Small provincials - they can be so nice...

[Pscipio]

Septimius Severus AE16, Nikopolis ad Istrum.
Obv: AV KAI CE• - CEVHPOC, laureate head right.
Rev: NIKOPOL-IT PPOC ICT, Hygieia standing right, feeding snake from patera.
Ø 15-16 mm, 3.51 g.
AMNG 1384
Scarce

And this one is really small, at 15-16 mm in diameter. Nice glossy green surfaces and a pleasant portrait.

Lars

[aragon6]

Very nice indeed!

[Jericho]

Beautiful example... one of those hard to improve coins  .

[slokind]

Here is one of my first coins and one of the rarest I own (already sent to RPC & U. Peter, as possibly unique).  So I'll post it here, because it is interesting and fully worthy of Philippopolis (the older mint I suspect Nicopolis ad I. of vying with), to see if anyone has another.  I've seen three coins that I'd thought unique turn up here.
27 X 99  AE18 Philippopolis in Thrace.  Septimius Severus.
AV.K.L.C.SEVEROS.  Rev., Lysippic Eros, with bow: probably his Eros of Thespiai (Pausanias 9.27.3).  His quiver is upright before him.  PHILIPPOPOLEITON.
There are many marble copies of this Eros.  Some museums have several!  A favorite of the Empire.
Pat Lawrence
Anticipating questions: he is looking back and upwards to r.; also, he is either testing the tension of or attaching his bowstring.

[Pscipio]

I have never seen this type before, Pat, thanks for sharing it! It is indeed a beauty, I love those small Eros coins, and yours is even a rare one and in nice condition. Let's see whether other FORVM members show up with nice small bronzes as well!

Lars

[Bacchus]

Pscipio, very nice example.  I don't think you will find one nicer.

Pat,  very interesting reverse type - what are your suspicions that Philippopolis may be in competition with N. ad I.?

Many thanks

-:Bacchus:-

[slokind]

No, the young mint, N ad I, vying with the loveliest products of the old mint, Philippopolis, especially in the 190s; I almost wrote 'emulating' instead of 'vying with', then reminded myself that the evidence, all in the coins themselves, isn't sufficient to assert deliberate eumulation.  Pat L.

[Bacchus]

Ahhh.  Thank you for that.  Sometimes subtleties of speech can get lost on written boards (particually when it is only 8am here ).

-:Bacchus:-

[Pscipio]

Nobody to join the pleasure of small provincials? Well, here is another one from my collection, deliberately not one in perfect conditon, so I don't scare people away from posting theirs...

Septimius Severus AE18 from Nikopolis ad Istrum.
Obv: AV KAI CE - CEVHPOC, laureate head right.
Rev: NIKOPOLIT-WN-PPOC IC, Nike with spread wings, leaning on column with left arm, holding a long palm in left arm and a wreath (?) in right hand.
Ø 18 mm, 3.11 g.
Pick, AMNG I, 1, p. 378, no. 1371.

Purchased, of course, because of its nonchalant Nike!

Will somebody else turn up with his sweeties?

Lars

[areich]

I enjoy them very much, unfortunately they're not too cheap in nice condition.
These are two of my better ones, Diadumenianus from Markianopolis and Elagabalus from Nikopolis ad Istrum,
which I posted not long ago in the ID help section.
Despite the steep learning curve, I really prefer Provincials right now.

Andreas

Diadumenianus, Markianopolis
struck under Macrinus (217 - 218) for his son Diadumenianus as Caesar
Diadumenian Æ 18mm of Markianopolis.
Obv: K M OPELLI ANTWNEINOC, bare head right
Rev: MARKIANOPOLITWN, cista with serpent.
AMNG 805.

Elagabalus - AE17 of Nikopolis ad Istrum.
2.75 g
Obv: AV [K M AVR] ANTΩNINOC, laureate head right
Rev: NIKOΠOλITΩN ΠROC IC, TPON in exergue, Lion advancing right.
AMNG 2029, Moushmov 1424

[slokind]

Here's another.  Nothing to talk about.  Just a very nice little coin.  Pat L

11 01 02 AE 16 Nicopolis ad Istrum.  Septimius Severus, laureate, head to r.  AV KAI SE    SEVERO.  Rev., Hera stg. l., pouring libation from phiale, leaning on her scepter.  NIKOPOLI    PROS IST.  Pick 1351.  As Pick says, on some examples the tall torch and the scepter are hard to distinguish; here there is no doubt.   How many denarii of Septimius have as well assembled a goddess as this one?

[wolfgang336]

Wow Lars, just.... wow.

Evan

[Steve Minnoch]

Snap!
(sorry, but I can never resist a die-match)

Steve

[kerux]

One of my faves...a small Septimius Severus from Serdica, Thrace with grazing horse reverse...I have yet to see another (& I've been looking!)...

Joe W.

[slokind]

Well, now, animals.  I just remembered how small my Geta from Seleucia ad Calycadnum is--with a Zebu bull.  And here's Septimus at Nicopolis with a domestic one.  Pat L.

[kerux]

Well, now, animals.  I just remembered how small my Geta from Seleucia ad Calycadnum is--with a Zebu bull.  And here's Septimus at Nicopolis with a domestic one.  Pat L.

