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Thessalonica KabeirosRPC II, 327
ΚΑΒΕΙΡΟΣ / ΘΕΣΣΑ-ΛΟΝΙΚΕ-ΩΝ : Kabeiros standing left, holding rhyton (conical container for libation) and hammer / in three lines within oak wreath; above inscription, eagle
THE KABEIROI (Cabeiri) were twin gods (daimones) who presided over the orgiastic dances of the mysteries of Samothrake (Samothrace) which were held in honour of the goddesses Demeter, Persephone, and Hekate. They were famed metal-workers, dwarfish sons of the god Hephaistos (Hephaestus), who served their father at his Lemnian forge. Like their mother Kabeiro (Cabeiro) the pair were also sea-divinities who came to the aid of sailors in distress.
Attributed to Flavian period (i. e. 69-96 AD).
Æ 20mm 8.53g 6h (and ~2mm thick)Yurii PApr 04, 2024
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Claudius Alexandria EagleRPC I, 5171 (or 5172)
ΤΙΒ ΚΛΑY / LϚ : laureate head of Claudius, right / eagle standing, right
Alexandria, Egypt
LϚ means regnal year 6 of Claudius, 45-46 AD.
Æ 15mm 1.41g 12hYurii PApr 04, 2024
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Kese PegasusNumista 340677 (other references there)
Male head right, with three vertical dots behind / Forepart of Pegasus to the right, three horizontal dots above.
KESE under Pegasus, in ancient Iberian script (three symbols left to right Ke-S-E)
Cessetani people (ancient non-Celtic Iberians), Kese (Cese), Hispania (modern-day Vila-seca, Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain), first half of the 2nd century BC (195–170 BC).
Æ 15-16mm 2.62g 9hYurii PApr 03, 2024
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Philippi VictoryRPC I, 1651
VIC AVG / COHOR PRAE PHIL : Victory with wreath and palm, left / Three military standards
Philippi, Macedonia.
1st century AD. Used to be dated to the Augustan era, but now attributed to Claudian or Neronian times (40-60s AD).
Æ 18-19mm 3.91g 6h
Yurii PApr 03, 2024
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IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG / SPES PVBLICA antoninianus (268-269 A.D.) Obv.: [IMP C]LAVDIVS P F [AVG], radiate draped? bust of Claudius right, both ribbons behind?
Rev.: SPES [PVBLI]C[A], Spes, draped, walking left, holding flower with two fingers in right hand and raising hem of her robe with left hand.
d oval 17-19mm, 3.42g, die axis 7h (coin alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.
Authority and portrait: Claudius II Gothicus (reign 268-270). Mint: Mediolanum (Milan).
IMP = Imperator (Commander-in-Chief), P F AVG = Pius Felix Augustus = the pius (dutiful) and fortunate (happy) emperor. SPES PVBLICA = the hope of the public or of the people. Since it is imperial propaganda, the hope of the people is the emperor himself and his rule. Spes is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Ἐλπίς, a minor goddess of Hope and possibly of Expectation. Spes did have a temple in Rome since the republican times. Her traditional image originated from archaic Greek statues called korai (from κόρη = maiden). These showed young girls of 14 or so, wearing adult dress for the first time, hitching the skirt to keep it from dragging, and holding a flower or a bird to emphasize the fresh hope of spring and new growth. The fingers holding the flower are oversized to make it clear that the grip is a delicate one; you must not crush the flower of hope.
P probably means prima officina = 1.
RIC V-1 Mediolanum 168; Sear 11374.
ID straightforward. Key points for ID: P F in obverse legend, P in exergue, PVBLICA in reverse legend. Other types have either obv. legend IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG (RIC Rome 102, Milan 169) or rev. legend SPES AVG (RIC Siscia 191). Only Milan mint has officina mark in exergue.
