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Author Topic: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander  (Read 1238 times)

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Offline clueless

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Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« on: January 09, 2021, 10:05:02 am »
Hi,

Can anyone bring forth some information on Nicopolis ad Istrum under Severus Alexander ?

Nicopolis was an important economical hub and under the earlier rulers, especially the Severans and Macrinus, the city struck quite a number of issues, but this did abruptly end when Sev Alexander ascended the throne, not to be started again until the reign of Gordianus III, after whom coinage ended there. A similar stop in issues did for example not happen at Markianopolis.

Was the abrupt end under Sev Alexander some form of imperial punishment or did something upend the economy Nicopolis depended on or did something else happen ? The city itself survived after all into Byzantine times.

Cheers,

Clueless

Offline Altamura

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Re: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2021, 04:42:59 am »
In Dario Calomino, "Bilingual Coins of Severus Alexander in the Eastern Provinces", American Journal of Numismatics (1989-), Vol. 26 (2014), pp. 199-222 (online e.g. via JSTOR), you find on page 213 some reasoning about that:

"Although the coinage of Elagabalus is very large, the mint seems to have interrupted its production under Severus Alexander and Maximinus Thrax."

"These data seem to confirm that the city did not need further coin supply after the large output of the Elagabalus’ reign, but the sample is still too small from the statistical perspective and could be misleading."

So there probably has not been some special event interrupting the coinage, they just already had a sufficient amount of coins  :).

Calomino describes two coins minted under Severus Alexander from Nicoplis, so there have been at least a few.

Regards

Altamura


Offline Jochen

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Re: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2021, 05:20:19 am »
Calomino describes two coins minted under Severus Alexander from Nicoplis, so there have been at least a few.

That surprises me a lot. But I think Calomino is referring to Nicopolis of Epirus! Otherwise it would be nice to see these coins for our book!

So there probably has not been some special event interrupting the coinage, they just already had a sufficient amount of coins  :).

Coins were not only used as a means of payment, but also to communicate the ruler's political ideas to the people. Especially in the time after Elagabal, this would have been bitterly needed. It is very strange to miss such an opportunity!

Jochen

Offline Altamura

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Re: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2021, 06:27:59 am »
... That surprises me a lot. But I think Calomino is referring to Nicopolis of Epirus! ...
No, he is explicitly speaking of Nicopolis ad Istrum (and I think as someone working on this subject he is able to be aware of the difference  ;)), on both coins he is describing there is a ICT on the legend.

Meanwhile I found out that his article is also available on academia.edu, so you can have a look by yorself:
https://www.academia.edu/11571972/_Bilingual_coins_of_Severus_Alexander_in_the_Eastern_provinces_American_Journal_of_Numismatics_26_2014_pp_199_222
(shame on me that I didn't see this earlier  :-\).

Regards

Altamura

(edit: correction of wrong source  :( )


Offline Jochen

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Re: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2021, 12:57:01 pm »
Hello Altmura!

Many thanks for this interesting article by Dario Calomino. I knew him until now only as the author of works on Nicopolis in Epirus.

On the coins of Severus Augustus, Pick (AMG I/1) writes in note 1, to no. 2039:
"Since nowhere coins of Nicopolis with the head of Severus Alexander can be proved, we must assume an error on Vaiilant's part in the indication of the obv.",
and in note 2 to no. 2039: "Here, too, there must be an error; it is a coin of Caracalla on which the name of the governor was illegible."

In short: Pick did not know any coins of Severus Alexander from Nicopolis ad Istrum. He considers the opposite to be an error.

This leaves only the two coins #14 and #15, of which type #14 is also in my collection and is illustrated and described in Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov. About these two coins Colomino writes that they were not issued by the mint, but outside the usual distribution channel of the city production. At the end he becomes more specific and speaks of itinerant engravers who did not meet the standard requirements of a mint or had never worked for a mint. Thus these two coins belong to the group of coins usually referred to as "barbarian imitations" and can in no way be taken as proof that there were coins from Nicopolis ad Istrum under Severus Alexander. That is why we have decided to exclude them from the list of regular coins.

It also fits that the coins of Elagabal, which Calomino mentions and depicts, also belong to the group of "barbarian imitations". Of these, #19 is illustrated in Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov and comes from my own collection, without Calomino having asked me for permission to illustrate it. The work of Mr.Jekov and myself is cited by Calomino, but Mr.Calomino has not contacted me or Mr.Jekov.

Calomino is of the opinion that one reason for the closure of the mint at Nicopolis ad Istrum may have been that the coinage under Elagabal may have been so great that there was simply no need for coins. This, however, is in contradiction to the fact that in the final part he cites the lack of small change in the army as the reason for the "barbarian imitations", a phenomenon that has long been known.

With kind regards
Jochen

Offline Altamura

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Re: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2021, 01:50:40 pm »
... About these two coins Colomino writes that they were not issued by the mint, but outside the usual distribution channel of the city production. At the end he becomes more specific and speaks of itinerant engravers who did not meet the standard requirements of a mint or had never worked for a mint. Thus these two coins belong to the group of coins usually referred to as "barbarian imitations" ...
As far as I understood it he offers a whole bunch of possibilities who minted these coins why and when but does not really decide on it :-\. So this perhaps remains a bit open.

... and comes from my own collection, without Calomino having asked me for permission to illustrate it. The work of Mr.Jekov and myself is cited by Calomino, but Mr.Calomino has not contacted me or Mr.Jekov. ...
In footnote 71 he writes that he is "very grateful to all the curators, scholars and collectors who have responded to my enquiry on these coins" with naming you as part of those supporting him and in footnote 86 he thanks you "for kindly providing me images and information."  :-\.

Regards

Altamura


Offline Jochen

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Re: Nicopolis ad Istrum and Severus Alexander
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2021, 08:05:00 am »
... and comes from my own collection, without Calomino having asked me for permission to illustrate it. The work of Mr.Jekov and myself is cited by Calomino, but Mr.Calomino has not contacted me or Mr.Jekov. ...
In footnote 71 he writes that he is "very grateful to all the curators, scholars and collectors who have responded to my enquiry on these coins" with naming you as part of those supporting him and in footnote 86 he thanks you "for kindly providing me images and information."  :-\.

Oh dear, I have made a serious mistake. Now I have found Calomino's email to me again. I must apologise!

Jochen

 

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