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Author Topic: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum  (Read 1208 times)

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Offline slokind

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A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« on: August 06, 2009, 10:16:27 pm »
When I was shown this coin, knowing that the specimen I had of this obv. die (DHa on my web page) was in bad shape, I realized that I 'had to have it'.  And I had a different rev. die.  Malcolm (Diadumenian, p. 107, NIC4.28e) has the same die pair.  Neither of us, however, had the reverse legend fully preserved.  Well, it did look like an Agrippa, didn't it?
But no.  Read for yourself: VP STATI LONGINOV NIKOPOLITÔN PROS IS and in exergue TRÔ.  What prompted the mint men to order this rather 'Augustan', somewhat hieratic portrait of the ten-year-old lad, and that not at the end of his father's reign but more or less in the middle?
As usual, when the coins are almost all the evidence we have, we can only ask.
But isn't it, if I say so myself, a beautiful die (even if we like the tender, childlike ones better, as a rule)?  And isn't that a nice dignified Hygieia, offering her snake for once solid food (so that we don't have to point out that snake tongues are not for lapping)?
Just having a bare bust is quite remarkable for the boy.  Notice, too, that ANTÔN[--- preceded his own original name on the obverse.
Pat L.
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Offline casata137ec

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2009, 10:38:13 am »
What a beautiful coin! I agree that the portrait is fantastic, but that may be due in some part to the nice state of preservation. All in all, very nice!

Chris
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Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2009, 04:34:56 pm »
Is that an egg she's offering the snake?
Robert Brenchley

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Offline Jochen

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2009, 06:14:14 pm »
A wonderful coin! Often the snake is feeded with a cake made of cereal mash. But here it looks actually like an egg.

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Offline slokind

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2009, 10:02:12 pm »
I prefer, tentatively, to think of it as like the apparent cake that Asklepios himself offers to his familiar snake.  For one thing, making cakes, often not baked but mashed and soaked, is even today not dead in traditional Greek religious usage.  And I suppose I ought to confess that Robert Graves' Penguin books (2 vols.) on Greek myths put me "off of eggs" generally, even when they arren't 'World eggs'.  I suspect that the ancient social equivalent to women's altar guilds liked to get together and concoct very carefully, devotedly, these ambrosial cakes—ambrosial in the literal sense.
Pat L.

Offline wandigeaux (1940 - 2010)

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2009, 11:50:00 pm »
The coming and going of posts around here lately has reminded me to express my appreciation of this smashing coin!  George S.
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Offline Bacchus

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2009, 01:50:13 am »
A great coin indeed - thanks for sharing that one, Pat.  I've never seen one of those so well preserved and it certainly firms up the legends.

For some reason alot the Hygieia type reverses of coins at the mint appear "rusty" - (at least mine do) - but this one is a beauty

Malcolm

Offline slokind

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Re: A surprise for Diadumenian at Nicopolis ad Istrum
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2009, 04:04:31 pm »
This one got scoured in cleaning, but is another contribution to the dies paired with the unique Head obverse of Longinus for Diadumenian.  It is sad when a scarce coin is abused, even if accidentally.   All I can do is:
Pick Obv 1793 (head)   1792 (half-draped Zeus).
Longinus Diad DHa   Rev.  ?
But it seems to be the same as Bacchus' Diadumenian NIC4.43d
Pat L.
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