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Author Topic: Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria  (Read 1229 times)

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Offline Charles M

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Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria
« on: February 28, 2020, 05:44:21 pm »
This is a coin of Elagabalus from Emesa.  The reverse has an urn with a branch on each side.  My question is what is that object above the urn?  Size is 24 mm and 7.98 grams.

I have another one in worse condition.  Size is 19 mm and 8.11 grams

Offline Altamura

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Re: Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2020, 11:23:57 am »
In the thesis "Coinage in late Hellenistic and Roman Syria : the Orontes Valley (1st century BC-3rd century AD)", Warwick 2013, Jack Nurpetlian also describes the coinage of Elagabal from Emesa. On page 84-86 he lists all specimens of this type with a prize crown known to him:
http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/57324/1/WRAP_THESIS_Nurpetlian_2013.pdf#page=104&zoom=auto,67,-78

With only few exceptions they all have on the reverse HΛIA above and ΠΥΘIA below the prize crown. And they are all described as having a radiate bust of Elagabal on the obverse.

On your second coin the ΠΥΘIA is clearly visible, there is no HΛIA above and probably not enough space for the HΛIA directly in front of the ΠΥΘIA.
And where the name of the city begins you have EIMI (at least it seems to look like that) instead of EMI.

So I don't know what I should think about that  :-\. Unpublished variant? Different city (pythian games existed also elsewhere)?

Regards

Altamura

Offline Vladimir P

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Re: Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2020, 11:55:06 am »
My addition of past year

as for this strange object I have no thoughts... looks like epsilon  :Greek_epsilon: on its side
Vladimir P

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Offline Charles M

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Re: Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2020, 10:33:49 pm »

And where the name of the city begins you have EIMI (at least it seems to look like that) instead of EMI.


Thanks Altamura.  With the coin in hand that "I" appears to be a die break; it is irregular and extends too far into the field to be an actual letter.  I have been fortunate enough to acquire several of these Emisa "urn" reverses that are not on Nurpetlian's list and I assume are unpublished:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-155572
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-155174
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-155177
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-155573


as for this strange object I have no thoughts... looks like epsilon  :Greek_epsilon: on its side

Yes Vladimir, that's actually how I described the original coin in my gallery description:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-158864

Then when I got the second coin (actually the first pictured above), I began to have second thoughts.  So I will go with that until I find out something otherwise.

Offline Altamura

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Re: Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2020, 03:32:21 am »
... I have been fortunate enough to acquire several of these Emisa "urn" reverses that are not on Nurpetlian's list and I assume are unpublished: ...
But on all of them you have the HΛIA on the coin, being in my eyes the main difference to the two coins from the beginning of this thread.
Perhaps this "object" is some sort of abbreviation for the HΛIA ???

Regards

Altamura

Offline Charles M

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Re: Another provincial reverse quandry--Emesa, Syria
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2020, 02:10:18 pm »

But on all of them you have the HΛIA on the coin, being in my eyes the main difference to the two coins from the beginning of this thread.


 :-\  Had not thought of that.

Charles M.

 

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