|
William of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea when his brother Geoffrey II died. He conquered the remaining territory of the Peloponnese and built the fortress of Mistra near Sparta. In 1249 he accompanied Louis IX of France on the Seventh Crusade, joining him in Cyprus with 400 knights and 28 ships. Louis gave him a license to mint coins in the style of royal French money. William defeated Venice in the War of the Euboeote Succession and defeated the Duke of Athens in 1258, reaffirming his power over the duchy. In 1259 he formed an alliance with the Byzantine Despotate of Epirus against Nicaea. He led the Achaean forces against the Nicaeans, but the Epirote army deserted and William was defeated. He fled and hid under a haystack, but was captured. He remained captive until 1262 and permanently lost all his power.
CR112805. Bronze denier, Malloy CCS p. 356, 3; Metcalf Crusades pl. 38, 877; Schlumberger p. 313 & pl. 12, 7; Tzamalis F56, aVF, centered, tight flan, center weak, edge ragged with splits, weight 0.702 g, maximum diameter 16.9 mm, Corinth mint, 1245 - 1278; obverse G•Π•AC-CA-IE•, long cross pattée, extending beyond inner circular border and dividing legend, right arm shorter making space for •; reverse COR/INT/Vm (squared legend, clockwise from 2:00, N appears as H, m appears as ligate on), fortified gateway with central tower surmounted by cross pattée flanked by pellets; $180.00 (€169.20)
 


Italy, Campobasso, Nicolas I of Montforte, 1422

|Italy|, |Italy,| |Campobasso,| |Nicolas| |I| |of| |Montforte,| |1422||tornese|
Robert of Anjou gave Campobasso as a fief to Richard de Montfort in 1326, to reward him for his loyalty. Nicolas I de Montfort was his descendant. Campobasso is the capital of the Molise region and of the province of Campobassoa in southern Italy; located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by the Sannio and Matese mountains. The main tourist attraction is the Castello Monforte, built by Nicolas II over Lombard or Norman ruins. The castle has Guelph merlons and stands on a commanding point, where traces of ancient settlements (including Samnite walls) have been found. The castle was rebuilt after the earthquakes in 1456 and 1805.
ME98087. Billon tornese, Biaggi 538 (R5); CNI XVIII p. 234, 10; cf. MIR 10 369 (stops, Nicolas II), MEC Italy III 938 (same), VF, well centered, light corrosion, light deposits, tiny edge crack, weight 0.673 g, maximum diameter 16.7 mm, die axis 180o, Campobasso mint, 1422; obverse * NICOLOA CONI * (closed C's and unbarred A, rosette stops), Châtel tournois topped with a cross; reverse + • CAmPIbASSI • (closed C and unbarred A's, pellet stops), cross pattée; ex Nomisma SpA (San Marino) auction 31 (Mar 2006), lot 325; very rare; $160.00 (€150.40)
 


Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Duchy of Athens, Guy II de La Roche, 1287 - 1308

|Crusaders|, |Crusaders,| |Frankish| |Greece,| |Duchy| |of| |Athens,| |Guy| |II| |de| |La| |Roche,| |1287| |-| |1308||denier|
Guy II de la Roche was the Duke of Athens from 1287, the last duke of his family. He succeeded as a minor on the death of his father, William I, at a time when the duchy of Athens had exceeded the Principality of Achaea in wealth, power, and importance. Guy was originally under the tutorship and regency of his mother, Helena Angelina Komnene, who was forced to make submission to Isabella of Villehardouin. In 1299, Guy was engaged to Matilda, daughter of Isabella and and her husband, Florent of Hainaut. Charles objected, as his permission had not been sought, but Pope Boniface VIII intervened on the young couple's behalf. In 1307, Guy was made bailli of Achaea by its new prince, Philip I of Taranto. He governed well, but for barely a year. He died, 5 October 1308, at the age of twenty-eight, but was respected and renowned for his chivalry and manners.Frankokratia_Map
CR113826. Billon denier, Metcalf Crusades pl. 42, 1078 (also no stops); Malloy CCS p. 388, 96, Choice VF, well centered, dark tone, clashed dies, encrustations, edge splits, weight 0.887 g, maximum diameter 20.5 mm, die axis 315o, Thebes mint, majority, 1294 - 1308; obverse +GVI DVX ATENES (no stops), cross pattée within inner border; reverse ThEBAHI CIVIS (no stops), castle tournois, surmounted by cross dividing legend, pierced mullet (heraldic six-pointed star-shaped spur rowel) below; ex Fritz Rudolf Künker auction 390 (24 Jun 2023), lot 3432 (part of); $140.00 (€131.60)
 


