Classical Numismatics Discussion Members' Coin Collection Photo Gallery

Last additions - Arminius

Licinius II Caesar, Arelate mint, 317-318 AD., Æ3, RIC 126. Licinius II Caesar, Arelate (Arles) mint, officina 3, 317-318 AD.,
Æ3 / Follis / Nummus ? (ø 18-20 mm / 3,31 g), bronze, axis about medal alignment â†‘â†‘ (ca. 340°),
Obv.: VAL LICINIVS NOB CAES , his laureate, draped bust r. - son buste lauré et drapé à droite.
Rev.: IOVI CONSER - VATORI / R – S / T ARL , Jupiter standing half-naked left, holding a thunderbolt and leaning on a long scepter, his coat spread behind him, R - S in the fields, T ARL in the exergue - Jupiter à demi-nu debout à gauche tenant un foudre et un sceptre long, son manteau déployé derrière lui, R/S dans le champ, T ARL à l’exergue.
RIC VII, p. 246, no. 126 (R4) ; Ferrando I 551 ; Ferrando II 714 (R2) ; missing on www.nummus-bible-database.com .
ArminiusApr 04, 2018

Gallienus, Siscia mint, 260-268 AD., Æ Antoninianus, unlisted.Gallienus, Siscia mint, officina 2, 260-268 AD.,
Æ Antoninianus (ø 19-20 mm / 4,53 g), bronze, axis medal alignment â†‘â†‘ (ca. 0°),
Obv.: GALLIENVS AVG , his radiate head r., one ribbon behind, one forward over shoulder, typical Siscia portrait style.
Rev.: PROVI AVG / II , Providentia standing left, her r. holding baton pointing down at globe at foot, her left holding cornucopiae, officina symbol II in left field.
unlisted (would be Goebl system no. 1476A b) ; RIC V, I, p. 182, no. 580K var. (RIC lists no reverse mark II in left field) .

Thanks to Frank from Portimao confirming the reference ArminiusApr 04, 2018

"Epirus, the Epeirote Republic, Didrachm size modern fake, genuine drachm prototypes dated 234-168 BC. "Epirus, the Epeirote Republic, modern fake, genuine drachm prototypes dated 234-168 BC.,
Didrachm size (ø 22 mm / 8,50 g), silver, axes about coin alignment â†‘â†“ (ca. 160°), edge: 50 % filed, 50 % hammered,
Obv.: A· , laureate head of Zeus Dodonaios right, A· behind, dotted border.
Rev.: AÎ EI / PÎ©TAN , eagle standing right on thunderbolt, all within oak wreath, dotted border.
for prototype cf. BMC p. 89, no. 14 (drachm size 4,5-5,0 g., AI· -monogram behind head on obverse) ; - Dewing 1444 (same) ; Franke, - Epirus 100 (same) ; - SNG Cop. 108ff. ; for a drachm showing similar style cf. http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=748945 (also a fake?) .

1 commentsArminiusJul 12, 2014

353.jpgRemi in Gallia, Région de Reims, ca. 60-40 BC.,
Æ 21 (19-21 mm / 5,45 g), bronze, axes irregular alignment â†‘â†– (ca. 320°),
Obv.: [AT]ISOS (downwards before) / [RE]MOS (downwards behind) , beardless head facing left, four-pointed floral ornament behind - Tête à gauche, un torque au cou. Légende devant et derrière la tête. Fleur à quatre pétales derrière la nuque, grènetis.
Rev.: lion at bay left, dolphin below - Anépigraphe. Lion élancé à gauche, la queue entre les pattes et enroulée jusqu'au-dessus du dos. Une esse au-dessus de la croupe, grènetis.
DT. 596 ; LT. 8054 var. ; BMC Celtic 71 ; Scheers 147 ; Allen 'Coins of the Celts', illustrated as nos. 446 and 447 .

thanks to Alan ("Manzikert") for the id

Les Rèmes étaient l'un des peuples les plus puissants de la Gaule et les fidèles alliés des Romains. Le territoire des Rèmes s'étendait sur l'actuelle Champagne, le long de l'Aisne. Ils avaient pour voisins les Atuatuques, les Trévires, les Médiomatriques, les Lingons, les Suessions, les Bellovaques et les Nerviens. Ils dénoncèrent à César la coalition des peuples belges de 57 avant J.-C. dont faisaient partie, les Suessions qui partageaient les mêmes lois et les mêmes magistrats. Leur principal oppidum était Bibrax. La capitale de la civitas à l'époque gallo-romaine était Durocortorum (Reims).

The Remi were a Belgic people of north-eastern Gaul (Gallia Belgica). The Romans regarded them as a civitas, a major and influential polity of Gaul, The Remi occupied the northern Champagne plain, on the southern fringes of the Forest of Ardennes, between the rivers Mosa (Meuse) and Matrona (Marne), and along the river valleys of the Aisne and its tributaries the Aire and the Vesle.
Their capital was at Durocortum (Reims, France) the second largest oppidum of Gaul, on the Vesle. Allied with the Germanic tribes of the east, they repeatedly engaged in warfare against the Parisii and the Senones. They were renowned for their horses and cavalry.
During the Gallic Wars in the mid-1st century BC, they allied themselves under the leadership of Iccius and Andecombogius with Julius Caesar. They maintained their loyalty to Rome throughout the entire war, and were one of the few Gallic polities not to join in the rebellion of Vercingetorix.ArminiusApr 21, 2013

Auxonne in France, 1424-1427 AD., Duchy of Burgundy, Philippe le Bon, Blanc aux Ã©cus, Poey d'Avant # 5735.France, Duchy of Burgundy, Auxonne mint (?), Philip the Good (Philippe le Bon, 1419-1467), struck 1424-1427 AD.,
AR blanc aux écus (26-28 mm / 3,27 g),
Obv.: + DVX : ET : COMES : BVRGVDIE , Ecus accolés de Bourgogne nouveau et Bourgogne ancien sous PhILIPVS.
Rev.: + SIT : NOMEN : DNI : BENEDICTVM , Croix longue entre un lis et un lion, au-dessus de PhILIPVS.
B., 1230 ; Dumas, 15-7-1 ; Poey d'Avant # 5735.

"PotatorII": "This coin is atributed to Auxonne mint because of the presence of a "secret dot" under the first letter (S) on reverse."

Rare

Imitation du blanc aux écus d'Henri VI d'Angleterre, frappé en France à partir de novembre 1422.

