FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board
Numismatic and History Discussion Forums => Roman Provincial Coins Discussion Forum => Topic started by: andi89 on September 19, 2021, 09:46:00 am
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Hello everyone.
This provincial AE from Septimius Severus refuses to reveil the city it was struck in. Here are the details:
AV: AYT KAIC CEΠ – CEOYHPOC Π – Laureate draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus seen from behind to right
RV: A(?) Σ I - [Ω] … - Dionysos standing left, holding kantharos and thyros;
weight: 11,85 g diameter: 29 – 29,5 mm
The Σ could as well be a Ξ and the A could also be a Λ or another letter. The style points to Asia Minor imho, but I am unable narrow it down any more.
shanxi posted this link in the German forum: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=122167
This coin seems to be from the same pair of dies and adds an Ω to the legend on the reverse. Unfortunately I am still not able to identify the city.
Can anyone help me out here? Any hints and opinions highly appreciated.
Thanks a lot
Andi
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Kyzikos? Not much to go on. Just a guess.
PeteB
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Dear Andi, PeteB, and Board,
That is a truly amazing find---and in rather nice condition I might add!
Consider the following coin of Caracalla (32mm, 11.48 g.) in my collection:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dsszwrUn2qyYbC35FeHNY0LDaGf5JMtA/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dsszwrUn2qyYbC35FeHNY0LDaGf5JMtA/view?usp=sharing)
It looks like it shares the same reverse die as the two of his father that are under discussion here. Like Andi, I spent a long time trying to unveil the issuing city of my coin, which I bought unattributed and with the feeling that something was different about it. Eventually, as it often does, I stumbled on the answer while probably doing some other research, in the BnF database in this case:
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8559836v (https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8559836v)
I was told by a friend that Enora Le Quéré in Les Cyclades sous l’Empire romain: Histoire d’un renaissance (2015) recorded 19 specimens of the Septimius Severus/Dionysus type (11 included in the Samos Hoard) and just three of the Caracalla version (all three found in the same hoard).
Most Roman provincials from Naxos and the other Cycladic islands, by the way, are usually encountered in very worn condition, presumably because their mintages were very low on average and their circulation patterns very constrained, with probably few imports to help alleviate heavy usage. I know I do not personally see Cycladic provincials appear much in Asia Minor contexts, even though they have a lot in common with the latter region in both style and iconography.
I hope some of this was helpful to everyone.
Best regards,
Mark Fox
Michigan
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Dear Mark.
Thank you so much for your contribution that solved the puzzle! Even though it is now quite obvious from the legend, I would have never found the solution.
Now I am very happy to have a mysterious and rather rare piece.
@PeteB: Thanks for your thought.
Kind regards
Andi
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Thanks to this thread I was able to identify my specimen, a die match.
A worn, unidentified coin turned into a nice, interesting specimen :)
diameter 29 mm, weight 14.2 g
Clueless
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Enora's work can be downloaded as a pdf here quite legally:
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01011581