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Image search results - "Coop"
Oliver_Cromwell_by_Samuel_Cooper.jpg
*Alex
Argilos__470-460_BC.JPG
Time of Alexander I, AR Hemiobol, struck 470 - 460 BC at Argilos in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Forepart of Pegasos facing left.
Reverse: No legend. Quadripartite granulated incuse square.
Diameter: 8.78mm | Weight: 0.20gms | Die Axis: Uncertain
Liampi 118 | SNG - | GCV -
Rare

Argilos was a city of ancient Macedonia founded by a colony of Greeks from Andros. Although little information is known about the city until about 480 BC, the literary tradition dates the foundation to around 655/654 BC which makes Argilos the earliest Greek colony on the Thracian coast. It appears from Herodotus to have been a little to the right of the route the army of Xerxes I took during its invasion of Greece in 480 BC in the Greco-Persian Wars. Its territory must have extended as far as the right bank of the Strymona, since the mountain of Kerdylion belonged to the city.
Argilos benefited from the trading activities along the Strymona and probably also from the gold mines of the Pangeion. Ancient authors rarely mention the site, but nevertheless shed some light on the important periods of its history. In the last quarter of the 6th century BC, Argilos founded two colonies, Tragilos, in the Thracian heartland, and Kerdilion, a few kilometers to the east of the city.
Alexander I was the ruler of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from c.498 BC until his death in 454 BC. Alexander came to the throne during the era of the kingdom's vassalage to Persia, dating back to the time of his father, Amyntas I. Although Macedonia retained a broad scope of autonomy, in 492 BC it was made a fully subordinate part of the Persian Empire. Alexander I acted as a representative of the Persian governor Mardonius during peace negotiations after the Persian defeat at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. From the time of Mardonius' conquest of Macedonia, Herodotus disparagingly refers to Alexander I as “hyparchos”, meaning viceroy. However, despite his cooperation with Persia, Alexander frequently gave supplies and advice to the Greek city states, and warned them of the Persian plans before the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. After their defeat at Plataea, when the Persian army under the command of Artabazus tried to retreat all the way back to Asia Minor, most of the 43,000 survivors of the battle were attacked and killed by the forces of Alexander at the estuary of the Strymona river.
Alexander regained Macedonian independence after the end of the Persian Wars and was given the title "philhellene" by the Athenians, a title used for Greek patriots.
After the Persian defeat, Argilos became a member of the first Athenian confederation but the foundation of Amphipolis in 437 BC, which took control of the trade along the Strymona, brought an end to this. Thucydides tells us that some Argilians took part in this foundation but that the relations between the two cities quickly deteriorated and, during the Peloponnesian war, the Argilians joined with the Spartan general Brasidas to attack Amphipolis. An inscription from the temple of Asklepios in Epidauros attests that Argilos was an independent city during the 4th century.
Like other colonies in the area, Argilos was conquered by the Macedonian king Philip II in 357 B.C. Historians believe that the city was then abandoned and, though excavations have brought to light an important agricultural settlement on the acropolis dated to the years 350-200 BC, no Roman or Byzantine ruins have been uncovered there.
1 comments*Alex
y5~1.jpg
Artuqids of Mardin - Nasir al-Din Artuq ArslanTurkoman: Artuqids of Mardin - Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan

597/1201-637/1239 (598 AH), AE dirhem, 31mm.
Draped bust facing / Five-lined Central Legend, S/S 37.2, VF. Ex: Patrick Cooper Collection, Ex: James Theselius Collection
Simon
1183Hadrian_RIC552.jpg
0163 Hadrian Orichalcum Sestertius, Roma 118 AD Hadrian and Liberalitas Reference.
RIC II, 552; Strack 516; Hunter II 324, BMCRE III 1137, Cohen II 914, SRCV II 3606 var. (band over shoulder, S - C at sides); Banti 488; RIC III, 163

Bust A4

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG
Laureate bust with drapery.

Rev. PONT MAX TR POT COS II / S C LIBERALITAS AVG
Hadrian seated left on curule chair set on platform, hand extended towards attendant, seated left, who is making distribution to citizen scaling platform steps with fold of toga held out; in background Liberalitas standing left, holding up coin scoop

25.81 gr
35 mm
6h

Note.
The generosity and munificent largesses of Hadrian, after having been recorded many times on various coins and in diverse ways, are on the reverse of a first brass medal of great rarity, glorified altogether by the above splendid title, "The Benefactor of the World," a superlative the more remarkable, inasmuch as, neither before nor afterward, is it found conferred on any other emperor. -- Dictionary| of Roman| Coins|
FORVM coin
5 commentsokidoki
211Hadrian__RIC131.jpg
0312 Hadrian Denarius 119-22 AD Hadrian with officier and LibertasReference.
RIC III, 312; Strack 71; RIC II, 131b; C 911

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG.
Laureate bust with drapery

Bust A2

Rev. P M TR P COS III / LIBERAL AVG (III In Ex.)
Hadrian seated left on writing at desk with pen; i the background stands statue? of Liberalitas holding up coin scoop. Citizen ascends the front steps of the platform, holding out the fold of his toga, while an attendant stands behind Emperor

2.75 gr
18 mm
h
1 commentsokidoki
035_Antoninus_Pius_(138-161_A_D_),_AE-26,_SNG-Cop_351,_Laodiceia_ad_Mare,_Turreted_bust_of_Tyche_right,_Syria,__SNG-Cop-351_Q-001_0h_24-25mm_10,43g-s.jpg
035p Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), Syria, Laodikeia Ad Mare, SNG-Cop 351, AE-26, Turreted bust of Tyche right, 035p Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), Syria, Laodikeia Ad Mare, SNG-Cop 351, AE-26, Turreted bust of Tyche right,
avers:- [AVTO] KAI AI ADRI ANTWNEINOC [CEB], Laureate head right.
revers:- IOVLIEWN TWN KAI LAODIKEWN, Turreted bust of Tyche right, date AKP right ( year ),
exe: -/-//--, diameter: 24-25 mm, weight: 10,43g, axis: 0 h,
mint: Syria, Laodikeia Ad Mare, date: 138-161 A.D., ref: SNG-Coop 351, BMC 57,
Q-001
quadrans
035_Antoninus_Pius_(138-161_A_D_),_AE-17,_SNG-Coop_771,________________,_Dionysos_satnding_left_Q-001_h_mm_g-s.jpg
035p Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), Thrace, Philippopolis, SNG-Coop 771, AE-17, ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΟΝ, Dionysos satnding left,035p Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), Thrace, Philippopolis, SNG-Coop 771, AE-17, ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΟΝ, Dionysos satnding left,
avers:- ΑΥΤ-ΑΔΡΙΑ-ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟC, Laureate head right.
revers:-ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΟΝ, Dionysos satnding left faceing with Jug and Thyrsos.
exe: -/-//--, diameter: 17-18 mm, weight: 4,06g, axis: 6 h,
mint: Thrace, Philippopolis, date: 138-161 A.D., ref: SNG-Coop 771,
Q-001
quadrans
426Hadrian_RIC582.jpg
0421 Hadrian Sestertius, Roma 119-23 AD Hadrian Reference.
RIC II, 582; C 930; Strack 548; RIC 421

Bust C1

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG P M TR P COS III:
Laureate, draped bust, viewed from front

Rev. LIBERALITAS AVG III in Ex. S C
Hadrian, seated left on platform, hand extended towards citizen, advancing right, with fold of toga held out; in background Liberalitas standing front, holding up coin scoop; behind Hadrian, attendant standing left.

24.93 gr
33 mm
h

Note.
Comment on Tablet by Curtis Clay.
The object in question was a tablet with a set number of shallow coin-size depressions drilled into it, say 50 depressions. It was dipped into the chest of coins like a scoop, and shaken until one coin had settled into each depression. Any excess coins were then swept back into the chest with the official's other hand, and the full board containing exactly fifty coins was then emptied into the outstretched toga of the recipient. So the object in question was a coin scoop/coin counter, meant to rapidly and accurately distribute the required number of coins to each recipient.
2 commentsokidoki
ciibh1.jpg
05 Constantius IIBGN353 - Constantius II (A.D. 337-361), Pre-Magnentian Revolt, AE Centenionalis, 21mm, 5.14g., Arles mint, first officina, A.D. 348-350, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of the Emperor right, A behind head, rev., FEL TEMP REPARATIO, PARL in exergue, helmeted soldier spearing fallen horseman, A in field, (RIC 119/121-22; Bridgnorth Report #79), very fine. RIC Arles 118

Ex Bridgnorth Hoard, Shropshire, England, buried circa A.D. 355, discovered 2007.

"On October 10th, 2007 a metal detectorist discovered a large scattered hoard of late Roman coins that had been disturbed by deep plowing in a potato field near Bridgnorth, Shropshire. His subsequent actions are praised in the UK government 2007 Portable Antiquities and Treasure Annual Report, where local finds officer Peter Reavill states: “The finder is to be congratulated on the careful plotting and speedy reporting of this hoard as it enabled the excavation to take place and vital depositional information recorded. In turn, this minimised the impact to the landowner and his farming activity.” The majority of hoards that come to light are found outside of planned archaeological excavations, the original owner having selected a secluded spot to conceal his or her wealth away from human habitation, leading to loss of information on the archaeological context of the hoard. In this instance, swift action and close cooperation by the finder and the local Finds Liaison Officer led to an excavation of the findspot. The results of which showed that the hoard had been contained in a large pottery vessel (broken by the plow), most probably previously used as a cooking pot as evidenced by burns marks on the outer edges. The pot had been buried in a U-shaped gulley or ditch that formed part of an otherwise unknown late Roman site.