Philip the Good (French: Philippe le Bon), also Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (July 31, 1396 – June 15, 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty (the then Royal family of France). During his reign Burgundy reached the height of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts. Philip is known in history for his administrative reforms, patronage of Flemish artists such as Jan van Eyck, and the capture of Joan of Arc. During his reign he alternated between English and French alliances in an attempt to improve his dynasty's position.
Born in Dijon, he was the son of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria-Straubing. On the 28 January 1405, he was named Count of Charolais in appanage of his father and probably on the same day he was engaged to Michele of Valois (1395–1422), daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. They were married in June of 1409.
Philip subsequently married Bonne of Artois (1393–1425), daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, and also the widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers, in Moulins-les-Engelbert on November 30, 1424. The latter is sometimes confused with Philip's biological aunt, also named Bonne (sister of John the Fearless, lived 1379 - 1399), in part due to the Papal Dispensation required for the marriage which made no distinction between a marital aunt and a biological aunt.
His third marriage, in Bruges on January 7, 1430 with Isabella of Portugal (1397 - December 17, 1471), daughter of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, produced three sons:
* Antoine (September 30, 1430, Brussels – February 5, 1432, Brussels), Count of Charolais
* Joseph (April 24, 1432 – aft. May 6, 1432), Count of Charolais
* Charles (1433–1477), Count of Charolais and Philip's successor as Duke, called "Charles the Bold" or "Charles the Rash"
Philip also had some eighteen illegitimate children, including Antoine, bastard of Burgundy, by twenty four documented mistresses [1]. Another, Philip of Burgundy (1464-1524), bishop of Utrecht, was a fine amateur artist, and the subject of a biography in 1529.
Philip became duke of Burgundy, count of Flanders, Artois and Franche Comté when his father was assassinated in 1419. Philip accused Charles, the Dauphin of France and Philip's brother-in-law of planning the murder of his father which had taken place during a meeting between the two at Montereau, and so he continued to prosecute the civil war between the Burgundians and Armagnacs. In 1420 Philip allied himself with Henry V of England under the Treaty of Troyes. In 1423 the alliance was strengthened by the marriage of his sister Anne to John, Duke of Bedford, regent for Henry VI of England.
In 1430 Philip's troops captured Joan of Arc at Compiègne and later handed her over to the English who orchestrated a heresy trial against her, conducted by pro-Burgundian clerics. Despite this action against Joan of Arc, Philip's alliance with England was broken in 1435 when Philip signed the Treaty of Arras (which completely revoked the Treaty of Troyes) and thus recognised Charles VII as king of France. Philip signed for a variety of reasons, one of which may have been a desire to be recognised as the Premier Duke in France. Philip then attacked Calais, but this alliance with Charles was broken in 1439, with Philip supporting the revolt of the French nobles the following year (an event known as the Praguerie) and sheltering the Dauphin Louis.
Philip generally was preoccupied with matters in his own territories and seldom was directly involved in the Hundred Years' War, although he did play a role during a number of periods such as the campaign against Compiegne during which his troops captured Joan of Arc. He incorporated Namur into Burgundian territory in 1429 (March 1, by purchase from John III, Marquis of Namur), Hainault and Holland, Frisia and Zealand in 1432 (with the defeat of Countess Jacqueline in the last episode of the Hook and Cod wars); inherited the duchy of Brabant and Limburg and the margrave of Antwerp in 1430 (on the death of his cousin Philip of Saint-Pol); and purchased Luxembourg in 1443 from Elisabeth of Bohemia, Duchess of Luxembourg. Philip also managed to ensure his illegitimate son, David, was elected Bishop of Utrecht in 1456. It is not surprising that in 1435, Philip began to style himself "Grand Duke of the West". In 1463 Philip returned some of his territory to Louis XI. That year he also created an Estates-General based on the French model. The first meeting of the Estates-General was to obtain a loan for a war against France and to ensure support for the succession of his son, Charles I, to his dominions. Philip died in Bruges in 1467.

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1 commentsArminiusSep 25, 2008

318-330 AD., Constantinus I., Trier mint imitative type, barbarous Follis, RIC p. 224.Constantinus (Constantine) I., Trier mint imitative type, officina 1, 318-330 AD.,
Follis / Æ3 (16-17 mm / 3,05 g),
Obv.: IMP CONSTANT - INVS AVG , cuirassed bust left, high crested helmet, spear in right hand over shoulder.
Rev.: [VIC]TORIAE LAETA PRINC IPF / STR (in exergue) , two Victories standing, facing each other and holding a shield inscribed VOT / PR on plain altar.
cf. http://www.beastcoins.com/Topical/VLPP/Coins/Imitative/VLPP-Trier-PTR-237.jpg ; cf. http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/barb2 .

Imitative Folles or "barbarous" bronze coins from this series are plentiful and range from extremely crude to nearly official in appearance. RIC footnotes as "irregular" or "semi-barbarous". On p. 224, Appendix to Trier, RIC describes and lists a number of "irregular" coins for the purpose of "illustrating the wide range of varieties known".

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2 commentsArminiusMay 17, 2008

351-353 AD., Decentius, Arelate mint, Ã†2, RIC 168.Decentius, Arelate mint (Arles), officina 2, 351-353 AD.,
Æ2 (22-24 mm / 4,60 g),
Obv.: D N DECENTI - VS CAESAR , bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Decentius right, A behind bust .
Rev.: VICTORIAE D D N N AV[G ET CAE]S / F S AR , two Victories standing facing each other, together holding wreath containing VOT / V / MVL / X .
RIC VIII, 216, 168 .

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3 commentsArminiusApr 14, 2008

ROMAN EMPIRE PROVINCIAL, Julia Domna, 193-217 AD., AE26, Makedonia, Koinon - Unlisted.Makedonia, Koinon, Julia Domna, 193-217 AD.,
Æ26 (26-27 mm / 13,40 g),
Obv.: IOVÎ›IA - AYÎ“OYCTA , draped bust of Julia Domna right.
Rev.: KOINON MA - KÐ„Î”ONÎ©N , Athena seated left, (holding Nike?) left arm leaning on shield.
unlisted ; AMNG III - ; Mouchmov - (cf. 5900, Sept. Severus) ; Varbanov (Eng) III does not list a single issue for Julia Domna.
(double strike on rev.)

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1 commentsArminiusDec 13, 2007

Crawford 544/29, Marc Antony, for Legio XIV, Denarius, 32-31 BC.Marc Antony, for Legio XIV (Gemina Martia Victrix), Patras mint (?), 32-31 BC.,
Denarius (16-17 mm / 3,63 g),
Obv.: above: [AN]T AVG , below: [III VI]R R P C , under oar right, filleted scepter or mast with fluttering banners on prow.
Rev.: LEG - XIV , Aquila (legionary eagle) between two military standards.
Crawf. 544/29 ; Bab. (Antonia) 123 ; BMC 208 ; Sear 369 ; Syd. 1234 .

Die Legio XIV wurde 41 v. Chr. von Augustus aufgestellt. Sie war seit 9 n. Chr. in Moguntiacum (Mainz) stationiert und kämpfte später unter Claudius in Britannien, wo sie 60 oder 61 n. Chr. half, Boudicca niederzuwerfen. Später war die Legion u. a. in Vindobona (Wien) und Carnuntum stationiert. Sie war an den Usurpationen des Saturninus und Regalianus beteiligt.

Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix was a legion of the Roman Empire, levied by Octavian after 41 BC. The cognomen Gemina (twin in Latin) suggests that the legion resulted from fusion of two previous ones, one of them possibly being the Fourteenth legion that fought in the Battle of Alesia. Martia Victrix (martial victory) were cognomens added by Nero following the victory over Boudica. The emblem of the legion was the Capricorn, as with many of the legions levied by Augustus.
Invasion of Britain
Stationed in Moguntiacum, Germania Superior, since AD 9, XIIII Gemina Martia Victrix was one of four legions used by Aulus Plautius and Claudius in the Roman invasion of Britain in 43, and took part in the defeat of Boudicca in 60 or 61. In 68 it was stationed in Gallia Narbonensis.
Rebellion on the Rhine
In 89 the governor of Germania Superior, Lucius Antonius Saturninus, rebelled against Domitian, with the support of the XIVth and of the XXI Rapax, but the revolt was suppressed.
Pannonian defense
When the XXIst legion was lost, in 92, XIIII Gemina was sent in Pannonia to substitute it, camping in Vindobona (Vienna). After a war with the Sarmatians and Trajan's Dacian Wars (101-106), the legion was moved to Carnuntum, where it stayed for three centuries. Some subunits of Fourteenth fought in the wars against the Mauri, under Antoninus Pius, and the legion participated to the Parthian campaign of Emperor Lucius Verus. During his war against the Marcomanni, Emperor Marcus Aurelius based his headquarters in Carnuntum.
In support of Septimius Severus
In 193, after the death of Pertinax, the commander of the Fourteenth, Septimius Severus, was acclaimed emperor by the Pannonian legions, and above all by his own. XIIII Gemina fought for its emperor in his march to Rome to attack usurper Didius Julianus (193), contributed to the defeat of the usurper Pescennius Niger (194), and probably fought in the Parthian campaign that ended with the sack of the capital of the empire, Ctesiphon (198).
In support of imperial candidates
In the turmoil following the defeat of Valerian, tXIIII Gemina supported usurper Regalianus against Emperor Gallienus (260), then Gallienus against Postumus of the Gallic empire (earning the title VI Pia VI Fidelis — "six times faithful, six times loyal"), and, after Gallienus death, Gallic Emperor Victorinus (269-271).
5th century
At the beginning of the 5th century, XIIII Gemina still stayed at Carnuntum. It probably dissolved with the collapse of the Danube frontier in 430s. The Notitia Dignitatum lists a Quartodecimani comitatensis unit under the Magister Militum per Thracias; it is possible that this unit is XIV Gemina.

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1 commentsArminiusDec 09, 2007

Crawford 417/1a, Roman Republic, Rome mint, moneyers L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus and L. Scribonius Libo, 62 BC., AR Denarius.Roman Republic, Rome mint, moneyers L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus and L. Scribonius Libo, 62 BC.,
AR Denarius (18-20 mm / 3,72 g),
Obv.: [P]AVLLVS. LEPIDVS - CONCORD head of Concordia r., wearing veil and diadem.
Rev.: PVTEAL SCRIBON / LIBO , Puteal Scribonianum (Scribonian well, the "Puteal Scribonianum" well in the Forum Romanum near the Arch of Fabius), decorated with garland and two lyres, hammer at base.
Crawf. 417/1a ; Syd. 927 ; Bab. / Seaby Aemilia 11 ; Kestner 3422 ; BMC Rome 3383 ; CNR Aemilia 62 .
Rare

A puteal was a classical wellhead, round or sometimes square, set round a well opening to keep people from falling in. Such well heads (putealia) might be of marble, enriched with bas-reliefs. - The puteal is on the reverse of the coin adorned with garlands and two lyres. It is generally stated that there were two putealia in the Roman forum; but C. F. Hermann, who has carefully examined all the passages in the ancient writers relating to this matter (Ind. Lect. Marburg. 1840), comes to the conclusion that there was only one such puteal at Rome. It was in the forum, near the Arcus Fabianus, and was dedicated in very ancient times either on account of the whetstone of the Augur Navius (cf. Liv. I.36), or because the spot had been struck by lightning. It was subsequently repaired and re-dedicated by Scribonius Libo, who had been commanded to examine the state of the sacred places. Libo erected in its neighbourhood a tribunal for the praetor, in consequence of which the place was, of course, frequented by persons who had law-suits, such as money-lenders and the like.

The Puteal Scribonianum (Scribonian Puteal) or Puteal Libonis (Puteal of Libo), building in the Forum at Rome, dedicated or restored by a member of the Libo family, perhaps the praetor of 204 BC, or the tribune of the people in 149 BC. In its vicinity the praetor's tribunal, removed from the comitium in the 2nd century BC, held its sittings, which led to the place becoming the haunt of litigants, money-lenders and business people. According to ancient authorities, the Puteal Libonis was the name given to an erection (or enclosure) on a spot which had been struck by lightning; it was so called from its resemblance to the stone curb or low enclosure round a well (puteus) that was between the temples of Castor and Vesta, near the Porticus Julia and the Arcus Fabiorum (arch of the Fabii), but no remains have been discovered. The idea that an irregular circle of travertine blocks, found near the temple of Castor, formed part of the puteal is now abandoned. See Horace, Sat. ii.6.35, Epp. i.19.8; Cicero, Pro Sestio, 8; for the well-known coin of Lucius Scribonius Libo, representing the puteal of Libo, which rather resembles a cippus (sepulchral monument) or an altar, with laurel wreaths, two lyres and a pair of pincers or tongs below the wreaths (perhaps symbolical of Vulcan as forger of lightning), see C. Hulsen, The Roman Forum (Eng. trans. by J. B. Carter, 1906), p. 150.

L. Scribonius Libo, was the father-in-law of Sextus Pompey, the son of Pompey the Great. On the breaking out of the civil war in 49, he sided with Pompey, and was given command of Etruria. Shortly afterwards he accompanied Pompey to Greece, and was actively engaged in the war that ensued. On the death of Bibulus (48) he had the given command of the Pompeian fleet. In the civil wars following Caesar's death, he followed the fortunes of his son-in-law Sextus Pompey. In 40, Octavian married his sister Scribonia, and this marriage was followed by a peace between the triumvirs and Pompey (39). When the war was renewed in 36, Libo for a time supported Pompey, but, seeing his cause hopeless, he deserted him in the following year. In 34, he was consul with Mark Antony.

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1 commentsArminiusOct 05, 2007

Greece 1976 AD., 20 Drachmai, Perikles, KM 120.Greece, 1976 AD.,
20 Drachmai (Copper 92%, Alumnium 6%, Nickel 2%) (29 mm / 11.15 g),
Obv.: ΠEPIKΛEΣ , helmeted and bearded head of Perikles left.
Rev.: EΛΛENIKH ΔHMOKPATIA / 20 / ΔPAXMAI / 19 - 76 , four-columned temple.
KM # 120 , Mintage 1976: 17,825,000.