RIC 168 seems to have only draped busts with no variations. There are both 18-19mm and 21-22mm examples. There may be also mintmark S, for second officina.Yurii PSep 07, 2020
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IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG / MARS VLTOR antoninianus (268-270 A.D.) Obv.: [IM]P C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust of Claudius right, both ribbons behind.
Rev.: MARS [VLTO]R, Mars, walking right, naked except for helmet and some flowing drapery left and right, holding spear transverse in right hand and trophy in left hand.
d oval 16-19+mm, 2.41g, die axis 1h (medal alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.
Authority and portrait: Claudius II Gothicus (reign 268-270). Mint: Rome.
IMP = Imperator (Commander-in-Chief), C = Caesar, AVG = Augustus. MARS VLTOR = Mars the Avenger or the Punisher. An important aspect of some Roman deities was their ability to avenge for injuries received by Roman people, this applies especially to their main warlike gods, Jupiter and Mars. So in times of troubles, like the crisis of the 3d century, we often see references to Jupiter or Mars Ultor. High-crested Corinthian helmet and a spear are common attributes of Mars. In this case he also carries a trophy (tropaeum). Trophies, equally by the Romans and the Greeks, were esteemed as the rewards and insignia of victories. In the earlier ages they consisted simply of a trunk of a tree or long pole, to which a little below the top another piece of wood was fastened crosswise, and set up on the field of battle immediately after a victory; this was adorned with spoils, or the armor of the vanquished, customarily a cuirass, a helmet, and a buckler.
RIC V-1 Rome 66; Cohen 160; Sear 11350.
ID straightforward. The bust in all examples is cuirassed with both ribbons behind, but catalogues mention usual bust variations. There may be a mintmark in right or, rarely, left field, H/"N"/"II", all probably designating Greek letter eta, i.e. officina 8. The size in many examples is 20mm or more.
A close type, RIC 67 has IMP CL... in the obverse legend instead of IMP C CL..., but here we clearly see IMP C CL...
Yurii PSep 05, 2020
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IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG / FIDES EXERCI antoninianus (269 A.D.) Obv.: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust of Claudius right, both ribbons behind.
Rev.: FIDES [EXERC]I, Fides, draped, standing LEFT, with head RIGHT, holding ensign / standard in each hand, in right hand upright, in left hand transverse.
d oval 19 – 23mm, 2.67g, die axis 5h (coin alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.
Authority and portrait: Claudius II Gothicus (reign 268-270). Mint: Rome.
IMP = Imperator (Commander-in-Chief), C = Caesar, AVG = Augustus. FIDES EXERCI(tus) = The loyalty of the Army. Fides (Good Faith, Fidelity, Loyalty) was adored as a goddess by the Romans, it had a temple, near that of Jupiter. But in the case of Fides Exercitus or Militum the message mostly means the good faith and fidelity of soldiers to the reigning prince, rather than honoring Fides as a goddess. There were many different standards or ensigns in use in the Roman army, most common being vexilla ("little sails") and signa (usually with a raised hand or some figure on top). The latter are most likely depicted here. They were very important attributes of military honor: since standard-bearers had little means of protecting themselves, every soldier was supposed to do everything to protect and preserve their unit's standards, and losing one in battle was an unforgivable disgrace. Thus here they symbolize honor and loyalty.
RIC V-1 Rome 34 var (Fides standing left, but head turned right), RIC V-1 Rome 36 is also possible.
ID straightforward as RIC 34 or 36. The bust in these types is mostly cuirassed with both ribbons behind, but there are some variations with bare bust and one ribbon across shoulder. There may be a mintmark in right field, XI. The size is mostly close to 19mm with only a few significant deviations.
There is some confusion about which is RIC 34 var. or corr. (RIC 34 should have Fides standing right, but Fides standing left with head turned right is also considered 34, thus var.), and which is RIC 36, there seem to be a lot of misidentification. In this case I think a microphoto clearly shows the crown tilted to the left, so head must be turned right, so I consider this RIC 34 var. But it may also be RIC 36 if I am wrong about the head position.
