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Author Topic: A rare coin of Phasael  (Read 124 times)

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Offline Jochen

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A rare coin of Phasael
« on: November 16, 2023, 07:11:45 am »
Dear friends of Nabataean coins!

I recently fished this coin out of the bay:
Obv.: Laureated bust of Aretas IV to the right, behind him ח , under the chin o
Rev.: 2 crossed cornucopiae with large pomegranates hanging down to the center; in the center פצ (from r. to l. PS, for Phasael)
Ref: ???

This coin seems to be rare, because I have not found it anywhere, not even in Barkay.

Meshorer describes a similar rev. under No. 67 "2 crossed cornucopiae with large or small pomegranates hanging down to the center, sometimes without pomegranates". In the center, however, is not פצ, but monogram 4.
And the obverse, like no. 56, is "Laureate bust of Aretas IV; in the field, o"

Here, however, it is the obverse of no. 64: "like no. 56; in the field  ח o". However, no. 64 does not have the hanging pomegranates in the center.

So here we have the obverse of No. 64 and a variant of No. 67 on the reverse.

What should we call it? One could call it No. 64 var. or No. 67 var. But since the drooping pomegrantes are so prominent, I tend to Meshorer No. 67 var.

Best regards
Jochen

Offline shanxi

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Re: A rare coin of Phasael
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2023, 08:16:20 am »
What I wrote in the other forum:

Barkay did not mentioned it in the text, but the illustration of Barkay 118a (Barkay, R. The Coinage of the Nabataeans. ) shows the two pomegranates. The ח - O on the obverse is not recognizable on the poorly preserved specimen shown in Barkay, but is described in the text to 118a.

Incidentally, the illustration of Meshorer 64A also shows two small pomegranates (but o -ח on the obverse), but again the text says nothing about the pomegranates. The same for Meshorer 64: also no pomegranate mentioned but there is a round object (probably a pomegranate) visible. The second possibly invisble due to the decentering of the example shown.


therefore your coin is IMHO Meshorer 64/Barkay 118a




EDIT: Two examples from FORVM shop

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=94965q00.jpg&vpar=18&zpg=108403&fld=https://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2/

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=94971q00.jpg&vpar=18&zpg=108409&fld=https://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2/





Offline Jochen

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Re: A rare coin of Phasael
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2023, 12:10:18 pm »
Thank you very much, shsnxi! But I don't think the identification as Meshorer 64 is correct, because the description doesn't mention the large pomegranates hanging in the center, unlike Meshorer 67.

Unfortunately I don't have access to the other efernces.

Best regards
Jochen

Offline shanxi

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Re: A rare coin of Phasael
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2023, 12:38:53 pm »
He doesn't always mention the pomegranates.

The picture shows 64A
The two pomegranates are clearly visible but no word in the description.

64 is not so clear due to the decentering, but there is IMHO one pomegrante visible.




 

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