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2 commentsArminiusJul 31, 2007

Macedonia under Roman rule, Aesillas, QuÃ¤stor, Tetradrachm.Macedonia under Roman rule, Pella (or a different Bottiaean mint), Aesillas, Quästor, 70 BC.,
Tetradrachm (28-29 mm / 16,49 g),
Obv.: M[AKEÎ”ONÎ©N] , under head of Alexander the Great with horn of ram / Ammon, hair falling down neck, Î˜ behind.
Rev.: AESILLAS / Q , club between money-chest and Quaestaor’s chair, all within laurel wreath.
Bauslaugh Group VI (O12A / R ?) ; SNG Lockett 1543 ; SNG Fitzwilliam 2345 ; BMC 81 .
obverse die match: CNG, Mail Bid Sale 61, Lot number: 498

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ArminiusMay 30, 2007

092-094 AD., Domitian, Rome mint, As, Virtus, RIC 409.Domitian, Rome mint, 92-94 AD.,
Æ As (25-27 mm / 10.98 g),
Obv.: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XVI CENS PER P P , radiate head of Domitian right.
Rev.: VIRTVTI - AVGVSTI / S - C , Virtus standing right, holding spear and parazonium, left foot on helmet.
RIC 409 ; C 658 .

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3 commentsArminiusFeb 23, 2007

ROMAN EMPIRE PROVINCIAL, Gordian III., Nikopolis in Moesia Inferior, issued by Sabinius Modestus, 4 assaria, 238-244 AD., Athena seated l.Nikopolis in Moesia Inferior,
Gordian III., issued by Sabinius Modestus,
4 assaria / Æ26 (26-29 mm / 13.72 g), 238-244 AD.,
Obv.: AYT K M ANT Î“-OPÎ”IANOC A{YÎ“} , ({YÎ“} ligate), laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian right, seen from behind.
Rev.: VÎ CAB - MOÎ”Ð„CTOV N-I-KOÎ OÎ›Ð„IT{Î©N} Î / POC IC{TP}ON , ({Î©N} , {TP} ligate), Athena seated left on a throne, her outstretched right hand holding Nike, her left holding spear; helmet? below throne, round shield behind.
cf. AMNG I 2051-3 (but Athena standing) ; Moushmov 1476-8 (only standing Athena) .
2 commentsArminiusFeb 15, 2007

202 AD., Septimius Severus, Rome mint, Denarius, RIC 248.Septimius Severus, Rome mint, 202 AD.,
Denarius (18-19 mm / 3.56 g),
Obv.: SEVERVS - PIVS AVG , laureate head of Septimius Severus right.
Rev.: ADVENT AVGG , Septimius Severus on horseback left, raising right hand and holding spear; before him, soldier (or Virtus?) holding vexillum and leading horse.
RIC 248 ; Hill, Severus 559 ; BMC 304 ; C. 1 .

Like many emperors of the 3rd Century, Septimius Severus often travelled great distances to meet the demands of warfare. This denarius, inscribed ADVENT AVGG, celebrates the return of Severus and his family to Rome after one of his many journeys – in this case a long absence in the East.
His journey was overdue, and it had been delayed only long enough for Severus to defeat Clodius Albinus, his rival Caesar in the West. In the summer of 197 Severus and his family embarked by sea from Italy to Asia Minor and immediately waged war against the Parthians, who had invaded Roman territory while Severus had been fighting Albinus in Gaul. By January, 198 Severus had scored a resounding, vengeful victory. The Romans gathered a great amount of booty, killed all of the men who had remained in the capital Ctesiphon, and took as slaves perhaps 100,000 women and children.
The royal family remained in the East throughout 198 to 201, and on January 1, 202, Severus and Caracalla jointly assumed the consulate in Antioch. It was the first time they had shared the honour, and was also the first time in more than forty years that two emperors had been consuls.
Probably soon after this ceremony the royal family began its arduous journey back to Italy, this time proceeding by land, up through Asia Minor to Bithynia, crossing the Propontis into Thrace, then seemingly tracking the Danube until they descended upon Italy.
Severus’ return was no ordinary event: not only had the royal family been gone for five years, but the yearlong celebration of Severus’ decennalia, his tenth year of power, had begun and the royal wedding of Caracalla was planned. The imperial adventus was celebrated with games, spectacles and donatives to the people and to the praetorian guards, who Dio Cassius tells us each received ten aurei.

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2 commentsArminiusJan 30, 2007

Alexandria in Egypt, Valerian I., 256-257 AD., Billon Tetradrachm, Geissen 2862.Alexandria in Egypt, Valerian I., 256-257 AD.,
Billon Tetradrachm (21-22 mm / 12.97 g),
Obv.: AK Π ΛI OVAΛЄPIANOC ЄYЄYC , laureate cuirassed bust of Valerian right. Rev.: eagle standing left, head right, wreath in beak, regnal year L - Δ across fields (year 4 = 256-7 AD.).
Dattari 5184 ; Geissen 2862 ; Milne 3945 .

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ArminiusJan 28, 2007

068 AD., Galba, Rome mint, Ã† As, RIC 510.Galba, Rome mint, 68 AD. (November),
Æ As (26-27 mm / 10.49 g),
Obv.: SER SVLPI GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG TR P , laureate head of Galba right.
Rev.: S - C , Victoria walking left, r. holding wreath and l. palm.
RIC 510 .

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2 commentsArminiusJan 20, 2007

267-268 AD., Postumus, Colonia mint, Antoninianus, Zschucke 178.Postumus, Colonia mint, 20th emission,
Antoninianus (20-21 mm / 2.83 g), 267-268 AD.,
Obv.: IMP POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: SAECVLI FELICITAS , Postumus standing right, holding globe and spear.
Zschucke 178 ; Cunetio 2444 ; RIC 83 ; C 331 .

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1 commentsArminiusJan 05, 2007

Baktria, Graeco-Baktrian Kings, Euthydemos I., Ã† Double Unit, 235-200 BC.Baktria, Graeco-Baktrian Kings, Euthydemos I.,
Æ Double Unit (21-23 mm / 7.02 g), 235-200 BC.,
Obv.: Bare head of Hercules right.
Rev.: [B]AÎ£IÎ›EÎ©S above, EYÎ˜YÎ”HMOY below, horse prancing right.
Sear GC 7523 ; Mitchiner, Indogreek 87 ; Bopearachchi Série 17A ; SNG ANS 146ff ; BMC India 8, 6 .

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ArminiusDec 15, 2006

ROMAN EMPIRE PROVINCIAL, Severus Alexander and Julia Maesa, Markianopolis in Moesia Inferior, governor Tereventinus, 5 assaria, 222-235 AD., unpublished.Markianopolis in Moesia Inferior, Severus Alexander and Julia Maesa, governor Tereventinus,
Æ28 / 5 assaria (27-29 mm / 13.76 g), 222-235 AD.,
Obv.: AVT K M AVP CEVH AÎ›EZANÎ”POC IOVÎ›IA MAIC {AVÎ“} , ({AVÎ“} ligate ), confronted busts of Severus Alexander (l.) and Julia Maesa (r.).
Rev.: {HÎ“} {OV}M TEPEBENTIN{OV} M{AP}KIANOÎ OÎ›ITÎ©N / E , ({HÎ“}, {OV}, {AR} ligate) , Hera/Juno standing l., holding patera? and torch/spear?.
unpublished, cf. AMNG I page 296, 1063*.