Another close type, RIC 35 has IMP in the obverse legend instead of IMP C, but here we clearly see IMP C.Yurii PSep 01, 2020
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IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG / IOVI PROPVGNATORI dupondius (231-235 A.D.) Obv.: IMP ALEXAN[DER PIV]S A[VG], bust of Severus Alexander, radiate, right, right, one ribbon behind, one forward across shoulder?, draped over left shoulder?
Rev.: [I]OVI PRO-PVG[N]ATO[R]I, Jupiter, naked except for cape flowing to left, walking left, looking right, brandishing thunderbolt in right hand and holding eagle in left hand. Across fields: S-C.
d 24-25mm, 9.33g, die axis 1h (medal alignment), material: Ӕ / orichalcum (brass)
Authority and portrait: Severus Alexander (reign 222-235). Mint: Rome.
IMP(erator) PIVS = pius (dutiful) AVG(ustus). IOVI PROPVGNATORI= to Jupiter the Defender. Jupiter is often exhibited in the Imperial Series with the surname of Propugnator, to denote that the emperors in their contest with the barbarians were defended in battle by Jove himself; hence they made sacrifices of congratulation on their own safety, in the temple of the god. His main attribute, two-sided and three-pronged thunderbolt, is depicted in the typical Roman manner, long speculated to be akin to Indian vajra, a mystical symbolic weapon with very deep ancient roots with parallels in other mythologies. And Jupiter's primary sacred animal is eagle, aquila, which held precedence over other birds in the taking of auspices and became one of the most common symbols of the Roman army. The two emblems were often combined to represent the god in the form of an eagle holding in its claws a thunderbolt.
RIC IV Severus Alexander 632 (g?).
ID straightforward as RIC 632 (radiate crown points to dupondius, the figure of Jupiter with thunderbolt and eagle to the particular type), but there are three types of bust: f (bare), g (draped over left shoulder) and h (draped), and distinguishing between them without clear examples is difficult. Since the example I found is id'd as type g, and mine seems very similar, I tentatively id this also as 632g.Yurii PAug 17, 2020
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SALONINA AVG / FECVNDITAS AVG antoninianus (close to 265-267 A.D.) Obv.: [SALONIN]A AVG, Bust of Salonina, diademed, draped, right, on crescent.
Rev.: [F]ECVNDITAS [AVG], Fecunditas, draped, standing left, with right hand reaching down to child at her feet left, holding cornucopiae in left hand. Right field: Δ
d oval 16-18- mm, 1.94g, die axis 7h (coin alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.
Portrait: Cornelia Salonina (Augusta in 253-268), wife of Gallienus
Authority: Gallienus (joint reign 253-, sole reign 260-268).
Mint: Rome.
AVG = Augusta. FECVNDITAS AVG(ustae) = Fecundity of Augusta. Fecundity is the ability to produce an abundance of offspring or new growth, it is simply a different name of fertility. Feritility was an important concept in Roman religion and culture, as least two religious festivals, Lupercalia in February and Paliria in April had fertility as their major themes. But later Fecundity itself, possibly as an aspect of Juno, became a goddess. Nero erected a temple to Fecundity, on the occasion of a daughter being borne to him by Poppaea (Tacit xv 23). And the adoration of this divinity, once established at Rome, became a frequent subject of allusion and typification on the coins of succeeding empresses, as one of the most relevant goddesses (and qualities) for Roman matrons. As in this case, she typically appears with the horn of plenty and a child or children, with obvious connotations. Delta in the right field probably means officina 4.
RIC V-1 Rome 5; Göbl 662s; Sear 10633.