Antoninus Pius, August 138 - 7 March 161 A.D., Roman Egypt

|Roman| |Egypt|, |Antoninus| |Pius,| |August| |138| |-| |7| |March| |161| |A.D.,| |Roman| |Egypt||drachm|
"ALEXANDRIA (31°13'N, 29°55'E), was founded on the site of a fishing village at the mouth of the Nile in Egypt by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and after his death in 323 BC it was ruled by the Ptolemaic dynasty until Octavian seized it for Rome in 30 BC. Famous as an intellectual and trading center, it was the second largest city in the Roman Empire with a population of 500,000 at the time of Christ. It had long struck coins for Egyptian circulation, and briefly struck Imperial denarii (192-194) before Diocletian in 294 commenced normal imperial issues, continuing until 421 (and briefly under Leo I 457-474)." - from Moneta Historical Research by Tom Schroer
RX111023. Bronze drachm, RPC Online 13749/36 (this coin); Dattari-Savio 8855; Geissen 1672; SNG Milan 1299; BMC Alexandria p. 143, 1201; Emmett 1449, aVF, well centered, some corrosion/pitting, edge splits, obv. edge beveled, weight 27.079 g, maximum diameter 34.4 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 151 - 152 A.D.; obverse AVT K T AIΛ AΔP ANTWNINOC CEB EVC, laureate bust right, with aegis on far shoulder; reverse Peristyle altar of Agathodaemon, with four columns and garlanded entablature, female figure sacrificing within, burning pyre and acroteria in form of aphlasta above; L in exergue, I-E (year 15) across fields; ex Naville Numismatics 40 (27 May 2018), lot 298; ex Roma Numismatics e-auction 41 (2 Dec 2017), lot 491; $125.00 (€117.50)
 


Augustus, 16 January 27 B.C. - 19 August 14 A.D., Paphos, Cyprus

|Cyprus|, |Augustus,| |16| |January| |27| |B.C.| |-| |19| |August| |14| |A.D.,| |Paphos,| |Cyprus||hemiobol|
The 1.2 mm high gray-green conical stone, which once stood at the center of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Paphos, was found by archaeologists near the temple and is now in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia. It is not a meteorite.

Ritual prostitution seems to have been a significant part of the cult of Aphrodite at Paphos. It was said that every young maiden went once in her lifetime to the sanctuary to make love with a stranger. The man chose his maiden, and threw some money at her feet (the sum was unimportant) and pronounced the formula, "I invoke the goddess upon you." Beautiful maidens were able to fulfill their duty quickly, while the ugly had to wait sometimes as long as four years to get it over with.
ME113245. Bronze hemiobol, RPC Online I 3906; SNG Cop 69; BMC Cyprus, p. 73, 2; Mionnet III p. 671, 2; Waddington 4845; AMC I 727; Grant FITA 143; Amandry Cyprus 2a, aVF, dark patina, highlighting red earthen deposits, obv. edge beveled, weight 4.153 g, maximum diameter 17.2 mm, die axis 0o, Paphos mint, c. 21 - 20 B.C.; obverse DIVI F IMP CAESAR, head of Augustus right; reverse A PLAVTIVS PRO COS, temple of Aphrodite at Paphos, containing a conical xoanon within, and a semicircular entry courtyard; $120.00 (€112.80)
 


Antoninus Pius, August 138 - 7 March 161 A.D., 138 - 161 A.D., Zeugma, Commagene, Syria

|Roman| |Syria|, |Antoninus| |Pius,| |August| |138| |-| |7| |March| |161| |A.D.,| |138| |-| |161| |A.D.,| |Zeugma,| |Commagene,| |Syria||AE| |22|
Zeugma was founded by Seleucus I Nicator who almost certainly named the city Seleucia after himself. In 64 B.C. the city was conquered by Rome and renamed Zeugma, meaning "bridge of boats." On the Silk Road connecting Antioch to China, Zeugma had a pontoon bridge across the Euphrates, which was the long time border with the Persian Empire. The Legio IV Scythica was camped in Zeugma. The legion and the trade station brought great wealth to Zeugma until, in 256, Zeugma was fully destroyed by the Sassanid king, Shapur I. An earthquake then buried the city beneath rubble. The city never regained its earlier prosperity and, after Arab raids in the 5th and 6th centuries, it was abandoned again.
RP111648. Bronze AE 22, cf. SNG Hunter II 2633; RPC Online IV.3 T10693; BMC Galatia p. 124, 1, VF, dark patina, tight flan, some legend unstruck/off flan, weight 9.144 g, maximum diameter 21.5 mm, die axis 0o, Zeugma (Belkis, Turkey) mint, obverse AYTO KAI TI ANT AΔPIA ANTWNINOC CEB EYC (or similar, obscure), laureate head of Antoninus Pius right; reverse ZEVΓMATEWN (or similar), temple with four columns; on far side of a wall of two stories and a colonnaded peribolos containing grove, A in right field, all in laurel wreath; $70.00 (€65.80)
 


Probus, Summer 276 - September 282 A.D.

|Probus|, |Probus,| |Summer| |276| |-| |September| |282| |A.D.||antoninianus|
Roma was a female deity who personified the city of Rome and more broadly, the Roman state. The earliest certain cult to dea Roma was established at Smyrna in 195 B.C., probably to mark the successful alliance against Antiochus III. In 30/29 B.C., the Koinon of Asia and Bithynia requested permission to honor Augustus as a living god. "Republican" Rome despised the worship of a living man, but an outright refusal might offend their loyal allies. A cautious formula was drawn up, non-Romans could only establish a cult for divus Augustus jointly with dea Roma. In the city of Rome itself, the earliest known state cult to dea Roma was combined with Venus at the Hadrianic Temple of Venus and Roma. This was the largest temple in the city, probably dedicated to inaugurate the reformed festival of Parilia, which was known thereafter as the Romaea after the Eastern festival in Roma's honor. The temple contained the seated, Hellenised image of dea Roma with a Palladium in her right hand to symbolize Rome's eternity.
RA112893. Billon antoninianus, RIC V-2 737H; Cohen VI 556; Pink VI-1, p. 50; SRCV III -, aVF, well centered, green patina, scattered tiny pits, rev. a little rough, tiny edge cracks, weight 3.212 g, maximum diameter 22.4 mm, die axis 0o, 2nd officina, Siscia (Sisak, Croatia) mint, 277 A.D.; obverse IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, radiate bust left in consular robe, eagle-tipped scepter in right; reverse ROMAE AETERNAE (to eternal Rome), hexastyle temple, statue of Roma seated left inside, Victory in her right hand, long scepter vertical in her left hand, shield leaning against seat, three steps, wreath on pediment, XXIS in exergue; $70.00 (€65.80)
 


Crusaders, Principality of Tripoli, Bohemond V, 1233 - 1251 A.D.

|Crusaders|, |Crusaders,| |Principality| |of| |Tripoli,| |Bohemond| |V,| |1233| |-| |1251| |A.D.||pougeoise|NEW
Bohemond V was ruler of the Principality of Antioch and Count of Tripoli from 1233 to his death. Like his father before him, Bohemond had a notorious dislike for the Knights Hospitaller and the neighboring Kingdom of Armenia, preferring an alliance with the Knights Templar. Peace with Armenia was assured only shortly before his death, with the mediation of Louis IX of France.
CR114486. Bronze pougeoise, Malloy CCS 21, Metcalf Crusades 555, F, uneven strike with weak areas, obv. die break, earthen encrustations, weight 0.555 g, maximum diameter 14.8 mm, die axis 135o, Tripoli mint, 1233 - 1251 A.D.; obverse + CIVITAS, cross pomme, pellet in circle at center and pellet in each quarter; reverse TRIPOLIS, Genoese gateway or tower with double door and three crenelations; scarce; $60.00 (€56.40)
 


Pergamon, Mysia, Homonoia with Sardis, Lydia, c. 1 A.D.

|Pergamon|, |Pergamon,| |Mysia,| |Homonoia| |with| |Sardis,| |Lydia,| |c.| |1| |A.D.||AE| |23|
Cities in Thrace and Asia Minor sometimes formed homonoia (alliances) with other cities. The competition for prestige and rivalry between cities in the East was intense. Alliances could enhance a city's status by aligning either with many cities or with particularly important ones. Homonoia was part of civic "foreign policy" and might have involved the exchange of delegates and joint celebrations and sacrifices. At least 87 cities issued homonoia coins celebrating their alliances.
RP112906. Brass AE 23, Kampmann 118 (V63/R101); RPC I 2362.18; Franke-Noellé 1492; SNGvA 7497; BMC Mysia p. 166, 360; AMC I 1222; Waddington 955, aF, green patina, weight 4.800 g, maximum diameter 22.5 mm, die axis 0o, Pergamon (Bergama, Turkey) mint, c. 1 A.D.; obverse ΠEPΓAMHNΩN KAI CAPΔIANΩN (Pergamon and Sardis), Demos of Pergamum, standing facing on right with head left, crowning Demos of Sardis, on left, with a wreath,both bearded, wearing himation; reverse temple with two columns, statue of Augustus within, standing facing, head left, wearing military garb, inverted spear in his right hand, CEBACTON (Augustus) arching above, KE-ΦA/ΛI-ΩN / ΓPA-MMA/TEY-ΩN (Kephalion Grammateus) in three divided lines across fields; $50.00 (€47.00)
 




  



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REFERENCES

Price, M.J. & B. Trell. Coins and Their Cities: Architecture on the Ancient Coins of Greece, Rome, and Palestine. (London, 1977).

Catalog current as of Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
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