Philip Arab reverse legend variant

[timka]

Hi,

I would like to share this antoninianus of Philip Arab missing one G on reverse. So it reads AVG, instead of AVGG, as should be for RIC 51.

Also, it seems this is overstrike. There is a small hint remained next to the wreath. Shall you have any ideas about undertype, please let me know as i was not able to decode.

Ob. IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG radiate draped, cuirassed right
Rev. VICTORIA AVG, Victory winged standing left with wreath

RIC 51 rev legend variant

4,1g - 21 mm - 1h

Thank you for your time.

Z.

[curtislclay]

There seems to be space for a second G, so maybe the die showed the correct AVGG, but the second G was lost to flat striking, maybe assisted by die wear.

The surface cracks could be just flan flaws, rather than traces of overstriking. But I might admit overstriking, if one could show that this non-Roman VICTORIA AVGG type was regularly overstruck on earlier antoniniani.

[timka]

The surface cracks could be just flan flaws, rather than traces of overstriking.

Below I marked some areas with the elements that could belong to the undertype.

Also I checked about 30 coins of this type on acsearch and numismatics.org/ocre in order to find possible reverse die match, and find out if G was lost due to mint or die problms as you suggested. Unfortunately, i could not find this reverse die, as well as obverse die.

Also, it is curious there is a similar type with Victory walking right, that always reads VICTORIA AVG, and never VICTORIA AVGG. What is the meaning of this extra G?

Also, why do you say 'this non-Roman type VICTORIA AVGG'?, As all sources say this is Rome mint type.

Thank you for your time.

Z.

[curtislclay]

That looks like a die break on the wreath, and before Victory's face one sees the top of her second wing.

Philip Caesar, with IOVI CONSERVAT, and Otacilia Severa, with IVNO CONSERVAT, each have an antoninianus type which acts strangely: occurring only on antoniniani, not on gold or bronze coins, and not fitting into the clear progression of Rome-mint types in six issues from the beginning to the end of the reign.

The corresponding type of Philip I would appear to be VICTORIA AVGG standing, which similarly occurs on antoniniani only and does not fit into the sequence of Rome-mint types. Apparently evidence for a branch mint that produced antoniniani only alongside the Rome-mint issues, and used Rome-mint engravers, to judge from the style which closely matches Rome.

I was not the first to propose this idea: Eddy and Fitz both assigned Philip's Victory standing type to Viminacium, according to Dieulafait in the Eauze hoard publication.

At Rome under Philip, AVG in reverse legends changed to AVGG early in 245. Apparently the AVGG just meant "of the Augustus and his son", since Philip II did not become Augustus himself until mid-247.

[timka]

Curtis, thank you very much for detailed explanations to my questions.

Something went wrong with reverse die for sure. Though, I would be more assured about missing G, if the reverse die match with both GGs would be found. I will keep looking for the reverse die match.

...and, Yes!,- this is Victory's second wing in front of her face, how could I misinterpret it? - thank you for this observation.   

[wolfgang336]

The corresponding type of Philip I would appear to be VICTORIA AVGG standing, which similarly occurs on antoniniani only and does not fit into the sequence of Rome-mint types. Apparently evidence for a branch mint that produced antoniniani only alongside the Rome-mint issues, and used Rome-mint engravers, to judge from the style which closely matches Rome.

Hi Curtis - sorry to resurrect a long-dead thread, but what did you mean by "does not fit into the sequence of Rome-mint types"?

I have the same coin, and am in the midst of re-documenting my collection, so I'm eager to learn a bit more!

[curtislclay]

Wolfgang,

From 245 until the end of his reign in Rome, Philip struck antoniniani in groups of six types at a time, four types for himself and one each for Otacilia and Philip II. The six types in each issue were struck in about the same volume (similar specimen counts for each type in large hoards), and most of the same types were also struck on aurei and bronze coins too.

Contrast Victory standing for Philip I, IVNO CONSERVAT for Otacilia, and IOVI CONSERVAT for Philip II: this issue includes only three types, all of which were struck on antoniniani only, not also on aurei or bronze coins. Moreover there is no place in the mint of Rome's sequence of six-type issues where this three-type issue of antoniniani only could conveniently be inserted.

[wolfgang336]

Thanks Curtis!

[Priscus]

hello,

in the meantime I have acquired this piece via the forum.

I have also looked at it for a long time under the microscope and also find no abnormalities for a stamp breakage. Also the spacing of the letters is regular, so I think it is really the short transcription VICTORIA AVG. I have also not found a comparable stamp.

I believe that this piece was minted in Viminacium in the middle of 247 and possibly here shortly before Philip II was elevated to augustus. Perhaps stamps with the AVG for the victory of Philip were already produced here and in this phase Philip II was elevated to augustus.

Another clue may be the very short "R" which we also find on the Viminacium coinage for Philip II & Otacilia.

The hair style fits also after Viminacium, since the VICTORIA AVG to the left/right laufent has a helmet on and this was minted in Rome.


Priscus

[Priscus]

one more note:

Enclosed are the three variants from Rome.

Also here there seems to be a variant of the standing Victoria with VICTORIA AVGG ( on the head with helmet). This seems to have been minted only very briefly in 244/245. My specimen shown here seems to stand out clearly from the Vimancium - style.

[curtislclay]

RIC 50, mint of Rome, that you illustrate above, also occurs on rare antoniniani with the double G.

I have such a VICTORIA AVGG antoninianus in my own collection, plus two corresponding sestertii, one of which I hope to be able to show below.

This sestertius was already known to Cohen 237 (=RIC 193), citing a private collection (Nomophile). Roger Bland also found two such sestertii in public collections, Vienna and ANS.

[Priscus]

I also know this rare variant, attached is the piece from my collection.

Priscus