The hoard consisted of 2892 coins, ranging in date from a Reform Antoninianus of Probus to post Magnentian issues of Constantius II up to A.D. 355. The majority of the hoard was issues of Magnentius and Decentius (75%), followed by pre-Magnentian issues of Constantius II and Constans (18%) and closing with post Magnentian issues of Constantius II and Gallus (7%)."
Better Photo
1 commentsRandygeki(h2)
1270Hadrian_RIC968.jpg
0996 Hadrian Sestertius, Roma 128-29 AD Hadrian with Roma and SenateReference.
RIC II, 968; Banti 193; BMC 1364; C. 352; Hill 388; Strack 632; RIC 996

Bust A1

Obv. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P
Laureate head

Rev. S C in field; COS III in ex
Hadrian, Roma and Senator adventus group: Hadrian stands left, the Senator stands right, Roma, holding spear, stands between them facing Emperor, and drawing his hand towards the extended hand of the Senator.

25.00 gr
33 mm
6h

Note.
The Romans often staged events in which the emperor was accompanied by actors dressed to personify symbolic personalities such as Annona, Liberalitas, Roma, et al. Here we see the emperor clasping the hand of the Senate in the presence of Roma, who stands behind them confirming their cooperative spirit by resting her hand on theirs.

This reverse type, representing "Concordia Senatus," likely commemorates the conferring of the title pater patriae upon Hadrian by the Senate in 128 AD.
1 commentsokidoki
244~0.JPG
12 - Viviez, Aveyron, FranceBoulangerie Coopérative, Viviez, Aveyron
Laiton, 27 mm
A/ BOULANGERIE COOPERATIVE / VIVIEZ // 4 Kos
R/ 1931 / 250
Réfs : Elie 10.4
Gabalor
031~7.JPG
13 - Marseille, Bouches du Rhône, France5 centimes, cuivre, 19 mm
A/ LADOUANIERE COOPERATIVE MARSEILLE
R/ 5 C
Réfs : - - -
Gabalor
COMMONWEALTH_HALFGROAT.JPG
1649 - 1660, THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND, AR Half-groat, Struck 1651 - 1653 at London, EnglandObverse: No legend. Shield bearing the Cross of Saint George between palm branch to left and laurel branch to right.
Reverse: • II • above two conjoined shields side by side, that on the left bearing the Cross of Saint George, that on the right bearing the Harp of Ireland.
Diameter: 17mm | Weight: 0.9gms | Die Axis: 11h
SPINK: 3221

This particular coin denomination is undated, but it has been suggested that the coin above can probably be attributed to the first coinage period (1651 - 1653) on stylistic grounds.

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE AND FOR INFO ON COMMONWEALTH COINAGE
1 comments*Alex
194.JPG
18 - Bourges, Cher, France.Coopérative Militaire de Tivoli, Bourges, Cher
Cuivre, 24 mm
A/ COOPERATIVE MILITAIRE DE TIVOLI // 1916
R/ BOURGES (CHER) // 10 c
Réfs : Elie 30.1
Gabalor
194Hadrian_RIC253d.jpg
2018 Hadrian Denarius Roma 130-38 AD Liberalitas Reference.
RIC 2018; RIC II 253; C.935; BMCRE 665 note; Strack 248

Bust A1

Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P
Laureate head

Rev. LIBERALITAS AVG VI
Liberalitas standing left holding coinscoop and cornucopia

3.03 gr
18.5 mm
h
okidoki
1544Hadrian_RIC_2018.jpg
2018 Hadrian Denarius Roma 130-38 AD Liberalitas Reference.
RIC 2018; RIC II 253; C.935; BMCRE 665 note; Strack 248

Bust A2

Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P
Laureate head with drapery

Rev. LIBERALITAS AVG VI
Liberalitas standing left holding coinscoop and cornucopia

3.04 gr
18 mm
6h
okidoki
1565Hadrian_RIC_2020.jpg
2020 Hadrian Denarius Roma 130-38 AD Liberalitas Reference.
RIC 2020; RIC II 253; C.935; BMCRE 665 note; Strack 248

Bust C2

Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P
Laureate and draped bust viewed from side

Rev. LIBERALITAS AVG VI
Liberalitas standing left holding coin-scoop and cornucopia

3.33 gr
19.52 mm
6h
okidoki
1257Hadrian_RIC817.jpg
2130 Hadrian AS Roma 134-38 AD Liberalitas Reference.
RIC II 817f; C. 937; Strack 674; RIC 2130

Bust C2

Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P
Laureate, draped bust viewed from side

Rev. LIBERALITAS AVG VI; in field S C
Liberalitas standing left, holding coin-scoop and cornucopia

10.24 gr
25 mm
6h
okidoki
912_P_Hadrian_RPC.jpg
2736A PAMPHYLIA, Side Hadrian, AthenaReference.
RPC III 2736A.

Obv. ΑΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ
Laureate head of Hadrian, r., with drapery on l. shoulder, right

Rev. СΙΔΗΤωΝ
Athena standing facing, head left, holding palm branch and pomegranate

8.80 gr
24 mm
12h

Note.
From the Steve Cooper Collection.
1 commentsokidoki
309~0.JPG
39 - Lons le Saunier, JuraSociété Coopérative des Agents de la Cie P.L.M (fondée en 1886), Lons-Le-Saunier, Jura
Laiton, 16 mm
A/ SOCIETE COOPERATIVE / LONS-LE-SAUNIER // DES AGENTS DE LA CIE P.L.M.
R/ 5 c
Réfs : Elie 15.1
Gabalor
879_P_Hadrian_RPC4014A~0.jpg
4014A JUDAEA, Ascalon. Hadrian 131-32 ad Tyche-AstarteReference.
RPC III, 4014A; De Saulcy 10; Yashin, Ascalon to Raphia, 191var

Issue Year 235

Obv. СƐΒΑСΤΟС
Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from rear

Rev. ACKAΛω/ LΔ / ЄΛC
Tyche-Astarte standing right on galley, holding scepter and aphlaston; to left, incense altar; to right, dove in r. field.

12.54 gr
23 mm
12h

Note.
From the Collection of Steve Cooper
okidoki
023~5.JPG
44 - Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.1k 500, laiton, 27 mm
A/ EMPLOYES DU CHEMIN DE FER D'ORLEANS // BOULANGERIE COOPERATIVE
R/ NANTES 1 k 500 174
Réfs : Elie 10.2a
Gabalor
253.JPG
54 - Saulnes, Merthe-et-Moselle, FranceCoopérative, Saulnes, Meurthe-et-Moselle
Laiton, 26 mm
A/ UNION COOPERATIVE / SAULNES
R/ FLÛTE
Réfs : Elie 10.2
Gabalor
191~0.JPG
73 - Chambery, Savoie, France.Société Coopérative des Agents de la Cie P.L.M. (fondée en 1887), Chambery, Savoie
Maillechort, 25 mm
A/ SOCIETE COOPERATIVE DES AGENTS DE - LA COMPie P.L.M. CHAMBERY // 5 fr
R/ SOCIETE COOPERATIVE DE LA Cie P.L.M. - 1898
Réfs : Elie 25.6
Gabalor
047~5.JPG
81 - Castres, Tarn, France.Restaurant Coopératif D.P.A. (Dépôt du Parc d'Artillerie du XVIe corps d'armée), Castres, Tarn
Laiton, 23 mm
A/ RESTAURANT COOPERATIF / CASTRES // D.P.A.
R/ 25 c
Réfs : Elie 25.6
Gabalor
108~1.JPG
90 - Territoire de Belfort, France.Coopérative Alimentaire, Beaucourt, Territoire de Belfort
Laiton nickelé 27 mm
A/ COOPERATIVE ALIMENTAIRE - BEAUCOURT // UN POUR TOUS - TOUS POUR UN, contremarque "EXPOSITION"
R/ COOPERATION // 20 c
Réfs : Elie 10.6
Gabalor
Lincoln_Medallion.jpg
Abraham Lincoln 1893 Columbian Exposition MedalObverse: 1809 * ABRAHAM * LINCOLN * 1865, portrait of a young, beardless Lincoln, facing, head turned right. Artist's name H. ZEARING in field above left shoulder.

Reverse: A shield with lance heads separated with circles in borders; WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE - WITH CHARITY FOR ALL - WITH FIRMNESS IN THE RIGHT AS GOD GIVES VS TO SEE THE RIGHT LET VS STRIVE ON * * * LET VS HAVE FAITH THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT AND IN THAT FAITH LET VS TO THE END DARE TO DO OVR DVTY AS WE VNDERSTAND IT. (Excerpts from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address on March 4th, 1865 and the Cooper Union Speech on February 27, 1860)

Engraver: Henry H. Zearing

Medal was made for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.

Bronze, Diameter: 45.4 mm, Axis: 0°

References: King 504, Eglit 85
Matt Inglima
2D7B4C51-7DDD-458B-AF22-089D975B15CF.jpeg
Akanthos, Macedon ObolAR Obol
Size: 9 mm Weight: .60grams Die axis: 12h

Akanthos, Macedon
390 - 382 BCE

Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo to right.

Reverse: Seven-stringed lyre, around which AKANΘION

References: British Museum Collection, object number 1947,0406.168 (online)

Notes:
- Akanthos was a colony of the Aegean Island of Andros.
- Situated on the Chalkidike peninsula, Akanthos was an important and powerful city. The city was never willing to join the Chalkidian League, 430 – 348 BCE, a federation based on Akanthos’ rival Olynthos. The Chalkidian league’s famous lyre coinage is well known, and bears the name of magistrates rather than city epithets. Yet the use of the lyre on this coin, along with the inscription AKANΘION, indicates there was at one time some significant cooperative arrangement between Akanthos and the Chalkidian League.

Purchased from eBay USA, 2004
Pharsalos
Antigonos_II_-_Pan.JPG
Antigonos II Gonatas, 277 - 239 BC. AE20. Struck at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Head of Athena, in crested Corinthian helmet, facing right.
Reverse: Pan advancing right, erecting trophy of Gallic arms. B - A across upper field; ANTI monogram of Antigonos between Pan's feet; helmet symbol in field to left.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 4.82gms | Die Axis: 12
SNG Alpha Bank 1017 | Sear GCV 6786

Antigonos II Gonatas was the son of Demetrios Poliorketes, himself the son of Antigonos I Monophthalmus, who then controlled much of Asia. The origin of the nickname Gonatas is unknown. Antigonos' mother was Phila, the daughter of Antipater, who had controlled Macedonia and the rest of Greece since 334 BC and was recognized as regent of the empire, which in theory remained united. In the year of Antigonos Gonatas' birth, however, Antipater died, leading to further struggles for dominance. After coming closer than anyone to reuniting the empire of Alexander, Antigonos Monophthalmus was defeated and killed in the great Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC and the territory he formerly controlled was divided among his enemies, which included Kassander, Ptolemy and Lysimachus.
The fate of Antigonos Gonatas was closely tied with that of his father Demetrios, who had escaped from the battle with 9,000 troops. Jealousy among the victors eventually allowed Demetrios to regain part of the power his father had lost. He conquered Athens and, in 294 BC, he seized the throne of Macedonia from Alexander, the son of Kassander. Because Antigonos Gonatas was the grandson of Antipater and the nephew of Kassander through his mother, his presence helped to reconcile the supporters of these former kings to the rule of his father.
In the winter of 279 BC, a great horde of Gauls under their leader Brennus descended on Macedonia from the north. After plundering Macedonia, the Gauls invaded further regions of Greece, moving southwards. Antigonos cooperated in the defence of Greece, but the Aetolians took the lead in defeating the Gauls. In 278 BC a Greek army with a large Aetolian contingent checked the Gauls at Thermopylae and Delphi, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing them to retreat.
The next year (277 BC), Antigonos sailed to the Hellespont, landing near Lysimachia at the neck of the Thracian Chersonese. When an army of Gauls under the command of Cerethrius appeared, Antigonos laid an ambush. He abandoned his camp, beached his ships and concealed his men. The Gauls looted the camp but, when they started to attack the ships, Antigonos's army appeared, trapping them with the sea to their backs. The Gauls were utterly defeated at the Battle of Lysimachia, and, after this resounding victory, Antigonos claimed the Macedonian throne.
In 239 BC, at the age of 80, Antigonos II Gonatas died and left his kingdom to his son Demetrios II Aetolicus, who was to reign for the next 10 years. Except for a short period when he defeated the Gauls, Antigonos was not a heroic or successful military leader. His skills were mainly political and he preferred to rely on cunning, patience, and persistence to achieve his goals.
1 comments*Alex
DSC00247_40%_cut.JPG
Arizona - Coopers HawkCoopers Hawk cooling his feet in the birdbath.
Right out in front of my kitchen window too, all the shots are taken through the glass window, but still look great.
3 commentsrexesq
coopers-hawk_water_oct-15-2010_05.JPG
Arizona - Coopers HawkCoopers Hawk cooling his feet in the birdbath.rexesq
coopers-hawk_water_oct-15-2010_03.JPG
Arizona - Coopers HawkCoopers Hawk cooling his feet in the birdbath.rexesq
coopers-hawk_water_oct-15-2010_02.JPG
Arizona - Coopers HawkCoopers Hawk cooling his feet in the birdbath.7 commentsrexesq
coopers-hawk_water_oct-15-2010_01.JPG
Arizona - Coopers HawkCoopers Hawk cooling his feet in the birdbath.rexesq
Baltimore___Ohio_RR_Centennial_Medal_1927.JPG
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company Centennial Medal, 1927Text from the original information card:

"This medal is issued on the one hundredth birthday of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company to commemorate not merely an important milestone in its own history but the rounding out of a century of a definite American railroad achievement.

The Baltimore & Ohio was the first American railroad to operate its line for the public handling of passengers and freight. This was early in 1830. In all the one hundred years of its life it has changed neither its corporate name, its charter, nor its fundamental organization.

The obverse of the medal depicts one of the most modern trains of the Baltimore & Ohio - The Capitol Limited or The National Limited - drawn by one of the largest and most modern passenger locomotives built. The Spirit of Transportation guides the locomotive in its onward flight. [Inscription: ONE HUNDRED YEARS - SAFETY STRENGTH SPEED.]

The reverse shows the Tom Thumb, designed by Alderman Peter Cooper of New York and the first steam locomotive to be built in the United States, even though it was never put into practical service. [Inscription: THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD COMPANY 1827 - 1927.]

Mr. Hans Schuler, director of the Maryland Institute in Baltimore, is the sculptor who designed the medal and it was reproduced direct from his models by the Medallic Art Company of New York City."
Matt Inglima
Coal_Shovel.jpg
Brass Coal ShuttleDate: Late 19th/early 20th century

This device was used to scoop coal easily. It has porcelain handles painted with a cobalt blue design.
1 commentsNoah
Hyria.jpg
Campania, Hyrianoi. (Circa 405-400 BC)Fourrée Nomos (20.5mm, 6.33 g)

Obverse: Head of Athena wearing crested helmet decorated with olive-wreath and owl.

Reverse: Man-faced bull standing r. on exergual line, YDINA (retrograde) above. YDINA is in Oscan script and means "Urina", another name for Hyria.

For prototype, cf. HN Italy 539.

The city, named both Nola (new city) and Hyria (which Nola likely arose from), was situated in the midst of the plain lying to the east of Mount Vesuvius, 21 miles south of Capua. While Neapolis was the focus of minting in this general area, Neapolitan designs were adopted by several new series of coins, some of them bearing legends in Oscan script referring to communities that are otherwise unknown (such as the Hyrianoi). Complex die linking between these different series indicate, at the very least, close cooperation in minting. Didrachms sharing motives (Athena/man headed bull), but with legends referring to different issuing communities on the reverse, testify to the integration into a common material culture in Campania in the late fifth to early fourth century. The die sharing and use of legends in Oscan script allow for an interpretation of these issues as indigenous coinages struck in the Campanian mileu.

The influence of Athens on Hyria can be seen not only in the great number of Greek vases and other articles discovered at the old city but by the adoption of the head of Pallas with the Athenian owl as their obverse type.

This particular coin is an ancient forgery, which were quite common in Magna Graecia and typically of much higher quality than fourrees produced elsewhere. In ON THE FORGERIES OF PUBLIC MONEY [J. Y. Akerman
The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society, Vol. 6 (APRIL, 1843–JANUARY, 1844), pp. 57-82] it is noted that ancient forgeries tend "to be most abundantly found to belong to the most luxurious, populous, and wealthy cities of Magna Graecia...Nor is it surprising that the luxury and vice of those celebrated cities should have led to crime; and among crimes, to the forging of money, as furnishing the means for the more easy gratification of those sensual indulgences, which were universally enjoyed by the rich in those dissipated and wealthy cities. Many of the coins of the places in question having been originally very thickly coated, or cased with silver (called by the French, fourrees), pass even now among collectors without suspicion."
1 commentsNathan P
tyana_sept_severus_BMC8var.jpg
Cappadocia, Tyana, Septimius Severus, BMC 8 var.Septimius Severus, AD 193-211
AE 28, 11.41g
struck AD 196/7 (year 4)
obv. AVT KAI L CEV - CEOVHROC P C
head, laureate, r.
rev. TVANEWN TPT IE K ACY K A
Humped bull stg. r.
beneath ET D (yesr 4)
BMC 8 var.
very rare, about VF
Pedigree:
ex coll. R.Hecht
ex coll. P.Cooper #949
ex Baldwin/London, 1979

The solution of the rev. legend is:
TYANEWN TWN PROC TAVRW HIERAC KAI ACYLOY KAI AVTONOMOV
Jochen
anazarbos_gordianIII_Lindgren1441.jpg
Cilicia, Anazarbos, Gordian III Lindgren 1441Gordian III, AD 238-244
AE 31, 17.94g
struck AD 242/3
obv. AVT KM ANTWNINOC GORDIANOC CE
Bust, draped and cuirassed, radiate, r.
rev. ANAZARBO - V ENDOX MHTRO
Male figure, sitting on rocks l., head r., wearing working clothes and pointed
bonnet, resting with l. hand on the rocks, holding in raised r. hand fishing device
(kind of scoop with sieve)
B - G in field l. and r.
in ex. ET AXC
Lindgren 1441; BMC Lycaonia etc. 37, n.31
extremely rare, good F - about VF, attractive contrasting patina

G-B = capital of 3 provinces, 2 neocories (P. Weiss)
The legends are from Ziegler, Münzen Kilikiens aus kleineren deutschen Sammlungen, S.143, Nr.1114/15 (same dies).
This is a motiv of the world of the fishermen! There are a similar motiv on a coin for Valerian I.
Jochen
Tarsos.jpg
Cilicia, Tarsos. Tarkumuwa (Datames), Satrap of Cilicia and Cappadocia. (Circa 378-372 BC)AR Stater

23 mm, 10.28 g

Obverse: Diademed female head facing slightly to left, wearing pendant earrings and necklace.