Pat,

Speaking of animals. Have you seen the discussion Curtis & I have been having in the Identification area? There's an interesting AE19 with goat reverse from Aegeae, Cilicia...might be a previously unknown Elagabalus issue....

Joe W.

[Pscipio]

Ah, that is what I hoped for - getting up in the morning and being allowed to have a look at some great small provincials! Thanks to all of you!

Pat, your two bull coins are great, I especially like Geta's portrait which is of great sensitiviness. And I enjoyed Steve's comment that he can never resist a die match. That is one of the interesting points on provincials, there are so many die connections you can study.

Philip II. AE19 from Bizya, Thrace, struck 244-247 AD.
Obv: M IOVL FILIPPOC KAIC, bare head right.
Rev: BIZYHN-WN, naked Silenos with horse tail standing right, pouring wine from bag into krater.
Ø 19 mm, 4.16 g.
Jurukova 157; Lindgren II, 760; Mionnet supp. II, S. 238, 195.
Very rare

A coin I have found six other specimens from so far, five of them die matching on both sides! The coin has a dark green glossy patina in hand, it is too bright on this pic, but it shows all the details, that's why I posted this one.

Lars

[slokind]

Kerux: Yes, and watching with interest.  I happen to have one Aegeai coin myself, which lay unidentified for a long time till Curtis and/or Tacrolimus (as usual)--I don't remember exactly--identified it for me, I think here in Forvm.

old acq, 1999?  Aigeai, Cilicia  Hellenistic  130-77 BC  Æ20 4.93g  axis 12h.  Head of Athena in Corinthian helmet, to r.  Rev., reclining goat to l., monogram at r.  SNG Levante 1666, SNG Fr. 2306 (var. monogram), SNG von Aulock 5446.  For legend, Head HN p. 716.  AIGEAIÔN TÊS IERAS KAI AVTONOMOV.

I guess I can put it here; it's only one mm too large.  Pat L.

[Bacchus]

Sorry,
I resisted for a while but the temptation to wheel these out was too strong    I suppose the first one is a tad too big but.....

1.
Ob. M OPEL ANTONINVS DIADV C [A] Bare headed and draped bust right
Rev. C F P D Eros ridding lion, advancing right
Ref. Jurukova - (vgl. 72), Moushmov 3568
Size AE20

2.
Ob. M OPPELIOC ANTWNEINOC - Draped and Bare headed bust right
Rev. MARKIANOPOLITWN - Lion walking left
Ref. Moushmov 629
Size AE 18

All the best

-:Bacchus:-

[Pscipio]

Who cares about size when the coins are so nice! That Eros riding the lion is wonderful.

Lars

[slokind]

And I remembered my Marsyas, though hardly competitive with Malcolm's Deultum!  Marsyas goes well with Lars' satyr.  Pat

26 X 00 AE16.  Apameia in Phrygia (after 133).  Like Sear 5122, but with different names at left on reverse.  Turreted bust of Artemis, r., with bow and quiver at shoulder (not visible on this example).  Rev., Marsyas traipsing to r., playing the double flutes.  APAME[- vertically at r. and ARIST and KEPHIS vertically at l.  The triple terminals to the wineskin, his little horse's tail, and his genitals are plain.

[Bacchus]

Possibly not the correct place to post this but it was the expense of that nice Eros that sparked of this memory.  Way back when I started collecting I was interested in more modern European early 20th centuary coinage - the series's that had silver for the higher denominations.  I was told then that it was much better to start at the top and work down i.e. buy the most expensive (large denomination) first.  The temptation is of-course to buy 3 or 4 lesser coins for the price of the expensive one.  The reasoning being that by the time you have bought all of the lesser coins the expensive one is totally out of reach of your pocket.  In this case I am very glad I took the plunge of buying the best example I could find as it is one I can always look at and think "how much better could this get" - and the answer is "none more better" to mis-quote a well known film documentary spoof.

Pat,
Interesting reverse - especially the double flutes.  I suppose Pan is the initial thought of most when flute playing is mentioned but good to know that others have taken up the instrument also.


All the best

-:Bacchus:-

[Steve Minnoch]

Forgive the digression, but I was very interested to read in the Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, just a week or so ago, that the translation of the Greek aulos , the as "flute" is a bit misleading.  Apparently the instrument used a single or double reed, and was blown down, so it was more like a modern clarinet or oboe.  In myth it was invented by Athena, who discarded it because playing the instrument distorted the face, and Marsyas then picked it up.

Steve

[maridvnvm]

I must admit that small provincials aren't my thing but I do have a few that aren't too shabby to share:-

Septimius Severus AE17, Hera, Nikopolis ad Istrum


Septimius Severus AE17, STar within crescent, Nikopolis ad Istrum


Geta, AE15 Thantos (I am struggling to get a nice image of this one and am working on it with a new setup)


Regards,
Martin

[featherz]

Here's a cute little Elagabalus ..




Elagabalus --AE17, Perinthos. Victorious athlete crowning himself with a voluminous games wreath. Schoenert 707 (same dies)

and an itty bitty campgate from nikopolis: