120 year old mystery solved!

[Jochen]

Dear friends of ancient mythology!

I am proud to have now solved a mystery surrounding one of the most unusual coins of Commodus from Nicopolis. This was achieved through the quality of the following coin, which, when enlarged, revealed new, previously unknown details.

The coin:
Moesia inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, Commodus, AD 177-192.
AE 18, 3.33g
Obv.: AVT M AVPH - KOMOΔOC 
         Laureate head r.
Rev.: NEIKOΠOΛI Π - POC EICTP(sic!) (both P reverse).
         Pan, nude, wearing spruce wreath, walking r., shouldering a lagobolon with raised right
         hand and holding a wine vessel in front of belly with left.
Ref.: a) AMNG I/1, 1242 corr. (1 ex., Vienna)
        b) Varbanov 2181 corr.
        c) Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov (2021) No.8.10.8.3corr.
not common, almost EF

120 year old mystery of the "horns" solved!
During my research I found 7 other coins. On these, the naked figure on the reverse is called Pan, Dionysus and even a river god, among others.
The great Behrendt Pick knew only 1 ex. 18mm in 1895, and cites Wien Arneth Sitzungsber. 9, 898, 7 as his source. The Rev. of this coin is illustrated under no. 13 on plate XIX. Behrendt Pick (1861-1940) was probably the greatest German numismatist. His accuracy and reliability are a model unrivalled to this day. His last position was honorary professor in Jena, where he was retired in 1934 as part of the persecution of the Jews. He died in 1940. His wife took her own life 2 years later for fear of Nazi persecution.

He writes about this coin: The naming of the very roughly worked figure is uncertain because the attributes are unclear. The object going from the right hand over the shoulder to the back seems to be a long staff, which would suggest Pan; the two points appearing on the head, which are rather horns than ends of a wreath, would also fit.
This description has been adopted by almost everyone, but the "horns" always remain somewhat unclear. But now everyone can see for themselves that these "horns(?)" are looking like antlers and are indeed spruce branches!

So it really is Pan, and the 120-year-old mystery of the "horns" has been solved: this depiction belongs to the mythology of Pan and the nymph Pitys. What could be nicer for a collector?

By the way: Does anyone know a coin that shows Pan with a spruce wreath?

Best regards
Jochen

[*Alex]

Superb research Jochen. Well done and very interesting.

Alex

[Molinari]

Such a tiny detail—I love it! 

[Prieure de Sion]

A small detail - a big step for mankind.

No, seriously. First of all, congratulations! And very interesting and very worth reading for me. Great. That's why we collect coins, I think. It's exactly this detective work and then these results. Great Jochen. In addition, a beautiful coin. And now also a specimen that has led to an end of a mystery.

Thanks for sharing, Jochen.

[Curtis JJ]

Great find & interesting background on this type. This is my favorite thing about ancient coins. You can usually trace the history of ideas about any given coin through multiple generations and languages and occasionally notice something new and interesting. Well done.

[Serendipity]

I don’t have any Commodus coins in my collection but I think Jochen is spot on in his analysis. One of the things that has always struck me about Commodus coinage is how stylistically the laurel wreath on his laureate busts always juts out and interrupts the legend above. In other words, the reverse depicts simultaneously both the rustic horned-god Pan and the liberal Pan-like Commodus wearing a branched spruce wreath that similarly interrupts the legend above. The long lagobolon Pan has slung over his shoulder has also caught my attention. However, Commodus would have been more interested in hunting down humans or wild animals larger than hares with that lagobolon in the gladiatorial arena…

[Jochen]

Thank you for your comments. They add up to my delight.

Jochen