Reverse: 𐡕𐡓𐡃𐡌𐡅 ('trkmw' in Aramaic) Bearded head of Ares (?) to left, wearing crested Attic helmet.

Casabonne type 1. SNG Levante 80. SNG Paris 276-277.

Datames (407-362 BC) served as a member of the Persian king's (Artaxerxes II - 405-359 BC) bodyguard before he became satrap of Cilicia and Cappadocia upon his father's death in battle in 384 BC. After many successes, the Persian king placed him in charge of the second war against Egypt, along with Pharnabazos and Tithraustes, satrap of Caria.

To pay their armies for these expeditions, both satraps minted near-identical coins, distinguished only by their inscriptions. The reverse of these coins may show a representation of Ares, the Greek god of war. The facing head of an unidentifiable female deity (Aphrodite, the wife of Ares?) on the obverse is clearly influenced by the famous representations of the nymph Arethusa created by the artist Kimon for the coins of Syracuse. Both designs were probably meant to appeal to the thousands of Greek mercenaries that each Persian satrap hired for their Egyptian campaigns.

Datames was first, however, detained by a local revolt in Kataonia, a territory within his satrapy. This time, his success incurred the king's jealousy, and he was removed both from his command of the Egyptian expedition as well as the rule of his satrapy. Refusing to relinquish his authority, Datames himself revolted and became a virtually independent ruler. His initial success in this endeavor prompted the revolt of other satraps across the empire. Datames' success, however, was short-lived. Distrust among the satraps rendered them unable to cooperate, their rebellion disintegrated, and Datames himself was assassinated in 362 BC.
3 commentsNathan P
constantine_sp_principia.png
Constantine 8.09.010Constantine
Obv CONSTANTINVS PF AVG
(R.laur cuir)
PRINCIPIA IVVENTVTIS
(Prince helmeted, in military dress, standing right, cloak spread, holding reversed vertical spear, left hand resting on shield.)
S | P
PLN in ex
London
RIC VII 105 (corr) (r5)
LMCC 8.09.010 (RR)
3.0g, 18.3 mm x 19.7 mm
(ex David Cooper)


Noviomagus
003~1.JPG
Constantius IIBGN353 - Constantius II (A.D. 337-361), Pre-Magnentian Revolt, AE Centenionalis, 21mm, 5.14g., Arles mint, first officina, A.D. 348-350, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of the Emperor right, A behind head, rev., FEL TEMP REPARATIO, PARL in exergue, helmeted soldier spearing fallen horseman, A in field, (RIC 119/121-22; Bridgnorth Report #79), very fine. RIC Arles 118

Ex Bridgnorth Hoard, Shropshire, England, buried circa A.D. 355, discovered 2007.

"On October 10th, 2007 a metal detectorist discovered a large scattered hoard of late Roman coins that had been disturbed by deep plowing in a potato field near Bridgnorth, Shropshire. His subsequent actions are praised in the UK government 2007 Portable Antiquities and Treasure Annual Report, where local finds officer Peter Reavill states: “The finder is to be congratulated on the careful plotting and speedy reporting of this hoard as it enabled the excavation to take place and vital depositional information recorded. In turn, this minimised the impact to the landowner and his farming activity.” The majority of hoards that come to light are found outside of planned archaeological excavations, the original owner having selected a secluded spot to conceal his or her wealth away from human habitation, leading to loss of information on the archaeological context of the hoard. In this instance, swift action and close cooperation by the finder and the local Finds Liaison Officer led to an excavation of the findspot. The results of which showed that the hoard had been contained in a large pottery vessel (broken by the plow), most probably previously used as a cooking pot as evidenced by burns marks on the outer edges. The pot had been buried in a U-shaped gulley or ditch that formed part of an otherwise unknown late Roman site.

The hoard consisted of 2892 coins, ranging in date from a Reform Antoninianus of Probus to post Magnentian issues of Constantius II up to A.D. 355. The majority of the hoard was issues of Magnentius and Decentius (75%), followed by pre-Magnentian issues of Constantius II and Constans (18%) and closing with post Magnentian issues of Constantius II and Gallus (7%)."
2 commentsRandygeki(h2)
Larissa_Thessaly_Ar-Trihemiobol_Head_of_Larissa_facing_Horseman_galloping_right_LAR-IS_AIWN_Hermann-VII-pl-VI-_1_SNG-Cop-134_C-344-337-BC_Q-001_9h_11,5-12,5mm_1,36g-s.jpg
G., Thessaly, Larissa, (c.344-337 B.C.), AR-Trihemiobol, SNG Coop 134, ΛΑΡ-IΣ / AIΩN, Horseman galloping right, Rare !Thessaly, Larissa, (c.344-337 B.C.), AR-Trihemiobol, SNG Coop 134, ΛΑΡ-IΣ / AIΩN, Horseman galloping right, Rare !
avers: Head of the nymph Larissa facing, turned slightly to the left.
revers: ΛΑΡ-IΣ / AIΩN, Horseman - Thessalian cavalryman, wearing petasos and chlamys and holding staff, riding cantering horse to right.
exerg: -/-//--, diameter: 11,5-12,5 mm, weight: 1,36g, axes: 9 h,
mint: Thessaly, Larissa, date: 344-337 B.C., ref: SNG Copenhagen 134, Hermann Group VII, pl. VI, 1,
Q-001
1 commentsquadrans
_DSC4962_mod_dup_sm.jpg
GALLIENVS AVG / IOVI CONS AVG goat antoninianus (close to 267-268 A.D.) "Zoo" seriesObv.: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate bare bust right, one ribbon behind, one forward across shoulder
Rev.: IOVI CONS AVG, goat, walking or standing right. Ï‚ (digamma or stigma) in exergue.

19mm, 2.53g, die axis 12 (medal 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; IOVI CONS[ervatori] AVG[usti]= to Jupiter 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. Goat is the chosen animal of Jupiter. Ï‚ designates officina 6, mostly minting Jupiter coins of this type.

Basic type is RIC V-1 Rome 207; RSC 341; Sear 10236. But then many varieties exists – emperor's bust bare/draped/cuirassed, goat walking left or right, larger and smaller sizes etc.

Note that as often with Rome mint some letters are made of separate lines and thus sometimes V = II and N = ΛI or III etc.

There is a significant confusion regarding how to represent numerical Ï‚ of that time and what to call it (digamma or stigma or sigma), see a detailed discussion in http://parthia.com/fonts/stigma.htm. The scoop is that it should be written as a cross between Ï‚ and S, treated as a capital and called stigma. But we use modern Greek end sigma Ï‚ since it is conveniently available in modern fonts. And it still means number 6 in this case.
Yurii P
Larissa_Thessaly_Ar-Trihemiobol_Head-nymph_Larissa_slightly_left_Horseman_gallop_r__LAR-IS_AIWN_Hermann-VII-pl-VI-_1_SNG-Cop-134_C-344-337-BC_Q-001_axis-9h_11,5-12,5mm_1,36g-s.jpg
Greek, Thessaly, Larissa, (c.344-337 B.C.), AR-Trihemiobol, SNG Coop 134, ΛΑΡ-IΣ / AIΩN, Horseman galloping right, Rare !Thessaly, Larissa, (c.344-337 B.C.), AR-Trihemiobol, SNG Coop 134, ΛΑΡ-IΣ / AIΩN, Horseman galloping right, Rare !
avers: Head of the nymph Larissa facing, turned slightly to the left.
revers: ΛΑΡ-IΣ / AIΩN, Horseman - Thessalian cavalryman, wearing petasos and chlamys and holding staff, riding cantering horse to right.
exerg: -/-//--, diameter: 11,5-12,5 mm, weight: 1,36g, axes: 9 h,
mint: Thessaly, Larissa, date: 344-337 B.C., ref: SNG Copenhagen 134, Hermann Group VII, pl. VI, 1,
Q-001
quadrans
hadden.jpg
Hadrian RIC-0312 Denarius LIBERAL AVG IIIRome mint, circa AD 120 (late) - April 121, Group 2.

IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, Laureate head (nude).

PM TRP COS III, Hadrian seated left on platform, writing at desk with pen, Liberalitas (possibly a statue) stands in the background holding up a coin scoop, an attendant stands behind Emperor, a citizen ascends the front steps, holding out a fold of his toga. LIBERAL AVG / III in exergue.

2.7 g; 17-18 mm dia; 6h.

Coin holed in antiquity. Interestingly the hole is in a position that suits neither the obverse (Hadrian's head would be suspended nearly upside down) nor the reverse (the scene would be displayed on a 45 degree angle).

RIC II/3 notes that Hadrian's third Liberalitas (distribution of coinage to the Roman citizens) was actually his second as his post-accession Liberalitas in AD 118 was of double the normal amount and was therefore reckoned as two. This Liberalitas III, which can be dated to late 120 "or more likely early 121", consisted of a gift of 150 denarii per citizen and was issued to commemorate the start of Hadrian's quinquennalia (5-year anniversary) period.

RIC II/3 312; Str.71.

From Austrian dealer L. xxx.
1 commentsSC
James_Fenimore_Cooper_1963_NYU_Hall_of_Fame.JPG
James Fenimore Cooper, 1963 NYU Hall of Fame MedalObv: JAMES FENIMORE COOPER, bust of Cooper facing right, resting upon an array of books and laurel branches. 1789 - 1851.