Curtis Clay: For some reason coins of Alex. and Maesa under Tereventinus are rare. Pick knew only two types, three specimens, since 1064 shows Mamaea not Maesa. Hristova/Jekov pp. 189 and 191 try to add two new types, but the readings of empress and/or governor seem doubtful.1 commentsArminiusDec 14, 2006

Greece, 100 Drachmai 1992, KM # 159.Greece,
100 Drachmes, brass (29 mm / 10.00 g), 1992,
Obv.: EΛΛHNIKH ΔHMOKPATIA / 1992 - BEPΓINA / 100 / ΔPAXMEΣ , the Vergina sun or star of Vergina.
Rev.: MEΓAΣ AΛEΞANΔPOΣ / BAΣIΛEYΣ MAKEΔONΩN , diademed head of Alexander The Great with horn of Ammon right.
KM # 159.

The Vergina Sun or Star of Vergina is a symbol of a stylised star with sixteen rays. It was found in archaeological excavations in Vergina, in northern Greece, where it was discovered on a golden larnax found in 1977 in the tombs of the kings of the ancient kingdom of Macedon.
The significance of the Vergina Sun is unclear. Archaeologists do not agree whether the sun was a symbol of Macedon, an emblem of Philip's Argead dynasty, a religious symbol, or simply a decorative design.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergina_Star

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ArminiusDec 04, 2006

ROMAN EMPIRE PROVINCIAL, Julia Domna, Nikopolis in Moesia Inferior, AE16, 193-211 AD., Unlisted.Nikopolis in Moesia Inferior, (Septimius Severus and) Julia Domna,
Æ16 / Assarion (15-17 mm / 2.90 g), 193-211 AD.,
Obv.: IOYÎ›I Î”OM... , draped bust of Domna r.
Rev.: ...NA NIKOÎ OÎ›IT Î (P I..?) , draped bust of Domna r.
AMNG I - (cf. Page 388, no. 1448, Septimius Severus and Julia Domna).

Patricia Lawrence: It looks as if one of the dies for the Septimius / Julia --and there are at least two rev. dies-- was paired, probably accidentally, with one of her small obverses.
2 commentsArminiusNov 25, 2006

ROMAN EMPIRE PROVINCIAL, Hadrian, AE19, Tyana in Cappadocia, 135-136 AD. Unlisted.Tyana in Cappadocia, Hadrian,
Æ19 (18-19 mm / 5.67 g), 135-136 AD.,
Obv.: [AYTO] KAIC TPAI AÎ”PIANOC CÐ„B[ACTOC] , laureate head right.
Rev.: [TYANEÎ©N TÎ©N N?] TA - IEP ACY AYT / ET - K (regnal year 20 = 135-6 AD.) , Athena standing left, holding Nike and resting right hand on shield set on ground.
unlisted? ; cf. Auct. Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger, Auction 378, April 28th, 2004, Lot number: 1133 ; cf. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=29615.msg191911#msg191911 .
1 commentsArminiusNov 23, 2006

Odessos in Thracia, Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander III., posthumous issue, Tetradrachm, 125-70 BC.Odessos in Thracia, as part of the Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander III (the Great), 336-323 BC., posthumous issue,
Tetradrachm (29-30 mm, 16.46 g.), Odessos mint, ca. 120-95 BC.
Obv.: Head of Herakles (Alexander?) in lion-skin headdress right.
Rev. BAÎ£IÎ›EÎ©Î£ / AÎ›EÎžANÎ”POY , Zeus, wearing himation, seated left on throne with back, holding eagle in his right hand and scepter with his left; Î”H to left, ; below throne, OÎ”H - monogram.
De Callataÿ group 1, D2. ; Price 194, 1179 .

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5 commentsArminiusNov 11, 2006

Rhodos in Caria, AR Drachm, magistrate Kallixeinos, 166-88 BC.Rhodos in Caria, magistrate Kallixeinos,
AR Drachm (15-17 mm / 2.41 g), 166-88 BC.,
Obv.: Radiate head of Helios right.
Rev.: KAΛΛIΞEI (magistrate) above; in lower fields P - O, divided by rose with bud to right; cap of the Dioscuri in lower field l., all within incuse square.
BMC 267 ; SNG Cop cf. 818/819 ; SNG Helsinki 684 var. .

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2 commentsArminiusNov 03, 2006

Bactria, Graeco-Baktrian Kings, Demetrios, Ã†29, ca. 200-185 BC.Bactria, Graeco-Baktrian Kings, Demetrios,
Æ29, Hemi-obol / Triple Unit / Trichalkon (28-29 mm / 12.41 g), ca. 200-185 BC.,
Obv.: Head of elephant slightly right with raised trunk, wearing bell.
Rev.: BAÎ£IÎ›EÎ©Î£ Î”HMHTPIOY, either side of large caduceus (with serpent heads at the upper ends), monogram Î”PI... in field to left.
SNG ANS 209-11 ; Bopearachchi Série 5C ; MIG 108a ; cf. Sear GC 7533 .

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3 commentsArminiusOct 23, 2006

ROMAN EMPIRE PROVINCIAL, Elagabalus, AE30, Etenna in Pisidia, Zeus enthroned right, unlistedEtenna in Pisidia, Elagabalus, 218-222 AD.
Æ30 (29-30mm / 16.42 g),
Obv.: [AY] K M AYP - ANT[Î©NEINO] , laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: ETEN - NEÎ©[N] , Zeus enthroned right, holding scepter. Unlisted, same obv. die as von Aulock, Pisidien II, no. 568, pl. 13 ; Rev: cf. ANS 1981.40.23 .

Curtis Clay:
This coin seems to be from the same obv. die as von Aulock, Pisidien II, no. 568, pl. 13. ANTWNEINO before face, vA attributes to Elagabalus, though the same coin, in Athens, had earlier been published as Caracalla.
Zeus seated right is a new type for Elagabalus at this mint, though vA has it both earlier, for Septimius and for Caracalla under Septimius, and later, for Sev. Alex. and Tranquillina.ArminiusOct 21, 2006

Crawford 290/1, Roman Republic, C. Fonteius, DenariusRoman Republic (Rome mint 114-113 BC.), C. Fonteius.
AR Denarius (3.74 g, 19-20 mm).
Obv.: Janiform head of the Dioscuri; I left, mark of value (XVI monogram) right, six dots below.
Rev.: C. FONT (NT in monogram) above, Galley with pilot and three oarsmen; ROMA in exergue.
Crawford 290/1 ; Sydenham 555 ; Bab. Fonteia 1 ; BMC (Italy) 597 .

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2 commentsArminiusOct 17, 2006

Crawford 319/1, Roman Republic, Q. Thermus M.f., DenariusRoman Republic (Rome mint 103 BC.), Q. Thermus M.f..
AR Denarius (3.87 g, 19-20 mm).
Obv.: Head of Mars left, wearing crested and plumed helmet.
Rev.: Q. THERM. M F in exergue, two soldiers vis-à-vis in battle stance, fighting each other with swords, defending with shields; Roman soldier protects fallen comrade between them.
Crawford 319/1 ; Sydenham 592 ; BMCRR Italy 653 ; Minucia 19 .