ID straightforward. The mark can appear in left or right field or in exergue. In some cases it is epsilon, designating the fifth officina that probably made these from time to time. Mark A mentioned is some cases if probably a usual misreading of delta. The most significant variation, with possible relevance in this case, since the start of obverse legend is lost, is obverse legend COR SALONINA AVG or CORNEL SALONINA AVG. The size is consistently in the range 18-21mm with only a few smaller and larger exceptions. Note that as often with Rome mint some letters are made of separate lines and thus sometimes V = II, N = ΛI or III, M = IIII etc.Yurii PAug 05, 2020
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SALONINA AVG / PVDICITIA antoninianus (close to 260-262 A.D.) Obv.: [SALO]NINA AVG, Bust of Salonina, diademed, draped, right, on crescent. Engraver's error: no ear.
Rev.: PVDICITI[A], Pudicitia, draped, standing left, raising veil with right hand and holding sceptre transverse in left hand.
d 17+mm, 2.51g, die axis 11h (medal alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.
Portrait: Cornelia Salonina (Augusta in 253-268), wife of Gallienus
Authority: Gallienus (joint reign 253-, sole reign 260-268).
Mint: Rome.
AVG = Augusta. PVDICITIA = modesty or sexual virtue. Pudicitia was a central concept in ancient Roman sexual ethics. The word is derived from the more general pudor, the sense of shame that regulated an individual's behavior as socially acceptable. Pudicitia was most often a defining characteristic of women, but men who failed to conform to masculine sexual norms were said to exhibit feminizing impudicitia, sexual shamelessness. The virtue was personified by the Roman goddess Pudicitia, whose Greek equivalent was Aidos. According to Livy, there were two temples of Pudicitia in Rome, so this is an actual goddess, not just an allegorical figure. Of her attributes, veil has quite obvious meaning, while the scepter is probably a symbol of governing one's own urges
RIC V-1 Rome 24; Göbl 492s; Sear 10648.
ID straightforward. Main variation is appearance of mark Q/IV (or strangely, VI, which may be a mirror mistake) in fields or exergue. This coin's design might also have had a mark in exergue, we just miss it. There are two size groups, one ~20mm and the other of significantly smaller flans of ~17mm. This coin seems to belong to the latter.Yurii PAug 03, 2020
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IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG / P M S COL VIM / Ӕ30 (239-240 AD)IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right / P M S CO - L VIM, personification of Moesia standing facing, head left, arms outstretched over a lion (right) and a bull (left). AN • I • in exergue.
Ó”, 29-30+mm, 16.75g, die axis 1h (slightly turned medal alignment), material: looks like red copper.
IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG = Imperator Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Augustus, P M S COL VIM = Provinciae Moesiae Superioris Colonia Viminacium = Colony of Viminacium, in the province of Upper Moesia, AN•I• = the first year. 238 AD was the infamous "year of the 6 emperors", so 239-240 was the first sole ruling year of Gordian III. The bull is the symbol of Legio VII Claudia, based in the capital of Moesia Superior, Viminacium itself, and the lion is the symbol of Legio IV Flavia Felix based in another city of Moesia Superior, Singidunum (modern Belgrade). Due to size this is most probably a sestertius, but large dupondius is another possibility, since it is clearly made of red copper and sestertii were typically made of expensive "gold-like" orichalcum, a kind of brass (but in this time of civil strife they could have used a cheaper replacement). Literature fails to clearly identify the denomination of this type.
A straightforward ID due to size and clear legends, this is AMNG 71; Martin 1.01.1 minted in Viminacium, Moesia Superior (Kostolac, Serbia).
Gordian III was Roman Emperor from 238 AD to 244 AD. At the age of 13, he became the youngest sole legal Roman emperor throughout the existence of the united Roman Empire. Gordian was the son of Antonia Gordiana and an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor Gordian I and younger sister of Emperor Gordian II. Very little is known of his early life before his acclamation. Gordian had assumed the name of his maternal grandfather in 238 AD.