Rev: Visual depictions of Cooper's famous works and a quill. THE HALL OF FAME FOR GREAT AMERICANS AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ©1963

Category: Literature

Year Elected: 1910

Medal Issued: 1963

Sculptor: Granville Carter

Mint: Medallic Art Company

Details: Bronze, 44 mm, 0°
Matt Inglima
Papia_1p_img.jpg
L Papius Denarius Serratus, Papia 1, Sym. var. RRC 013Denarius Serratus
Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, cooking pot with hook.
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, triple flesh-hook
Minted in Rome from B.C. 79.
Reference:– RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC 13. Babelon 13. BMCRR 35. CNR: 1/049.

A "Stannard" weight adjustment scoop on the reverse
maridvnvm
papia_1x_img.jpg
L Papius Denarius Serratus, Papia 1, Sym. var. RRC 21Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, base of column.
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, corinthian capital
Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79.
Reference(s) – RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC 21. Babelon 81. BMCRR 21. CNR 1/034

3.41 gms

Stannard weight correction scoop on reverse
5 commentsmaridvnvm
159Hadrian_Lime_Obv_.JPG
Limes 080 Hadrian Denarius Roma 119-22 AD Aequitas standingReference.
RIC 80

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG.
Laureate head right.

Rev. P M TR P COS III.
Aequitas sttanding left, holding scales and cornucoopiae.

1.63 gr
18 mm
okidoki
Denar__forree__of_Nero_as_Caesar_Rv-removebg-preview.png
Nero (Caesar) Coin: Silver/Bronze Fourree Denarius fourreeNERO CLAVD CAES DRVSVS GERM PRINC IIVENT - Draped bust left
SACERD COOPT IN OMN CONL SVPRA NVM EX SC - Simpulum on tripod and lituus on patera.
Mint: Lugdunum (51 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 2.80g / 19mm / 12h
Rarity: R2
References:
RIC I 77[Claudius]
Sear 1917
RSC 312
BMC 87
von Kaenel Type 52
Provenances:
Andre Cichos
Acquisition/Sale: cichosgladiator11 eBay $0.00 11/19
Notes: Nov 17, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection
GRWilson
Peter_Cooper_1964_NYU_Hall_of_Fame_Medal~0.JPG
Peter Cooper, 1964 NYU Hall of Fame MedalObv: Bust of Peter Cooper facing three-quarters to the left, below his names appears in script flanked by oak leaves, 1791 – 1883.

Rev: An allegory featuring a family walking under a radiant peak guided by Inspiration represented as Pegasus within a sphere, stars with the crescent moon are seen in the sky to right, FOUNDER OF COOPER INSTITUTE below; THE HALL OF FAME FOR GREAT AMERICANS AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ©1964 above.

Category: Philanthropist

Year Elected: 1910

Medal Issued: 1964

Sculptor: Anthony de Francisci

Mint: Medallic Art Company

Details: Bronze, 44 mm, 0°
Matt Inglima
berytos_elagabal_SNGcop118.jpg
Phoenicia, Berytos, Elagabal, SNG Copenhagen 118Elagabal, AD 218-222
AE 26, 12.47g
obv. [AV KM AVR AN - TONINOC AVG]
Bust, draped and cuirassed, seen from behind, laureate, r.
rev. COL IVL A - VG FEL / BER
Poseidon, in himation, advancing r., head l., holding his trident in l. arm, raising
the nymph Beroe, kneeling l. before him, looking up to him; the nymph, in
transparent chiton, scooping water with a jar, the l. hand raised in defense.
SNG Copenhagen 118; BMC 183; Lindgren II, 120, 2268
Very rare, about EF, chocolate-brown patina

The group of statues from the rev. decorates the pedimentum of the main temple of the city of Berytos, todays Beirut in Liban. For the love of Beroe have struggled Poseidon and Dionysos until Zeus ended the battle and gave Beroe to Poseidon who gave the city the honor to win each naval battle.
For more information please look at the thread 'Mythological interesting coins'!
1 commentsJochen
Ant_Pius_AE-26_Q-001_axis-0h_24-25mm_10,43g-s.jpg
R., Syria, Laodikeia Ad Mare, 035 Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), SNG-Cop 351, AE-26, Turreted bust of Tyche right, Syria, Laodikeia Ad Mare, 035 Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), SNG-Cop 351, AE-26, Turreted bust of Tyche right,
avers: [AVTO] KAI AI AΔΡI ANTΩNEINOC [CEB], Laureate head right.
reverse: IOVΛIEΩN TΩN KAI ΛAOΔIKEΩN, Turreted bust of Tyche right, date AKP right ( year ),
exergue: -/-//--, diameter: 24-25 mm, weight: 10,43g, axis: 0 h,
mint: Syria, Laodikeia Ad Mare, date: 138-161 A.D., ref: SNG-Coop 351, BMC 57,
Q-001
quadrans
035_Antoninus_Pius_(138-161_A_D_),_AE-17,_SNG-Coop_771,________________,_Dionysos_satnding_left_Q-001_h_mm_g-s~0.jpg
R., Thrace, Philippopolis, 035 Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), SNG-Coop 771, AE-17, ΦIΛIΠΠOΠOΛEITON, Dionysos satnding left,Thrace, Philippopolis, 035 Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.), SNG-Coop 771, AE-17, ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΟΝ, Dionysos satnding left,
avers:- ΑΥΤ-ΑΔΡΙΑ-ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟC, Laureate head right.
revers:-ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΟΝ, Dionysos satnding left faceing with Jug and Thyrsos.
exe: -/-//--, diameter: 17-18 mm, weight: 4,06g, axis: 6 h,
mint: Thrace, Philippopolis, date: 138-161 A.D., ref: SNG-Coop 771,
Q-001
quadrans
V1156.jpg
RIC 1156 VespasianÆ Dupondius, 12.79g
Lyon mint, 71 AD
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIAN AVG COS III; Head of Vespasian, radiate, r.; globe at point of bust
Rev: SECVRITAS AVGVSTI; S C in exergue; Securitas std. r., head resting on raised arm, with sceptre; to r., altar and torch
RIC 1156 (R). BMC 808. BNC -.
Acquired from Cooper Coins, eBay, May 2020.

Lugdunum (modern Lyon) struck a fairly large issue of aes coinage during the great bronze issue of 71. Most of the reverse types copy those produced at Rome, however, unique to the mint is this variant of the seated Securitas type showing Securitas resting her head on her hand in a relaxed pose - no doubt based on a cult image. Mattingly observed in the BMCRE 'The type of Securitas was not without reason popular in Gaul after the terrors of the revolt.' (p. lxi) Obverse die match with the BM specimen, missing from Paris.

Nice 'desert' patina in good style.
4 commentsDavid Atherton
RIC_1562.jpg
RIC 1562 Titus denariusT CAES IMP VESP PON TR POT.
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.

Palm tree; to left, Titus standing right with spear and parazonium, foot on helmet; to right, Judaea mourning seated right.

Antioch; 72-3 CE

2.73g

RIC 1562 (C)

EX-Numismatik Naumann GmbH Auction 136 lot 519

This coin was described by the auction house as a Limes (unofficial) coin. However, this coin is indeed solid silver with a heavy dark toning and encrustations, as can be seen on the reverse. The double strike obverse, Ad Marco scoop on the reverse and being a double die match to the Sneh coin make this an official coin from Antioch. Interestingly, the Antioch version is more common than the Rome mint issue. One which I am happy to add to my collection. I may try to remove the encrustation from the palm tree and back of Judaea.
4 commentsJay GT4
Hadrian_Obv___Rev_28White29_3.jpg
The Roman Empire. Hadrian AR Denarius (RIC II.3 313)Hadrian AR Denarius. Rome, AD 120-121. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate bust right, with slight drapery over far shoulder / P M TR P COS III, Hadrian writing at desk seated left on platform, attendant stood behind, Liberalitas in background holding up coin scoop, citizen ascending steps of platform holding out fold of toga; LIBERAL AVG / III in exergue. RIC II.3 313; BMCRE 298. 3.09g, 17mm, 6h.

Ex Den of Antiquity eBay sale, 25th January 2016.

One of the earliest coins in my collection, and one that I have never been able to bring myself to part with. I find this reverse type really interesting, and what the coin lacks in grade it makes up for with plenty of character! This is a coin that clearly remained in circulation for some time, and likely passed between the hands of many a Roman citizen. There is a connection to history with worn coins like these that I find less readily available when holding a coin in pristine mint state (but I still love those too...)

Here we see a ‘Liberalitas’ scene, first used on the coins of Hadrian and continued by subsequent rulers well into the 3rd century AD. Liberalitas was the personification of generosity, and we can see her lurking in the background here (possibly as a statue) and holding some sort of monetary device; this is described in RIC II.3 as a ‘coin scoop’ but i’ve seen it described as a coin counting board, abacus or tessera in various places over the years. Hadrian himself is sat writing at a desk whilst a Roman citizen extends his toga out to collect a donation or gift of money from the Emperor. Meanwhile an attended stands behind the emperor...perhaps they could be a body guard or clerk of some sort? The coin manages to fit an awful lot of detail into a tiny space. In the exergue we have ‘LIBERAL AVG III’ (although the ‘III’ is missing due to the coin wear on a small flan) and advertises that this was the third time Hadrian had shown his generosity and made a distribution to the people.
Paulus J
Carac1stCaes.jpg
[1004a] Caracalla, 28 January 198 - 8 April 217 A.D.Silver denarius, RIC 2, gF, Rome, 2.662g, 17.2mm, 0o; type from his first issue as Caesar., 196 A.D. Obverse: M AVR ANTONINVS CAES, boy's bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right; Reverse: SECVRITAS PERPETVA (Security Everlasting), Minerva with aegis on breast, standing left, holding spear in left and resting right on shield on the ground; well centered on a tight flan; scarce. Ex FORVM.

De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla)


Michael L. Meckler,
Ohio State University

Caracalla was born 4 April 188 in Lyon, where his father was serving as governor of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis under the emperor Commodus. The child's name originally seems to have been Lucius Septimius Bassianus, the cognomen commemorating the family of the boy's Syrian mother, Julia Domna. When he was seven years old, his name was changed to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. The name change was a way of connecting the family of Severus to that of the Antonines. Caracalla was a nickname taken from the name of a type of cloak popularized by the emperor, but this nickname, originally derisive, was never used officially.


From the time of his name change to Antoninus, Caracalla was the designated heir of Severus. Less than three years later he was proclaimed emperor, officially joining his father as co-rulers of the empire. At the age of 14 he was married to the daughter of the praetorian prefect Plautianus Publia Fulvia, Plautilla, but the teenager despised his wife. The marriage ended less than three years later after the execution of Plautianus for treason, and there were no children.

Squabbling and rivalry developed between Caracalla and Geta, who was only 11 months younger than his brother. Severus felt the lack of responsibilities in Rome contributed to the ill-will between his sons and decided that the family would travel to Britain to oversee military operations there. Caracalla was involved in directing the army's campaigns, while Geta was given civilian authority and a promotion to joint emperor with his father and brother. Within two years of the imperial family's arrival in Britain, Severus' health began to deteriorate, but his sons' relationship showed no signs of improvement. Severus died 4 February 211. Caracalla was 22 years old, Geta 21.

The brothers returned to Rome as joint emperors, but they eyed each other with suspicion and failed to cooperate on government appointments and policy decisions. Caracalla was being advised to have Geta murdered, and after at least one unsuccessful attempt, Geta was killed in late December 211. The murder led to a wholesale slaughter of Geta's supporters and sympathizers, and soldiers were allowed to wreak havoc on the residents of Rome. The looting and bloodshed lasted for at least two weeks, and one contemporary source claims 20,000 people were killed.

The year 212 saw a flurry of administrative reforms under the young emperor's leadership. Soldiers received increases in pay and in legal rights, but the most noteworthy change was the bestowal of Roman citizenship upon all free residents of the empire. This grant of universal citizenship, called by scholars the Constitutio Antoniniana, allowed for greater standardization in the increasingly bureaucratic Roman state. Construction was also well underway on the magnificant baths in Rome that would bear the emperor's name. The main building seems to have been completed four years later, but the entire complex was not finished until the reign of Alexander Severus.

Caracalla spent little time in Rome after the spring of 213. A visit to Gaul and a military campaign along the borders of Upper Germany and Raetia occupied much of the rest of the year. Winter may have been spent in Rome, but the following year Caracalla made a journey to the East in preparation for a war against the Parthians. Along the way, the emperor displayed an increasing fascination and identification with Alexander the Great. Like the Macedonian prince, however, Caracalla would not survive an expedition to the East. Only his ashes would return to Rome.

Civil war in the Parthian realm between brothers and rival kings Vologaeses VI and Artabanus V brought instability to the entire region, and Caracalla wished to take advantage of that instability to increase Roman control. Osroene was annexed in 213, but an attempt in the same year to take over Armenia backfired. Caracalla's campaigns in the East seemed designed to harass the Parthians more than anything else. In 215, Caracalla suspended plans to invade Parthia after Vologaeses handed over two political refugees, although Roman troops were sent into Armenia. The following year the emperor led his troops into Mesopotamia after being rebuffed in his request to marry the daughter of Artabanus. Roman armies were generally unopposed in their forays, the Parthian forces having retreated farther east. The Romans returned back across the Euphrates, wintering in Edessa.

Between campaigning seasons, Caracalla made a notorious visit to Alexandria in the fall and winter of 215-16. Rioting accompanied the imperial visit, and retribution was swift. The governor of Egypt was executed as were thousands of the city's young men. Alexandria was cordoned off into zones to prevent the free movement of residents, and games and privileges were revoked.

The emperor visited Alexandria for intellectual and religious reasons, staying at The Serapeum and being present at the temple's sacrifices and cultural events. Earlier, during the German war, the emperor visited the shrine of the Celtic healing-god Grannus. Caracalla also visited the famous temple of Asclepius in Pergamum and fully participated in its program, which involved sleeping inside the temple compound and having his dreams interpreted.

It was this religious devotion that led to Caracalla's murder in 217. Although suspicious of the praetorian prefect Macrinus, Caracalla allowed himself to be accompanied by only a small, select corps of bodyguards on an early spring trip from the camp at Edessa to the temple of the moon-god at Carrhae, about 25 miles away. During the journey back on 8 April 217, Caracalla was killed. The returning guards claimed the emperor was ambushed while defecating, and that the alleged assassin was one of their own, a soldier named Martialis. Martialis was himself killed by the avenging guards, or so the story went. Suspicion was strong that Macrinus arranged the entire affair.

Caracalla's violent end seemed appropriate for an emperor who, early in his reign, had his own brother killed. Yet the moralizing about fratricide by both ancient and modern historians obscures the energetic, reformist and even intellectual character of Caracalla's reign. Some of the reforms, especially the pay raise for soldiers, would prove burdensome for future emperors, but the changes brought about in the little more than five years of Caracalla's sole rule would have long-lasting implications throughout the empire for generations to come.


Copyright (C) 1998, Michael L. Meckler. Published on De Imperatoribus Romanis, An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors; http://www.roman-emperors.org/sepsev.htm. Used by permission.

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.


Cleisthenes
CaracallaRIC108.jpg
[1004b] Caracalla, 28 January 198 - 8 April 217 A.D.Silver denarius, RIC 108, RSC 510, VF, 2.967g, 19.2mm, 180o, Rome mint, 208 A.D.; obverse ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right; reverse PROF PONTIF TR P XI COS III, Emperor on horseback right, captive at feet; scarce. Ex FORVM.

This coin refers to the departure of Caracalla, Septimius, and Geta on their British expedition. Our dating of this departure to the year 208 depends on these coins dated TR P XI for Caracalla and TR P XVI for Septimius (Joseph Sermarini).

De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and their Families

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla)


Michael L. Meckler,
Ohio State University

Caracalla was born 4 April 188 in Lyon, where his father was serving as governor of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis under the emperor Commodus. The child's name originally seems to have been Lucius Septimius Bassianus, the cognomen commemorating the family of the boy's Syrian mother, Julia Domna. When he was seven years old, his name was changed to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. The name change was a way of connecting the family of Severus to that of the Antonines. Caracalla was a nickname taken from the name of a type of cloak popularized by the emperor, but this nickname, originally derisive, was never used officially.


From the time of his name change to Antoninus, Caracalla was the designated heir of Severus. Less than three years later he was proclaimed emperor, officially joining his father as co-rulers of the empire. At the age of 14 he was married to the daughter of the praetorian prefect Plautianus Publia Fulvia, Plautilla, but the teenager despised his wife. The marriage ended less than three years later after the execution of Plautianus for treason, and there were no children.

Squabbling and rivalry developed between Caracalla and Geta, who was only 11 months younger than his brother. Severus felt the lack of responsibilities in Rome contributed to the ill-will between his sons and decided that the family would travel to Britain to oversee military operations there. Caracalla was involved in directing the army's campaigns, while Geta was given civilian authority and a promotion to joint emperor with his father and brother. Within two years of the imperial family's arrival in Britain, Severus' health began to deteriorate, but his sons' relationship showed no signs of improvement. Severus died 4 February 211. Caracalla was 22 years old, Geta 21.

The brothers returned to Rome as joint emperors, but they eyed each other with suspicion and failed to cooperate on government appointments and policy decisions. Caracalla was being advised to have Geta murdered, and after at least one unsuccessful attempt, Geta was killed in late December 211. The murder led to a wholesale slaughter of Geta's supporters and sympathizers, and soldiers were allowed to wreak havoc on the residents of Rome. The looting and bloodshed lasted for at least two weeks, and one contemporary source claims 20,000 people were killed.

The year 212 saw a flurry of administrative reforms under the young emperor's leadership. Soldiers received increases in pay and in legal rights, but the most noteworthy change was the bestowal of Roman citizenship upon all free residents of the empire. This grant of universal citizenship, called by scholars the Constitutio Antoniniana, allowed for greater standardization in the increasingly bureaucratic Roman state. Construction was also well underway on the magnificant baths in Rome that would bear the emperor's name. The main building seems to have been completed four years later, but the entire complex was not finished until the reign of Alexander Severus.

Caracalla spent little time in Rome after the spring of 213. A visit to Gaul and a military campaign along the borders of Upper Germany and Raetia occupied much of the rest of the year. Winter may have been spent in Rome, but the following year Caracalla made a journey to the East in preparation for a war against the Parthians. Along the way, the emperor displayed an increasing fascination and identification with Alexander the Great. Like the Macedonian prince, however, Caracalla would not survive an expedition to the East. Only his ashes would return to Rome.