On this coin, the moneyer probably commemorates his namesake who apparently exhibited great personal bravery when in conflict with the Ligurians. Crawford notes: "The moneyer is presumably to be identified with the Q. Minucius M.f. Ter. on the consilium of Pompeius Strabo at Asculum, perhaps as Legate.
The Ligurians were a people of the northern Appenines who probably represented the Neolithic peoples who were constricted by Gallic and Etruscan pressures. They inhabited the hills from the French Alps and along the Italian Riviera and had kinsmen in Corsica. They engaged in a series of conflicts with the Romans in the 230's but were not really reduced until after the Second Punic War. They were a constant threat to Massilia and other northern cities. In 197, Minucius Rufus marched through their territory. Q. Minucius Thermus, consul in 193 and governor of Liguria from 193 to 190, forced back one of the principal tribes, the Apuani (who had imposed a continuing threat on Pisa), relieved Pisa, and demonstrated across the Auser River.

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5 commentsArminiusOct 13, 2006

Crawford 312/1, Roman Republic, C. Sulpicius Galba, Denarius serratusRoman Republic (Rome mint 106 BC.), C. Sulpicius Galba.
AR Denarius serratus (3.90 g, 18-19 mm).
Obv.: D.P.P (abbreviation of Dei Penates Publici) , before jugate, laureate heads of Dei Penates l. .
Rev.: C. SVLPICI. C. F. Two male figures (the Dei Penates) standing facing each other, each holding spear in l. hand and with r. hand pointing at sow which lies between them; above, control mark C.
Crawford 312/1 . Syd. 572 . Bab. Sulpicia 1 .

Crawford interprets this type as Aeneas landing in Lanuvium (home of Sulpicia gens) with the Penates and the subsequent miracle of the white sow that foretold the founding of Alba Longa. (David Sear, RCV 2000).

The reverse of this coin shows the sow that led Aeneas to the place, where he founded Lavinium, the mother city of Alba Longa. The cult of the Penates was closely connected with Lavinium as the Romans believed that these godheads were brought first to Lavinium by Aeneas before they came to Rome. The Penates belonged to the original gods of Rome and were not imported from the Etruscans or Greeks. The original Roman religion personified all events connected with growing, harvesting and processing the products of the field. The Penates were responsible for protecting the larder in the house of every family. There also existed Penates for the whole of Rome. They were kept at the temple of Vesta together with the palladium, the statue of Athena coming from Troy, and the holy fire. Only once a year, on June 9, the married women in Rome were allowed to see them. They came barefoot on that day to sacrifice fruits and cake.

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2 commentsArminiusOct 12, 2006

Crawford 412/1, Roman Republic, L. Roscius Fabatus, Denarius serratusRoman Republic (Rome mint 64 BC.), L. Roscius Fabatus.
AR Denarius (3.82 g, 18-19 mm).
Obv.: L.ROSCI , below head of Juno Sospita to right, wearing goat skin headdress; behind symbol: fountain basin.
Rev.: FABATI (in ex.), maiden standing right, feeding snake coiled erect before her; to left, well-head.
Crawford 412/1 (Symbol pair 102) ; Sydenham 915 ; Babelon Roscia 3 .

Juno Sospita was one of the names of the goddess Juno, emphasizing her role as protector of women, marriage, and childbirth ('Sospita' = 'she who saves'). The cult of Juno Sospita (or 'Sispes') was important in Lanuvium. She wore a goat-skin headdress and carried a spear and a shield.
At Lanuvium, Juno Sospita had a temple which was guarded by a serpent. Every year a maiden would offer cakes to the serpent. If it accepted, this was a sign that the girl was a virgin. Its refusal was an evil omen and a year of sterility was to be feared.
L.Roscius Fabatus was born at Lanuvium and was a "new man" (the first to ennoble his family by entering the Senate). In 55, he held the tribuneship. Roscius was co-author of a measure to further Caesar's plans for agrarian and municipal reform. He was a Caesarian legate in Gaul after 54, where he commanded the 13th legion. In 49, he held the praetorship and was involved as a messenger in the events of that year, which led to the fatal rupture between Caesar and Pompey. In one of his letters, Cicero reported Roscius was killed at the Forum Gallorum in 43 during the war of Mutina.
The coins of this moneyer are the last to exhibit edge serrations as a regular practice. He also utilized a large number of paired die control symbols, one for each side, which represented almost 250 everyday objects. In this, he appears to have taken an earlier moneyer, L.Papius, c. 78, as a model. Curiously, the moneyer's name on the coin is in the genitive, " . . . of Roscius Fabatus", perhaps implying "coinage of Roscius Fabatus."

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8 commentsArminiusOct 08, 2006

Crawford 374/1, Roman Republic, Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius, DenariusRoman Republic (mobile mint of Sulla in North Italy, 81 BC.), Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius. AR Denarius (3.80 g, 17-19 mm). Obv.: Diademed head of Pietas right, wearing earring; stork before. Rev.: Q. C. M. P. I , Elephant l.. Crawford 374/1. Syd. 750. BMCRR Spain 43 ; Bab. Caecilia 43.

The issue was produced by Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius, serving as a Sullan commander in the fight against Carrinas, Norbanus and Carbo. The type of Pietas commemorates the title of "Pius" received by Metellus when he tried to get his father returned from banishment. The elephant recalls the victory of his ancestor, L.Caecilius Metellus at Panormus (Sicily) in 251 BC over the Hasdrubal and his Carthaginians in the First Punic War, after which he displayed the elephants captured from the Carthaginians in his triumph in Rome.

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1 commentsArminiusOct 03, 2006

Crusader States, Normans of Sicily, William II, AD 1166-1189, AE Trifollaro, Spahr 117.Crusader States, Sicily, William II, AD 1166-1189, AE Trifollaro (24-25 mm), 8,82 g.
Obv.: Facing head of lioness within circle of dots.
Re.: Palm tree with five branches and two bunches of dates, within circle of dots.
Biaggi 1231, Spahr 117 ; Grie 210 (Roger II); Thom 2480 .

William II of Sicily (1153-1189), called the Good, was king of Sicily and Naples from 1166 to 1189.
William was only thirteen years old at the death of his father William I, when he was placed under the regency of his mother, Margaret of Navarre.
Until the king came of age in 1171 the government was controlled first by the chancellor Stephen du Perche, cousin of Margaret (1166-1168), and then by Walter Ophamil, archbishop of Palermo, and Matthew of Ajello, the vice-chancellor.
William's character is very indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his palace life at Palermo. Yet his reign is marked by an ambitious foreign policy and a vigorous diplomacy. Champion of the papacy and in secret league with the Lombard cities he was able to defy the common enemy, Frederick I Barbarossa. In 1174 and 1175 he made treaties with Genoa and Venice and his marriage in February 1177 with Joan, daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, marks his high position in European politics.
In July 1177, he sent a delegation of Archbishop Romuald of Salerno and Count Roger of Andria to sign the Treaty of Venice with the emperor. To secure the peace, he sanctioned the marriage of his aunt Constance, daughter of Roger II, with Frederick's son Henry, afterwards the emperor Henry VI, causing a general oath to be taken to her as his successor in case of his death without heirs. This step, fatal to the Norman kingdom, was possibly taken that William might devote himself to foreign conquests.
Unable to revive the African dominion, William directed his attack on Egypt, from which Saladin threatened the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. In July 1174, 50,000 men were landed before Alexandria, but Saladin's arrival forced the Sicilians to re-embark in disorder. A better prospect opened in the confusion in Byzantine affairs which followed the death of Manuel Comnenus (1180), and William took up the old design and feud against Constantinople. Durazzo was captured (June 11, 1185). Afterwards while the army marched upon Thessalonica, the fleet sailed towards the same target capturing on their way the Ionian islands of Corfu, Cephalonia,Ithaca and Zakynthos. In August Thessalonica surrendered to the joint attack of the Sicilian fleet and army.
The troops then marched upon the capital, but the troop of the emperor Isaac Angelus overthrew the invaders on the banks of the Strymon (September 7, 1185). Thessalonica was at once abandoned and in 1189 William made peace with Isaac, abandoning all the conquests. He was now planning to induce the crusading armies of the West to pass through his territories, and seemed about to play a leading part in the Third Crusade. His admiral Margarito, a naval genius equal to George of Antioch, with 60 vessels kept the eastern Mediterranean open for the Franks, and forced the all-victorious Saladin to retire from before Tripoli in the spring of 1188.
In November 1189 William died, leaving no children. Though Orderic Vitalis records a (presumably short-lived) son in 1181: Bohemond, Duke of Apulia. His title of "the Good" is due perhaps less to his character than to the cessation of internal troubles in his reign. The "Voyage" of Ibn Jubair, a traveller in Sicily in 1183-1185, shows William surrounded by Muslim women and eunuchs, speaking and reading Arabic and living like "a Moslem king."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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1 commentsArminiusAug 19, 2006

251-253 AD., Trebonianus Gallus, Antoninianus, 3,87 g., mint of Mediolanum, RIC 71Trebonianus Gallus, mint of Mediolanum (Milan), 251-253 AD.,
Antoninianus (3,87 g.),
Obv.: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG , Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev.: PAX - AETERNA , Pax standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre.
RIC 71 ; C 76 .

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2 commentsArminiusAug 10, 2006

249-251 AD., Trajan Decius, AR Antoninianus, mint of Rome, RIC 17b var.Trajan Decius, AR Antoninianus, 3,10 g., mint of Rome, 249-251 AD.
Obv.: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG , Radiate and cuirassed bust right, rear view.
Rev.: GENIVS EXERC ILLYRICIANI , Genius of the army of Illyria standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae, standard and altar at left.
RIC IV, part III, p. 122, #17b var. (not draped) ; C. 56 (var.?).

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2 commentsArminiusAug 10, 2006

177 AD., Commodus, sestertius, DE SARMATIS, mint of Rome, RIC 1576 (Marcus Aurelius)Commodus, sestertius, DE SARMATIS, mint of Rome, 177 AD.
Obv.: [I]MP L AVREL COMMODVS - AVG GERM S[ARM] , laureate head of the young Commodus right.
Rev.: TR P II [CO]S P [P] / S - C / DE SARMATIS , pile of arms.
RIC 1576 (M. Aurelius) ; C 95

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2 commentsArminiusAug 01, 2006

193 AD Clodius Albinus Caesar, Sestertius RIC 50Clodius Albinus Caesar, Sestertius, Rome mint 193 AD
Obv.: D [C]LODIVS AL - BINVS CAES , Head, bare, r.
Rev.: PROVID - AVG COS / S - C , Providentia standing l., holding wand over globe and sceptre.
RIC IV, part I, p. 51, no. 50 ; C 59

Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus was born in Hadrumetum (modern Sousse in Tunisia) and came from a prominent senatorial family. He held high office under Marcus Aurelius and continued under Commodus, becoming consul in 187 and governor of Britain in 191. After the murder of Pertinax and the purchase of the Empire by Didius Julianus, Albinus, joined by his rivals Pescennius Niger and Septimius Severus, made preparations to march on Rome. Severus got there first and, in order to free himself for battle in the East, had Albinus proclaimed Caesar and made him his heir. Needless to say, after his defeat of Niger, Severus turned on Albinus and had him declared a public enemy in 195. Albinus was hailed emperor in Lugdunum in either late 195 or early 196, and spent the next year raising troops: Severus moved into Gaul with his army in 196 and in a huge battle outside Lugdunum on 19 February, defeated Albinus who then committed suicide.

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1 commentsArminiusJul 16, 2006

Selinus in Cilicia, Philippus I., AE 29, ApolloSelinus in Cilicia, Philippus I., AE 29, 244-249 AD
Obv.: AY K M IOYÎ› [Î¦I]Î›Î Î OC CE , Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right (seen from behind
Rev.: TPAIANO[Î CEÎ›INO]YCI Î˜HC [IEPAC] , Apollo standing front, patera in his right hand, rod/staff in left hand, on right side: bird (raven?) beneath
SNG France 2,686; SNG Levante 467; Lindgren I,1595; SNG Pfalz 6,1105 , (thanks to Markus for ID)

Selinus: City in Cilicia Aspera, among the principal ones on this coast and mentioned by most of the ancient geographers from Pseudo-Skylax on. It was one of the towns taken by Antiochos III in 197 B.C. (Livy 33.20), but is best known as the place where Trajan died in A.D. 117 on his way back from the East. Then it took the name of Trajanopolis (as on this), but the old one prevailed (as on this), shown by coins and other documents.

In mid-summer 117, when Trajan was returning from his Parthian campaigns, he fell ill while at Selinus in Cilicia and died on August 8. The following day his adoption of Hadrian was announced by Plotina and Attianus, the praetorian prefect who had earlier been Hadrian's guardian, with some question whether Trajan had indeed performed the act or whether it was posthumous, thanks to his widow. On August 11, which he considered his dies imperii, the army of Syria hailed its legate, Hadrian, as emperor, which made the senate's formal acceptance an almost meaningless event. This was an example of the historian Tacitus' famous dictum that an emperor could be made elsewhere than at Rome. Hadrian must then have proceeded to Selinus at once from Antioch, to catch up with Attianus, Plotina, and Matidia. He then returned to his province no later than September and stayed there at least into the new year, consolidating his administration.

Basil,of Seleucia (Vita S. Theclae, II, 17) said that the city cof Selinus, which was formerly of much importance, lost it from his time to the fifth century. Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in the tenth century, called it a small town. Today it is the little village of Selinti (near the city GazipaÅŸa) in the vilayet of Adana; there are ruins of a theatre, aqueduct, market-place, bath, etc. .
The coinage begins under the kingdom of Antiochos IV of Kommagene, and continues later from Trajan to Philip. A bishop of Selinos is recorded, under the metropolitan of Seleukeia. . Le Quien (Oriens christianus, II, 1019) names four bishops: Neon, present at the council of Constantinople, 381; Alypius, at Ephesus, 431; AElianus, at Chalcedon, 451; Gheon, signer of the letter of the bishops of the province to Emperor Leo, 458. The see is in the Greek "Notitiae Episcopatuum" of the Patriarchate of Antioch from the fifth to the tenth century (Vailhé in "Echos d'Orient", X, 95, 145). It was also perhaps an Armenian bishopric until the tenth century. (Alishan, Sissouan, Venice, 1899, p. 60). Eubel (Hierarchia catholica medii aevi, I, 468) names a Latin bishop in 1345.

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ArminiusJul 09, 2006

Carrhae in Mesopotamia, Septimius Severus, AE 24, Lindgren 2557Carrhae in Mesopotamia, Septimius Severus, AE 24, 193-211 AD
Av.: CEΠTIMIOC [CE]OY.... , naked (laureate?) bust of Septimius Severus right
Rv.: ..Λ]OY KAPPH ΛKA... , front view of a tetrastyle temple, the temple of the moon god Sin, in the middle a sacred stone on tripod, on top of stone: crescent, standards (with crescents on top) on both sides inside the building; another crescent in the pediment.
Lindgren 2557 ; BMC p. 82, #4

The city and the region played an important role in roman history.

Carrhae / Harran, (Akkadian Harrânu, "intersecting roads"; Latin Carrhae), an ancient city of strategic importance, an important town in northern Mesopotamia, famous for its temple of the moon god Sin, is now nothing more than a village in southeastern Turkey with an archeological site.
In the Bible it is mentioned as one of the towns where Abraham stayed on his voyage from Ur to the promised land. Abraham's family settled there when they left Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:31-32).
Inscriptions indicate that Harran existed as early as 2000 B.C. In its prime, it controlled the point where the road from Damascus joins the highway between Nineveh and Carchemish. This location gave Harran strategic value from an early date. It is frequently mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions about 1100 BC, under the name Harranu, or "Road" (Akkadian harrānu, 'road, path, journey' ).
During the fall of the Assyrian Empire, Harran became the stronghold of its lasts king, Ashur-uballit II, being besiged and conquered by Nabopolassar of Babylon at 609 BC. Harran became part of Median Empire after the fall of Assyria, and subsequently passed to the Persian Achaemenid dynasty.
The city remained Persian untill in 331 BC when the soldiers of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great entered the city.
After the death of Alexander on 11 June 323 BC, the city was claimed by his successors: Perdiccas, Antigonus Monophthalmus and Eumenes. These visited the city, but eventually, it became part of the Asian kingdom of Seleucos I (Nicator), the Seleucid empire, and capital of a province called Osrhoene (the Greek term for the old name Urhai).
The Seleucids settled Macedonian veterans at Harran. For a century-and-a-half, the town flourished, and it became independent when the Parthian dynasty of Persia occupied Babylonia. The Parthian and Seleucid kings both needed the buffer state of Osrhoene which was part of the larger Parthian empire and had nearby Edessa as its capital. The dynasty of the Arabian Abgarides, technically a vassal of the Parthian "king of kings" ruled Osrhoene for centuries.

Carrhae was the scene of a disastrous defeat of the Roman general Crassus by the Parthians. In 53 BC. Crassus, leading an army of 50.000, conducted a campaign against Parthia. After he captured a few cities on the way, he hurried to cross the Euphrates River with hopes of receiving laurels and the title of “Emperor”. But as he drove his forces over Rakkan towards Harran, Parthian cavalry besieged his forces in a pincers movement. In the ensuing battle, the Roman army was defeated and decimated. The battle of Carrhae was the beginning of a series of border wars with Parthia for many centuries. Numismatic evidence for these wars or the corresponding peace are for instance the "Signis Receptis" issues of Augustus and the “Janum Clusit” issues of Nero.
Later Lucius Verus tried to conquer Osrhoene and initially was successful. But an epidemic made an annexation impossible. However, a victory monument was erected in Ephesus, and Carrhae/Harran is shown as one of the subject towns.
Septimius Severus finally added Osrhoene to his realms in 195. The typical conic domed houses of ancient Harran can be seen on the Arch of Septimius Severus on the Forum Romanum.
Harran was the chief home of the moon-god Sin, whose temple was rebuilt by several kings. Sin was one of the great gods of the Assurian-Babylonian pantheon.
Caracalla gave Harran the status of a colonia (214 AD) and visited the city and the temple of the moon god in April 217. Meanwhile the moon god (and sacred stones) had become a part of the Roman pantheon and the temple a place to deify the roman emperors (as the standards on both sides of the temple indicate).

Caracalla was murdered while he was on his way from Temple to the palace. If this had been arranged by Macrinus - the prefect of the Praetorian guard who was to be the new emperor – is not quite clear. On the eighth of April, the emperor and his courtiers made a brief trip to the world famous temple of the moon god. When Caracalla halted to perform natural functions, he was assassinated by one of his bodyguards, Julius Martialis, who had a private grudge against the ruler, because he had not been given the post of centurion.

In 296 AD Roman control was again interrupted when nearby Carrhae the emperor Galerius was defeated by the king Narses / the Sasanid dynasty of Persia. The Roman emperor Julianus Apostata sacrificed to the moon god in 363 AD, at the beginning of his ill-fated campaign against the Sassanid Persians. The region continued to be a battle zone between the Romans and Sassanids. It remained Roman (or Byzantine) until 639, when the city finally was captured by the Muslim armies.

At that time, the cult of Sin still existed. After the arrival of the Islam, the adherents of other religions probably went to live in the marshes of the lower Tigris and Euphrates, and are still known as Mandaeans.
The ancient city walls surrounding Harran, 4 kilometer long and 3 kilometer wide, have been repaired throughout the ages (a.o. by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the sixth century), and large parts are still standing. The position of no less than 187 towers has been identified. Of the six gates (Aleppo gate, Anatolian, Arslanli, Mosul, Baghdad, and Rakka gate), only the first one has remained.

A citadel was built in the 14th century in place of the Temple of Sin. This lies in the south-west quarter of the ancient town. Its ruin can still be visited.

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1 commentsArminiusJul 04, 2006

ROMAN EMPIRE, Postumus Double Sestertius RIC 173 - ONLY 2 KNOWN OF TYPEDouble sestertius, Colonia AD 260 (?), about 32 gr., 32-36 mm diameter.
Av.: IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS PF AVG , drap. cuir. bust with crown right
Rv.: [VICTO]R[I]A AVG , Victoria walking with palm-branch and wreath right (no captive at feet)
Cohen 392 (Vente de Marquis de Moustier, Hoffmann, Paris, 1872) ; RIC 5B, p. 351 no. 173 ; Bastien - ; Zschucke -
probably the second known coin of this type (Curtis Clay)ArminiusJun 26, 2006

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