In 235, following the murder of Emperor Alexander Severus, Maximinus Thrax was acclaimed Emperor. In the following years, there was a growing opposition against Maximinus in the Roman senate and amongst the majority of the population of Rome. In 238 (to become infamous as "the year of six emperors") a rebellion broke out in the Africa Province, where Gordian's grandfather and uncle, Gordian I and II, were proclaimed joint emperors. This revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, governor of Numidia and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax. The elder Gordians died, but public opinion cherished their memory as peace-loving and literate men, victims of Maximinus' oppression.
Meanwhile, Maximinus was on the verge of marching on Rome and the Senate elected Pupienus and Balbinus as joint emperors. These senators were not popular and the population of Rome was still shocked by the elder Gordians' fate, so the Senate decided to take the teenage Gordian, rename him Marcus Antonius Gordianus like his grandfather, and raise him to the rank of Caesar and imperial heir. Pupienus and Balbinus defeated Maximinus, mainly due to the defection of several legions, particularly the II Parthica, who assassinated Maximinus. However, their joint reign was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and an enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. On July 29, Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by the Praetorian Guard and Gordian proclaimed sole emperor.
Due to Gordian's age, the imperial government was surrendered to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the Senate. In 240, Sabinianus revolted in the African province, but the situation was quickly brought under control. In 241, Gordian was married to Furia Sabinia Tranquillina, daughter of the newly appointed praetorian prefect, Timesitheus. As chief of the Praetorian Guard and father in law of the Emperor, Timesitheus quickly became the de facto ruler of the Roman Empire.
In the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the Germanic tribes across the Rhine and Danube, and the Sassanid Empire across the Euphrates increased its own attacks. When the Persians under Shapur I invaded Mesopotamia, the young emperor opened the doors of the Temple of Janus for the last time in Roman history, and sent a large army to the East. The Sassanids were driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in the Battle of Resaena (243). The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy's territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without Timesitheus, the campaign, and the Emperor's security, were at risk.
Gaius Julius Priscus and, later on, his own brother Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as Philip the Arab, stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian Prefects and the campaign proceeded. Around February 244, the Persians fought back fiercely to halt the Roman advance to Ctesiphon. Persian sources claim that a battle occurred (Battle of Misiche) near modern Fallujah (Iraq) and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III. Roman sources do not mention this battle and suggest that Gordian died far away from Misiche, at Zaitha (Qalat es Salihiyah) in northern Mesopotamia. Modern scholarship does not unanimously accept this course of the events. One view holds that Gordian died at Zaitha, murdered by his frustrated army, while the role of Philip is unknown. Other scholars have concluded that Gordian died in battle against the Sassanids.
Philip transferred the body of the deceased emperor to Rome and arranged for his deification. Gordian's youth and good nature, along with the deaths of his grandfather and uncle and his own tragic fate at the hands of the enemy, earned him the lasting esteem of the Romans.Yurii P
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Durotrigan Bi "Durotrigan E" or "Cranbourne Chase" type stater, region: South Britain (Dorset), c. 58 BC - 43 ADFlan roughly circular, obverse convex, reverse concave.
18.5mm, 1.5+mm thick, 2.82g
Die axis: ~3h (Greek), assuming traditional diagonal wreath position with "eyes" right
Material: billon of unknown silver and other metal content.
Obverse: devolved head of a god (Celtic "Apollo") right , reverse: disjointed horse / chariot left with 12 pellets above and 1 below (possibly indicating 12+1 lunar months in a solar year)
The design is loosely based on golden staters of Philip II of Macedon with laureate head of Apollo on obverse and a charioteer driving a biga (Mediterranean two-horse chariot) on reverse.
References: Durotrigan E, Cranbourne Chase type, BMC 2525-2731, Mack 317-318, Sp 367, RDVA 1235-1237 etc.
Peculiarities in this case: small flan, so most of design does not fit onto it, probably indicating very late production, no usual correspondence between the "crook" crossing the "wreath" and the "left eye", pellets large and flat, obverse significantly off center, ornaments left to "cheek" clearly visible.