Civil war in the Parthian realm between brothers and rival kings Vologaeses VI and Artabanus V brought instability to the entire region, and Caracalla wished to take advantage of that instability to increase Roman control. Osroene was annexed in 213, but an attempt in the same year to take over Armenia backfired. Caracalla's campaigns in the East seemed designed to harass the Parthians more than anything else. In 215, Caracalla suspended plans to invade Parthia after Vologaeses handed over two political refugees, although Roman troops were sent into Armenia. The following year the emperor led his troops into Mesopotamia after being rebuffed in his request to marry the daughter of Artabanus. Roman armies were generally unopposed in their forays, the Parthian forces having retreated farther east. The Romans returned back across the Euphrates, wintering in Edessa.

Between campaigning seasons, Caracalla made a notorious visit to Alexandria in the fall and winter of 215-16. Rioting accompanied the imperial visit, and retribution was swift. The governor of Egypt was executed as were thousands of the city's young men. Alexandria was cordoned off into zones to prevent the free movement of residents, and games and privileges were revoked.

The emperor visited Alexandria for intellectual and religious reasons, staying at The Serapeum and being present at the temple's sacrifices and cultural events. Earlier, during the German war, the emperor visited the shrine of the Celtic healing-god Grannus. Caracalla also visited the famous temple of Asclepius in Pergamum and fully participated in its program, which involved sleeping inside the temple compound and having his dreams interpreted.

It was this religious devotion that led to Caracalla's murder in 217. Although suspicious of the praetorian prefect Macrinus, Caracalla allowed himself to be accompanied by only a small, select corps of bodyguards on an early spring trip from the camp at Edessa to the temple of the moon-god at Carrhae, about 25 miles away. During the journey back on 8 April 217, Caracalla was killed. The returning guards claimed the emperor was ambushed while defecating, and that the alleged assassin was one of their own, a soldier named Martialis. Martialis was himself killed by the avenging guards, or so the story went. Suspicion was strong that Macrinus arranged the entire affair.

Caracalla's violent end seemed appropriate for an emperor who, early in his reign, had his own brother killed. Yet the moralizing about fratricide by both ancient and modern historians obscures the energetic, reformist and even intellectual character of Caracalla's reign. Some of the reforms, especially the pay raise for soldiers, would prove burdensome for future emperors, but the changes brought about in the little more than five years of Caracalla's sole rule would have long-lasting implications throughout the empire for generations to come.


Copyright (C) 1998, Michael L. Meckler. Published on De Imperatoribus Romanis, An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors; http://www.roman-emperors.org/sepsev.htm. Used by permission.

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.
Cleisthenes
JohnHyrcanusAntiochos7Lily.jpg
[18H451] Judaean Kingdom, John Hyrcanus I (Yehohanan), 134 - 104 B.C., for the Seleukid King Antiochos VIIJohn Hyrcanus [for Antiochos VII]; Lily, AE, Hendin 451, 15mm, 2.92 grams; VF, Jerusalem; 182-180 B.C. This interesting coin was the precursor to the "prutah" which would subsequently be minted in Israel. Struck by John Hyrcanus, King of Judaea, in the name of the Seleukid King Antiochos VII, Euergetes (Sidetes). Ex Zuzim Judaea.

Johanan [John] Hyrcanus
(d. 104 BCE)


Grandson of Mattathias of Modein and chief architect of Judean dominance of Palestine. The youngest and only surviving son of Simon Thassi succeeded his father as high priest in 134 BCE. He was the fourth Hasmonean to rule Jerusalem. But his tenure began with a year-long Syrian siege that forced him to agree to tear down the city's fortifications and renew a tribute to the Greek emperor [133 BCE].

Within a few years, however, he took advantage of political turmoil in Syria following the death of Antiochus VII [129 BCE] to rebuild his forces, reclaim independence and extend Judean control over Palestine and Jordan. On the southern front he forced Judah's neighbors in Idumea [descendents of the Edomites] to accept Judaism and on the northern front he destroyed the rival temple at Shechem in Samaria.

Such triumphs made him the probable subject of messianic tributes by his fellow Judeans. But his own preference for Greek culture made him controversial in Jerusalem. When Pharisees challenged his right to be high priest, he switched his allegiance to the aristocratic Sadducee [Zadokite] party. Still, the Dead Sea Scrolls suggest that other Zadokites probably rejected his leadership and left Jerusalem, labeling him the "wicked priest," who persecuted the priest whom they regarded as the "Teacher of Righteousness."

Copyright 2007, The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Published on The Jewish Virtual Library; http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/index.html


John Hyrcanus
John Hyrcanus (Yohanan Girhan) (reigned 134 BCE - 104 BCE, died 104 BCE) was a Hasmonean (Maccabeean) leader of the 2nd century BC. Apparently the name "Hyrcanus" was taken by him as a regnal name upon his accession to power. His taking a Greek regnal name was a significant political and cultural step away from the intransigent opposition to and rejection of Hellenistic culture which had characterised the Maccabaen revolt against Seleucid rule, and a more pragmatic recognition that Judea had to maintain its position among a millieu of small and large states which all shared the Hellenistic culture and communicated in Greek.

Life and work
He was the son of Simon Maccabaeus and hence the nephew of Judas Maccabaeus, Jonathan Maccabaeus and their siblings, whose story is told in the deuterocanonical books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, and in the Talmud. John was not present at a banquet at which his father and his two brothers were murdered, purportedly by his brother-in-law Ptolemy. He attained to his father's former offices, that of high priest and king (although some Jews never accepted any of the Hasmoneans as being legitimate kings, as they were not lineal descendants of David).

His taking a Greek regnal name - "Hyrcanus" - was a significant political and cultural step away from the intransigent opposition to and rejection of Hellenistic culture which had characterised the Maccabaen revolt against Seleucid rule. It reflected a more pragmatic recognition that Judea, once having attained independence, had to maintain its position among a milieu of small and large states which all shared the Hellenistic culture. All subseqent Hashmonean rulers followed suit and adopted Greek names in their turn.

Achievements
John Hyrcanus apparently combined an energetic and able style of leadership with the zeal of his forebears. He was known as a brave and brilliant military leader. He is credited with the forced conversion of the Idumeans to Judaism, which was unusual for a Jewish leader; Judaism was not typically spread by the sword. He also set out to resolve forcibly the religious dispute between the Jews and the Samaritans; during his reign he destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim (although their descendants still worship among its ruins), which served further to deepen the already-historic hatred and rivalry between the two groups. Many historians believe that the apocryphal book of Jubilees was written during his reign; some would suggest even at his behest. Some writers, particularly Christian ones, have dated the division of Judaism into the parties of Pharisees and Sadducees to his era; most Jewish writers and some Christian ones suggest that this split actually well predates him. Some historians would go so far as to identify him, as a priest, predominantly with the Sadducee party, which was closely associated with the Temple worship and the priestly class.

Peak and decline of the kingdom
John Hyrcanus represented in some ways the highest point of the Hasmonean Dynasty. The restored Jewish "kingdom" approached its maximum limits of both territory and prestige. Upon his death, his offices were divided among his heirs; his son Aristobulus succeeded him as high priest; his wife as "Queen regnant". The son, however, soon came to desire the essentially unchecked power of his father; he shortly ordered his mother and his brothers imprisoned. This event seems to mark the beginning of the decline of the Hasmonean Dynasty; in just over four decades they were removed from power by the Roman Republic and none of them ever began to approach the level of power or prestige that had pertained to John Hyrcanus or his predecessors.

Modern Commemoration
Tel Aviv has a Yochanan Hyrcanus Street (רחוב יוחנן הורקנוס), as do several other cities in contemporary Israel. In the ealy decades of the 20th century, the Zionist historical perception of the Jewish past tended to approve of and revere strong warrior kings of both Biblical and later periods, and Hyrcanus' exploits earned him a place in that pantheon.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hyrcanus


John Hyrcanus was the son of Simon the Maccabee and nephew of the folk hero Judah Maccabee. Not long after Hyrcanus assumed power, the Seleukid kingdom marched on Jerusalem. The Seleukid king, Antiocus VII, and Hyrcanus I negotiated a treaty that left Hyrcanus a vassal to the Syrian king. Joseph Sermarini, FORVM.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=922&pos=0

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.
Cleisthenes
1stPhiletairosTet.jpg
[2400d] Pergamene Kingdom, Mysia, Western Asia Minor, Philetairos I, 282 - 263 B.C.Silver tetradrachm, Meydancikkale 3000, SNG Paris 1603 var, SNG Von Aulock -, SNG Cop -, VF, Pergamon mint, 16.629g, 28.1mm, 0o, c. 265 - 263 B.C. Obverse: head of Philetaerus right in taenia; Reverse: FILETAIROU downward on right, Athena enthroned left, right hand on shield before her, spear over shoulder in left, leaf above arm, bow right; high relief portrait; very rare. Ex FORVM.

This coin bears the first portrait of Philetairos, the founder of the Pergamene Kingdom, 282 -263 B.C. Hoard evidence and recent studies indicate it was struck at the end of his reign. Philetairos first struck in the name of Lysimachos, then posthumous Alexander types under Seleukos I, then Seleukos and Herakles (see coin 309p) portrait types under Antiochos I, and lastly this type with his own portrait. This same reverse was used for the Seleukos I portrait types. Philetairos' coinage is known for its magnificent realistic portraits and this coin is an excellent example. Very rare and absent from most major collections.

Attalid Dynasty(270-133 BC) - capital at Pergamum

Founded by Philetairos, the Greek secretary of Alexander the Great's general Lysimachus.

In his monograph "The Pergamene Mint Under Philetaerus" (The American Numismatic Society, No.76, 1936), Edward T. Newell notes, "The event which precipitated the end of Lysimachus' empire and resulted in the rise to power of the Attalid Dynasty, was the execution in 286-5 B.C. of his son, the heir apparent Agathocles. For Philetareus the situation had now become impossible. He belonged to the faction which had gathered about that able and much beloved young man--in opposition to the party headed by Lysimachus' wife, the ambitious Arsinoe, scheming for the preferment of her own children. So after having functioned for many years as the governor of Pergamum and the trusted guardian of the great treasure there deposited, Philetaerus was now forced to take steps for his own safety. Sometime between 284 and 282 B.C. many of the Asiatic cities and certain officers of Lysimachus openly rebelled and called upon Seleucus for aid. Philetaerus also wrote to the Syrian king, placing himself, and the treasure under his care, at the latter's disposal. Seleucus led his army, together with a large contingent of elephants, into the Asiatic provinces of Lysimachus. On the plain of Corupedium in Lydia there occurred the final and decisive battle in which, as is well known, Lysimachus lost both life and empire" (3-5).

When [Lysimachus] fell fighting Seleucus, Philetairos (a eunuch) withdrew with his commander's military war chest to a mountain fortress that ultimately became his palace acropolis of Pergamum. He gained royal recognition through his successful efforts at repulsing the Gallic invasion of western Anatolia in 270-269 BC. Philetairos drove the Gauls into the Phrygian highlands where they settled in the region thereafter known as Galatia. He became recognized by the Greek cities of the coastal region as a liberator and savior and established his hegemony over them. Since he had no children, his domain passed to the four sons of his brother, Attalus I. Normally, so many rival dynasts would have spelled disaster (as it eventually did in Syria and Egypt), but the Attalids became celebrated for their cooperation at state building. They handed the royal authority from one to another in succession and managed to elevate their realm into the top echelon of Mediterranean states.

Particularly skillful diplomacy with Rome enabled the Attalids to enjoy further success during the early second century BC. At their peak under Eumenes II, c. 190-168 BC, they controlled the entire western seaboard of Anatolia and much of Phrygian highland as well. In direct competition with the Ptolemies and the Seleucids, the Attalids succeeded at establishing Pergamum as a leading cultural center, its library second only to that of Alexandria, its sculpture, woven tapestries, and ceramics prized throughout the Mediterranean. An expressive, highly baroque style of sculpture known as the Asian school, set important trends in the Greek world and profoundly influenced artistic development at Rome. The Attalids likewise competed for control of the eastern luxury trade, relying on the overland route of the now ancient Persian Royal Road across Anatolia.

When a dynastic dispute threatened to undermine the stability of Pergamum at the end of the second century BC, King Attalus III (138-133) left his royal domain to the people of the Roman Republic in his will. His nobles were concerned about security after his passing, and to prevent a dynastic dispute (which ultimately did arise) he wrote this into his will as a form of "poison pill." At his demise in 133 BC, ambassadors brought the report of his bequest to Rome, where it was accepted and secured by military intervention. By 126 BC the royal territories of Pergamum became the Roman province of Asia, the richest of all Roman provinces.

Abusive exploitation by Roman tax collectors (publicans) induced a province-wide revolt in Asia in 88 BC (encouraged by Mithridates VI Eupator), culminating in the massacre reportedly of some 80,000 Romans, Italians, their families, and servants throughout the province. L. Cornelius Sulla restored order in 84 BC just prior to his assumption of the dictatorship at Rome. Indemnities imposed by Sulla remained burdensome throughout the following decade, but the resilience and economic vitality of the province ultimately enabled impressive recovery.

In 63 BC the Roman orator and senator, M. Tullius Cicero, stated that approximately 40% of tribute raised by the Republican empire came from Asia alone. The merger of Greco-Roman culture was probably most successfully achieved here. In the imperial era, cities such as Pergamum, Ephesus, Sardis, and Miletus ranked among the leading cultural centers of the Roman world.

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:n9hG5pYVUV0J:web.ics.purdue.edu/~rauhn/hellenistic_world.htm+Philetairos&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=29

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.
Cleisthenes
PhiletairosMyFirstCoinPortrait250408.jpg
[2400d] Pergamene Kingdom, Mysia, Western Asia Minor, Philetairos I, 282 - 263 B.C.Silver tetradrachm, Meydancikkale 3000, SNG Paris 1603 var, SNG Von Aulock -, SNG Cop -, VF, Pergamon mint, 16.629g, 28.1mm, 0o, c. 265 - 263 B.C. Obverse: head of Philetaerus right in taenia; Reverse: FILETAIROU downward on right, Athena enthroned left, right hand on shield before her, spear over shoulder in left, leaf above arm, bow right; high relief portrait; very rare. Ex FORVM. Photo by jpfjr.

This coin bears the first portrait of Philetairos, the founder of the Pergamene Kingdom, 282 -263 B.C. Hoard evidence and recent studies indicate it was struck at the end of his reign. Philetairos first struck in the name of Lysimachos, then posthumous Alexander types under Seleukos I, then Seleukos and Herakles (see coin 309p) portrait types under Antiochos I, and lastly this type with his own portrait. This same reverse was used for the Seleukos I portrait types. Philetairos' coinage is known for its magnificent realistic portraits and this coin is an excellent example. Very rare and absent from most major collections (Joseph Sermarini).

Attalid Dynasty(270-133 BC) - capital at Pergamum

Founded by Philetairos, the Greek secretary of Alexander the Great's general Lysimachus.

In his monograph "The Pergamene Mint Under Philetaerus" (The American Numismatic Society, No.76, 1936), Edward T. Newell notes, "The event which precipitated the end of Lysimachus' empire and resulted in the rise to power of the Attalid Dynasty, was the execution in 286-5 B.C. of his son, the heir apparent Agathocles. For Philetareus the situation had now become impossible. He belonged to the faction which had gathered about that able and much beloved young man--in opposition to the party headed by Lysimachus' wife, the ambitious Arsinoe, scheming for the preferment of her own children. So after having functioned for many years as the governor of Pergamum and the trusted guardian of the great treasure there deposited, Philetaerus was now forced to take steps for his own safety. Sometime between 284 and 282 B.C. many of the Asiatic cities and certain officers of Lysimachus openly rebelled and called upon Seleucus for aid. Philetaerus also wrote to the Syrian king, placing himself, and the treasure under his care, at the latter's disposal. Seleucus led his army, together with a large contingent of elephants, into the Asiatic provinces of Lysimachus. On the plain of Corupedium in Lydia there occurred the final and decisive battle in which, as is well known, Lysimachus lost both life and empire" (3-5).

When [Lysimachus] fell fighting Seleucus, Philetairos (a eunuch) withdrew with his commander's military war chest to a mountain fortress that ultimately became his palace acropolis of Pergamum. He gained royal recognition through his successful efforts at repulsing the Gallic invasion of western Anatolia in 270-269 BC. Philetairos drove the Gauls into the Phrygian highlands where they settled in the region thereafter known as Galatia. He became recognized by the Greek cities of the coastal region as a liberator and savior and established his hegemony over them. Since he had no children, his domain passed to the four sons of his brother, Attalus I. Normally, so many rival dynasts would have spelled disaster (as it eventually did in Syria and Egypt), but the Attalids became celebrated for their cooperation at state building. They handed the royal authority from one to another in succession and managed to elevate their realm into the top echelon of Mediterranean states.

Particularly skillful diplomacy with Rome enabled the Attalids to enjoy further success during the early second century BC. At their peak under Eumenes II, c. 190-168 BC, they controlled the entire western seaboard of Anatolia and much of Phrygian highland as well. In direct competition with the Ptolemies and the Seleucids, the Attalids succeeded at establishing Pergamum as a leading cultural center, its library second only to that of Alexandria, its sculpture, woven tapestries, and ceramics prized throughout the Mediterranean. An expressive, highly baroque style of sculpture known as the Asian school, set important trends in the Greek world and profoundly influenced artistic development at Rome. The Attalids likewise competed for control of the eastern luxury trade, relying on the overland route of the now ancient Persian Royal Road across Anatolia.

When a dynastic dispute threatened to undermine the stability of Pergamum at the end of the second century BC, King Attalus III (138-133) left his royal domain to the people of the Roman Republic in his will. His nobles were concerned about security after his passing, and to prevent a dynastic dispute (which ultimately did arise) he wrote this into his will as a form of "poison pill." At his demise in 133 BC, ambassadors brought the report of his bequest to Rome, where it was accepted and secured by military intervention. By 126 BC the royal territories of Pergamum became the Roman province of Asia, the richest of all Roman provinces.

Abusive exploitation by Roman tax collectors (publicans) induced a province-wide revolt in Asia in 88 BC (encouraged by Mithridates VI Eupator), culminating in the massacre reportedly of some 80,000 Romans, Italians, their families, and servants throughout the province. L. Cornelius Sulla restored order in 84 BC just prior to his assumption of the dictatorship at Rome. Indemnities imposed by Sulla remained burdensome throughout the following decade, but the resilience and economic vitality of the province ultimately enabled impressive recovery.

In 63 BC the Roman orator and senator, M. Tullius Cicero, stated that approximately 40% of tribute raised by the Republican empire came from Asia alone. The merger of Greco-Roman culture was probably most successfully achieved here. In the imperial era, cities such as Pergamum, Ephesus, Sardis, and Miletus ranked among the leading cultural centers of the Roman world.

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:n9hG5pYVUV0J:web.ics.purdue.edu/~rauhn/hellenistic_world.htm+Philetairos&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=29

Edited by J. P. Fitzgerald, Jr.
Cleisthenes
42576q00.jpg
SeleukosISNGSpaer23.jpg
 
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