Numismatic and History Discussion Forums > Coin of the Day
An exceptional Macrinus Topographic, River?
slokind:
Whenever I think I really have a handle on these coins and will not be surprised, another surprise turns up. Such a short reign, so many interesting types and approaches to portraiture.
07 10 05 Æ28 14.52g axis 1h. Nicopolis ad istrum. Issued by Longinus. Macrinus, laureate, head to r. AV K OPPEL SE | VÊ MAKRINOS. This obv legend is not AMNG with a river god (or other topographic personification). Rev. Youthful river god, or other topographic, seated on a rise, to l., holding a marsh-plant thing in his left and a curvaceous plaint in his r. VP STATIOV LONGINOV NIKOPOLITÔN and in exergue PROS IST / R Ô. Because there is no flowing vase or ship's prow, see Pick's comments at bottom of p. 451, but neither of these dies corresponds exactly with those listed on that page (for ex., with SE | VÊ on obv. and with PROS IST | R Ô in the exergue of the reverse). The reverse type is like Diadumenian's Pick 1810, but not the same die (Pick pl. XVIII, 5. where the youth looks back to r. and lacks the large bunch of reeds, and the exergue differs). It also resembles Varbanov I (Bulg), no. 2806. The obverse die's portrait is also noteworthy, approaching some of Agrippa's but less stylized.
Does anyone else have this die-pair, perhaps in better condition (though among the river gods, this one is pretty good)?
Pat Lawrence
Jochen:
Hi Pat!
Where you get these interesting coins?
Jerome Holderman:
Another Great Coin Pat! Thanks for sharing it. I really debate at times on selling off all my silver to buy more nice bronzes. I really have a preference towards a nice big bronze provincial or imperial over silver any day!
whitetd49:
Oh Lord, more competition! Seriously though, these river god reverses are underappreciated. I'll post a Commodus specimen when I get a chance. Pat, nice find!
slokind:
I didn't realize its novelty until it came and I began trying to pin it down. Well, I haven't been to CoinArchives yet. I always find it hard to believe that anything can be unique. When I was starting to collect, there was a person concentrating on getting all the river gods--as bad as all the city gates. Pat L.
P.S. I searched under Macrinus AND Nicopolis, Makrin AND Nikopolis, and Flussgott; it was by one of those that I found one with the same river god as mine. No it was in the current GM Aukt 142, no. 1832. I paid one-third that, but they are about equal. P.L.
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