The Durotriges were one of the Celtic (possibly even pre-Celtic) tribes living in Britain prior to the Roman invasion. The tribe lived in modern Dorset, south Wiltshire, south Somerset and Devon east of the River Axe and the discovery of an Iron Age hoard in 2009 at Shalfleet, Isle of Wight gives evidence that they lived in the western half of the island. After the Roman conquest, their main civitates, or settlement-centred administrative units, were Durnovaria (modern Dorchester, "the probable original capital") and Lindinis (modern Ilchester, "whose former, unknown status was thereby enhanced"). Their territory was bordered to the west by the Dumnonii; and to the east by the Belgae.
Durotriges were more a tribal confederation than a tribe. They were one of the groups that issued coinage before the Roman conquest, part of the cultural "periphery" round the "core group" of Britons in the south. These coins were rather simple and had no inscriptions. The Durotriges presented a settled society, based in the farming of lands surrounded and controlled by strong hill forts that were still in use in 43 AD. Maiden Castle is a preserved example of one of these hill forts.
The area of the Durotriges is identified in part by coin finds: few Durotrigan coins are found in the "core" area, where they were apparently unacceptable and were reminted. To their north and east were the Belgae, beyond the Avon and its tributary Wylye: "the ancient division is today reflected in the county division between Wiltshire and Somerset." Their main outlet for the trade across the Channel, strong in the first half of the 1st century BC, when the potter's wheel was introduced, then drying up in the decades before the advent of the Romans, was at Hengistbury Head. Numismatic evidence shows progressive debasing of the coinage, suggesting economic retrenchment accompanying the increased cultural isolation. Analysis of the body of Durotrigan ceramics suggests that the production was increasingly centralised, at Poole Harbour. Burial of Durotriges was by inhumation, with a last ritual meal provided even under exiguous circumstances, as in the eight burials at Maiden Castle, carried out immediately after the Roman attack.
Not surprisingly, the Durotriges resisted Roman invasion in AD 43, and the historian Suetonius records some fights between the tribe and the second legion Augusta, then commanded by Vespasian. By 70 AD, the tribe was already Romanised and securely included in the Roman province of Britannia. In the tribe’s area, the Romans explored some quarries and supported a local pottery industry.
The Durotriges, and their relationship with the Roman Empire, form the basis for an ongoing archaeological research project (https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/project/the-durotriges-project/) directed by Paul Cheetham, Ellen Hambleton and Miles Russell of Bournemouth University. The Durotriges Project has, since 2009, been reconsidering the Iron Age to Roman transition through a detailed programme of field survey, geophysical investigation and targeted excavation. Yurii P
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GALLIENVS AVG / SOLI CONS AVG Pegasus antoninianus (close to 267-268 A.D.) "Zoo" series Obv.: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate bare bust right, one ribbon behind, one forward across shoulder
Rev.: [SOLI] CONS AVG, Pegasus, springing right, heavenward. Exergue unclear, mintmark worn off or off the flan.
17+mm, 2.32g, die axis ~6h (coin alignment), material: bronze/copper-based alloy supposedly with some silver.
Authority and portrait: Gallienus (joint reign 253-, sole reign 260-268). Mint: Rome.
AVG = Augustus; SOLI CONS[ervatori] AVG[usti]= to Sol the Protector of the Augustus.
"Zoo" coins: a significant fraction of Gallienus radiates was issued very near the end of his reign to honor nine Roman deities, asking for their protection. Their reverses depict various animals and thus are known as "zoo" coins. Pegasus is the sacred animal of Sol, personification of the Sun.
RIC V-1 Rome 283; Cohen 979; Sear 10362. RIC 283 has minimal variations, mostly emperor's bust bare/cuirassed. The size is also mostly consistent, rarely more than 20mm.
Note that as often with Rome mint some letters are made of separate lines and thus sometimes V = II, N = ΛI or III, M = IIII etc.
The only uncertainty in this case is the officina. Typically they are A, H or N (1, 8, or 9) for this type.Yurii P
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