Plautilla at Pautalia

[curtislclay]

Andreas Reich has generously traded to me an interesting new coin of Plautilla at Pautalia which he posted in his gallery last spring.  This acquisition has motivated me to look more closely at the scarce coinage of this empress at Pautalia.

Plautilla's coins at this mint come in two denominations,

AE 26-30, c. 10-17 grams, always naming the governor Sicinnius Clarus in the reverse legend;

AE 22, without mention of the governor.

The larger coins with governor's name all seem to come from only two obverse dies, the first of which spells the empress' name

ΦOVΛ ΠΛAV - TIΛΛA CEBA

and shows her wearing a stephane and with her hair separated into horizontal rows of locks and with a large nest of braids at the back.  This coiffure, typical for young girls, seems to copy Plautilla's earliest coiffure on coins at Rome, for example on the aureus below, except that the Pautalian die leaves out Plautilla's r. ear, which is always shown at Rome, and adds the stephane.

Thirteen reverse types are recorded for Plautilla with an obverse of this description, eleven of which are illustrated in CoinArchives, Wildwinds, or in addenda below to this thread, on coins which definitely all come from the same obverse die:

1.  Caracalla clasping hands with Plautilla, also one of her earliest reverse types at Rome, as for example on the aureus illustrated below.  Ruzicka 775 (Berlin).  Another specimen illustrated in Wildwinds, repeated below.  Varbanov 5304 illustrates a third specimen, apparently from the same dies as Wildwinds, though at first glance the obverse looks different.

2.  Septimius standing r. holding spear and parazonium, crowned by Victory standing beside him.  Ruzicka 773, citing BM (not in BMC) and Vienna.  Varbanov 5292.  A third specimen from CoinArchives illustrated below.  Septimius' pose in noteworthy: usually in such a type the emperor stands left not right, so is crowned from behind not from the front by Victory.

2A.  Emperor with spear under right arm on horse charging right.  Shown on Forvm in April 2010 by member Geta, see image and description below.

2B.  Emperor in military dress standing l. holding patera and spear.  Shown in Forvm in July 2010 by member Petrus Elmsley, see image and description below.

3.  Athena standing right, holding spear and shield that rest on the ground.  Not in Ruzicka; see CoinArchives specimen below.  Varbanov 5298 cites and illustrates the same specimen, but touches up the image to eliminate the flan crack!

[curtislclay]

4.  Naked Aphrodite standing r., covering herself with her hands, between globe on altar and dolphin.  Ruzicka 768 (Vienna, Sofia, 2 others).  Two in CoinArchives from the same die pair, one shown below.  Varbanov 5291 illustrates the same specimen, though eliminating the pits in the reverse field by retouching!  Varbanov 5301 cites the same type from a private collection, with the variant HΓE for HΓ at the start of the reverse legend: more likely the same reverse die tooled or misread, until this alleged variant can be confirmed with an image!

5.  Salus, Telesphorus, Asclepius.  Ruzicka 772 (Berlin, Budapest).  A third specimen from CoinArchives illustrated both below and by Varbanov 5297.

5A.  Asclepius standing right, head left, leaning on serpent-entwined staff. Ancient Caesar, VCoins, Feb. 2010, specimen shown below, pointed out by John Wrenn.

6.  Unbearded river god reclining l., head r. Ruzicka 771a (St. Petersburg).  A second specimen from CoinArchives illustrated both below and by Varbanov 5296, who however again eliminates the flan crack on the obverse by retouching.

6A.  Same type, but river god bearded, head l. not r., and OVΛΠI not OVΛ in legend.  Potator collection, see image posted by him below.

[curtislclay]

It seems very probable that the three other reverse types reported with an obverse of Plautilla of this description are also from the same obverse die, though we can of course not be sure of this die identity until images can be checked:

7.  Hera standing l. holding patera and scepter.  Ruzicka 767 (Paris).  Varbanov 5293.

8.  Artemis advancing r. holding bow, accompanied by her dog.  Ruzicka 769 (Gotha, J. Hirsch list).  Varbanov 5302.  Ruzicka notes that the same reverse die was also used for Caracalla at Pautalia on his no. 512.

9.  Coiled serpent r.  Ruzicka 774 (Severeanu, ex Knechtel).  Varbanov 5294. A specimen shown on Forvm by moonmoth in June 2009, which I have also posted below, is indeed from the expected obverse die.

Plautilla's SECOND large obverse die at Pautalia differs both in the legend, expanding CEBA to CEBACTH and dividing differently over the head,

ΦOVΛ ΠΛAVTIΛ - ΛA CEBACTH,

and in the empress' coiffure, now without the horizontal ridges, with a smaller, lower nest, and omitting the stephane.
This die was probably engraved after late 203/early 204, since it seems to copy a similar coiffure, now covering the empress' ear, that appeared on Roman coins at about that time, for example on the aureus illustrated below.

This obverse die is known with three reverse types:

10.  Nike standing l. on globe, holding wreath and palm.  Ruzicka 771 (Paris), the reverse illustrated on his pl. III.7.  Another specimen in Lanz 114, 2003, lot 513, illustrated both below and by Varbanov 5295.  Ruzicka slightly misquotes the reverse legend on the Paris coin, and Varbanov 5300 has mistakenly made this error into an additional catalogue entry, not noticing that the Paris coin is actually from the same reverse die as the clearly legible Lanz specimen.

11.  Salus and Aesclepius, same type as 5 above but without little Telesphorus between the adult divinities.  Unpublished, my new coin from Andreas Reich, heavily worn, illustrated below.

12.  Athena seated l. feeding snake in tree.  Ruzicka 770 (Sofia).  Varbanov 5299.  Obverse die identity probable, but needs confirmation, no image yet available.  However, I have now posted below the picture of a specimen that turned up on eBay in December 2016; it is indeed from the expected second obverse die.  On the side on Athena's throne one sees her owl, as mentioned by Ruzicka.

[curtislclay]

The SMALLER denomination coin of Plautilla at Pautalia, without the governor's name, I know only from Varbanov 5303, who cites it from a Bulgarian book of 1998:  

AE 22.  Obverse legend as on the first larger obverse die; form of coiffure, and whether with or without stephane, unspecified.

Reverse OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛIAC, Homonoia, turreted, standing l. holding patera over lighted altar and cornucopia.

Not in Ruzicka, not illustrated by Varbanov.

[wandigeaux (1940 - 2010)]

A smaller denomination of Plautilla, not in Ruzicka and perhaps unpublished (posted by me before but fits in here so nicely).  George Spradling

AE23, 9.21g
FOVL PLAVTILLA CEBAC/OVLPIAC PA_VTALIAC

[curtislclay]

A welcome addition! 

The portrait exactly matches that on the second large obverse die, so date probably after late 203/early 204.

Was there anything to the r. of Aphrodite, for example a dolphin as on reverse 4 above?  There is a lot of space there, and a small trace of something near the edge after the end of the legend.

One wonders whether the small coin reported by Varbanov 5303 might actually be from the same obverse die as yours, with portrait left and CEBAC.  Varbanov says portrait right and CEBA, but maybe he is wrong!

[wandigeaux (1940 - 2010)]

There certainly is space for a dolphin, but there is no trace of one (although there is a "small trace of something").  I think a dolphin, which certainly would not have been out of place in Thrace with such a figure, would have left more evidence than that trace, clogged die or no.
 
In the original discussion of this coin, Pat L., if I remember correctly, said that the obverse portrait of the example in Varbanov II (E) wore her hair in cornrows (Melonenfrisur), not the more relaxed style on the left facing bust here, so it seems there must be some illustration there.

I will have to get Varbanov eventually, but for the cost I would like a lot more reliability in the descriptions!  Geo. S.

[curtislclay]

I agree:  a dolphin, if originally there, should have left more traces!

Moreover, Varbanov 4883 shows THE SAME REVERSE DIE used for Julia Domna at Pautalia, some corrosion but VF and clear, and definitely without anything at Aphrodite's feet.  The dash or die fault at the end of the reverse legend occurs there just as on your coin, though Varbanov, in his reproduction of the image, has retouched it away!

That coin comes from the same Lanz Sale 114, 2003, which supplies my image of no. 10 above, but is unfortunately not in CoinArchives, so I'd have to make my own scan to show it here.

The Domna obverse die of that Lanz coin was also used with the reverse Homonoia, kalathos on head, sacrificing left over altar, shown below from CoinArchives.  This might be the same reverse die that was also used for the Plautilla AE 22, according to Varbanov 5303.  If we only had an illustration of Varbanov 5303, we could compare its obverse die and description with your coin, and its reverse die with that of the Domna example shown below!

Varbanov's illustration of the Aphrodite type for Plautilla that you say Pat L. referred to in the earlier discussion is exactly the one I show above, no. 4!

[Potator II]

Hi Curtis,

May I add mine ?

This is a bronze which obverse seems to match the first one you mention.
Bronze minted in Pautalia, Thrace
PHOYL TTLAVTILLA CEBA, diademed and draped bust right
HTE CIKI KLAPOV OVATTI TTAUTALIAC, river god seated left
12,4 gr
Ref : Ruzicka, Pautalia # 771a, G&M #134/1849, same obverse die

[curtislclay]

Thanks. 

This appears to be a new type, with the river god looking l. instead of r., and apparently bearded rather than unbearded.  I have added it as no. 6A to the list above!

[archivum]

Another Aphrodite for the mix:

[curtislclay]

Thanks.  Same dies as no. 4 above and the other specimen in CoinArchives.  Still no trace of Varbanov's alleged variant die with HΓE not HΓ!

[curtislclay]

In another Forvm thread, moonmoth just posted the coin that I repost below, a specimen of no. 9 above with the coiled serpent reverse, previously only known from Ruzicka's description of a coin in a private collection, unfortunately without illustration.

As expected, the coin is indeed from the earlier of Plautilla's two larger obverse dies at Pautalia.

[curtislclay]

John Wrenn points out to me a new type of Asclepius standing, from the first obverse die, offered by Ancient Caesar on VCoins in Feb. 2010, 30 mm, 15.43 g. I show the image below and have entered the new type in the list above.

[curtislclay]

Under Forvm's Provincial Coins board, Geta has added an interesting new twelfth type from the earlier large Plautilla obverse die, which I show below and have added to the list above as no. 2A.

The type shows an emperor on horseback right, though unfortunately corrosion on the specimen obscures some of the details.

The horse's tail flies out horizontally as though the horse were charging right, and indeed both of its hind legs seem to be extended, confirming this impression. A charging horse should have both of its front legs extended in the air before it, and indeed on the coin there seem to be shadows of the front legs in that position.

An emperor on a charging horse would usually be raising his spear to attack an enemy or a dangerous beast, but here the emperor curiously holds his spear under his right arm,  out of action. It is unclear whether an enemy or beast might have been depicted on the ground below the forepart of the horse.

As John Wrenn points out, Ruzicka reports no such type at Pautalia for any emperor of empress under the governor Sicinnius Clarus, not do I find such a type in Varbanov for either Septimius, Caracalla, or Domna under Clarus, let alone for Plautilla.

[rennrad12020]

A new acquisition arrived yesterday which should be included with this thread:

Plautilla

AE 28 Pautalia vierer

Sicinnius Clarus (202 AD)


ob: ΦOVΛ ΠΛAV / TIΛΛA CEBA
draped and bust right with stephane

rx: HΓ ∙ CIKI ∙ KΛA[P]OY O / VΛ[Π ΠAYTA]
Ex: ΛIAC

Emperor in military attire standing left holding patera in outstretched right hand

dull brown patina

Varbanov (E) II -; Mionnet -; BMC-; cf. Ruzicka p. 124 #450 (J Domna) rx; a probable match. I am following Ruzicka’s recording of the right side of legend, although it appears more of the legend is extant on this coin.
N.B. break in O / VΛΠ. Ruzicka’s coin from his own collection.
Curtis Clay's first obverse die.
Unpublished reverse obverse die pairing

Seller's picture a little better than my scan, so I attached it. click to enlarge

JPW

[curtislclay]

Petrus Elmsley's new coin now entered as no. 2B in the list above.

[curtislclay]

A specimen of no. 12 above sold today on German eBay, Savoca Coins; 29 mm, 16.29 g.

I have posted the dealer's picture above in the relevant contribution (Reply #2). As expected, the coin is indeed from Plautilla's second middle-bronze obverse die at Pautalia.

In my presentation above of Plautilla's middle bronzes at Pautalia, I overlooked an important fact: Ruzicka in his monograph on Pautalia had already observed that these coins come from just two obverse dies. So for the unillustrated coins in my list above, we do not have to just assume that they too are from the same obverse dies: if I cite a Ruzicka number, then Ruzicka had seen specimens of the coins in question, and we have it on his authority that they came from those same obverse dies!