Crude Geta from Pautalia

[Kurt E]

Hello Everyone,
     I would be interested in everyone's opinion on this issue of Geta from Pautalia.  It was in a group of small provincials from a recent CNG auction.  

18 mm    4.37g

OBV - L CEPTIM GETA KAI -  Bare head and draped bust right
REV- OYAPIAC PAYTALIAC - flaming alter with coiled snake below

The rendering especially of Geta is very crude compared to other Balkan mints and other issues form Pautalia.  My assumption was that this was a contemporary copy.  There is no listing in Varbanov.  However, I continued my search I came across other crude obverses.

http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=98104

I pulled Ruzicka off the shelf and suprisingly found the same issue cited - #804.  It is described differently, but the reverse is plated and is likely a die match to mine (see below).    Unfortunately, my German is limited, and I don't know if there is any commen within the text on this.  So, are these contemporary copies or official output.

All opinions welcome as always,

Kurt

[Jochen]

Hi Kurt!

Description from Ruzicka:

#804 High narrow altar with broad plate on a step, on it Orphic egg.

Best regards

[Kurt E]

Thanks, Jochen.  I was able to get that through an online translation. My coin in had seems to have a fairly clear coiled snake below which appears to be present on the plated coin as well. It appears more of a lit alter to me rather than the Orphic egg mentioned.   I was referring more to whether there was any reference in the introduction to these more crude examples and/or contemporary copies.

Kurt

[curtislclay]

Can "Platte" mean "base", because this altar seems to have a broad base on a groundline or "step", rather than any "plate" at the top.

Ruzicka seems to list this coin as official and doesn't comment on the crude style. I would agree; the style of some apparently official issues of Pautalia was indeed quite clumsy.

[Jochen]

Yes, it means "base, = Bodenplatte"

Jochen