There are no Pontianus issues for
Diadumenian at Nicopolis, unless some of the brass ±22-23mm for
Diadumenian happen to have been issued by him. At
Marcianopolis, under Pontianus, of course, the boy joins
his father on the E coins. Although it is in some cases easy to associate
Agrippa issues for father and son, when they share a
reverse (that Aphrodite, for instance), and then those obverses are used with other reverses, too, I have yet to study these with the care required. There are several kinds of serif-laden letters, too, and some of them go back a ways. Some of the big, slightly coarse letters have analogs at other mints, also
still to be studied. There are undoubtedly hints that some of the artisans at
work in 218 left evidence of their presence or that of others similarly trained in some of the issues for
Elagabalus (all Rufus, the remainder of
Elagabalus being
signed by other governors at
Marcianopolis or other Moesian mints and unsigned). Since for these mints at this period none of these questions has been studied systematically before (so far as I know), it may be
wise to proceed very cautiously.
The most distinctive 'font' certainly is that so perfectly preserved on the P Phou Pontianou
reverse dies.
Here's the
Asklepios to go with the '
first edition'
Hermes and Cock.
30 04 03 AE 27
Nicopolis ad Istrum. Issued by Pontianus (die shared by
Agrippa).
Macrinus, laureate,
head to r. AV K OPPEL SE VE MAKRINOS (2 pi, all squared, spiky serifs); this is the die of
AMNG I, 1, p. 432, nos. 1682 and 1683.
Rev., Young, beardless
Asklepios, half draped,
head to l., leaning on slender staff in
his r. armpit, feeding a cake, in
his r. hand, to
his familiar
snake, which climbs the staff as a living
snake might do; Asklepios' left shoulder and
arm are covered by the
himation secured by starting on
his shoulder (the ends, after wrapping, hang ddown at r.). VP P PhOV PONTIA NOV NEIKOPOLITON and across
field PR / OS and in
exergue ISTROmega. Letter forms all as on
obverse, but smaller. The spacing, as well as Pick's not mentioning that it is a deviant
type of
Asklepios, prove that this is not the
reverse of 1681 (of which I have photos of an example)
nor that of
Varbanov 2665 (
Agrippa, besides), though that has similar letter forms.
And here is the die-match for the
'second edition' (not Pontianus)
Hermes with cock (above)
11 04 03 AE 26
Nicopolis ad Istrum Issued by
Agrippa Diadumenian,
head to r. K M OPPEL ANTONI [DIADOVMEN]
IAN OS (
cf. obv. of
Pick 1795, 1797).
Rev.,
Hermes with purse, the normal
type, with a cock at
his feet. For
Diadumenian,
Pick knew none with a cock. [VP AG]RIPPA NIKOPOLITON [PROS IST and, perhaps, ROmega in the
exergue]--on grounds of spacing at right. If so, this is the
reverse die of
Macrinus,
Pick,
AMNG I, 1, p. 435, no. 1693; if the
rev. legend was shorter, no. 1692. Since neither die matches, this coin is not
Pick 1803 or 1804, one of which is
Varbanov I, no. 2905.
And, by analogy, though I don't yet have this
Asklepios reverse die for
Macrinus, I expect it (dare I say that?), because here is the
second edition (not Pontianus, not with
legend used as a filler in the
field)
Asklepios to compare with its first edition and with its corresponding
Hermes.
21 01 03 AE 26
Nicopolis ad Istrum. Issued by
Agrippa.
Diadumenian,
head to r. K M OPPEL ANTONINOS DIADOVMENIANOS, Antoninos spelled out, as on
Vienna example.
Rev., young (unbearded)
Asklepios, frontal, looking left, with
his staff in
his r. armpit; the
snake actively mounts it, as if to take a cake from
his hand. VP
AGRIPPA NIKO POLITON PROS ISTROmega. All sigmas squared lunate.
Pick,
AMNG I, 1, p. 460, no. 1805;
Varbanov I, p. 208, no. 2883, illus., also seems to resemble this one exactly, even in an ill lit photo.