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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Geography||View Options:   | | | Every ancient coin is associated with a place, at the least where it was minted. Rarely, but occasionally, we learn where a coin was found. Many ancient coins depict the personification of a nation, province, city, or river. Every coin has some tie to geography. Of course collecting every coin is not a theme, so geography must be narrowed down in some way. Collecting the coins of one mint, city or region is popular. Hadrian's famous "travel series" would make an excellent geography theme collection. Another is the travels of Paul. Or you could collect coins from all places you simply find captivating. |
A decursio was a military exercise, by which Roman soldiers were taught to make long marches in a given time, under arms and without quitting their ranks. They sometimes consisted of a mock fight between two divisions. Augustus and subsequently Hadrian ordered that the infantry and cavalry were to march out three times a month ten miles from the camp and ten miles back, fully armed and equipped. Decursio on this coin probably refers Nero's participation in mock military maneuvers in the circus.SH96390. Orichalcum sestertius, RIC I 508, Mac Dowall WCN 448, BMCRE I 316, BnF II 135, Cohen I 88, SRCV I -, Choice aEF/VF, superb portrait, well centered and struck, scratches, marks, porosity more on the reverse, weight 23.971 g, maximum diameter 35.4 mm, die axis 180o, Lugdunum (Lyon, France) mint, 66 A.D.; obverse IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR POT P P, laureate head left, small globe at point; reverse DECVRSIO (in exergue), Nero and a companion on horseback prancing right, Nero holds spear in right hand, companion holds vexillum in right over shoulder, S - C (senatus consulto) flanking across field; $1860.00 (€1525.20)
The Triumvirs, Mark Antony and Cleopatra, c. Autumn 34 B.C.
This lead seal clearly copies the portrait of Cleopatra VII as represented on the denarius type RRC 543/1 - everything from the countenance of the face, the hairstyle, and the drapery matches closely. The seal is made to a much higher standard than is usual with lead tesserae - it may have been struck from an unknown coin die - and the presence of the caduceus may relate to the cult of Isis. -- Andrew McCabeSH95312. Lead tessera, apparently unpublished, but cf. Crawford 543/1 for a similar portrait, VF, brown patina with touches of red, weight 6.491 g, maximum diameter 21.7 mm, c. autumn 34 B.C.; obverse diademed and draped female bust right (Cleopatra?), winged caduceus before; reverse blank; ex CNG e-sale 458 (18 Dec 2019), lot 305; ex Andrew McCabe Collection, ex Marc de Cock (Belgium); $720.00 (€590.40)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Kyrenaica, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physcon), 163 - 145 B.C.
Ptolemy VIII was made co-ruler of Egypt with his older siblings in 170 B.C. Soon after, Ptolemy VI was captured in the Sixth Syrian War and Ptolemy VIII became sole king. When the war ended in 168 B.C. Ptolemy VI was restored to joint rule. The brothers quarreled and in 164 B.C. Ptolemy VIII drove out his brother out and became sole king, but he was in turn expelled in 163 B.C. As a result of Roman intervention, Ptolemy VIII was awarded rule of Kyrenaica. After Ptolemy VI's death in 145 B.C., Ptolemy VIII returned to Egypt as co-ruler with his sister.GP95307. Bronze hemidrachm, Svoronos 1641, pl. LVI, 14; Asolati 84; SNG Cop 651; BMC Ptolemies p. 94, 78; Malter 242; Weiser -; Noeske -, EF, some areas of weakness, reverse with some doubling, obverse edge beveled, central depressions, weight 36.92 g, maximum diameter 44.0 mm, die axis 0o, Kyrene (near Shahhat, Libya) mint, c. 150 B.C.; obverse diademed and horned head of Zeus Ammon right, taenia with basileion above forehead; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY EYEPΓETOY, eagle standing right on thunderbolt, head right, wings open, Φ right; ex Leu Numismatik web auction 10 (7 Dec 2019), lot 619; rare; $700.00 (€574.00)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Kyrenaica, Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physcon), 163 - 145 B.C.
Ptolemy VIII was made co-ruler of Egypt with his older siblings in 170 B.C. Soon after, Ptolemy VI was captured in the Sixth Syrian War and Ptolemy VIII became sole king. When the war ended in 168 B.C. Ptolemy VI was restored to joint rule. The brothers quarreled and in 164 B.C. Ptolemy VIII drove out his brother out and became sole king, but he was in turn expelled in 163 B.C. As a result of Roman intervention, Ptolemy VIII was awarded rule of Kyrenaica. After Ptolemy VI's death in 145 B.C., Ptolemy VIII returned to Egypt as co-ruler with his sister.GP95308. Bronze hemidrachm, Svoronos 1641, pl. LVI, 14; Asolati 84; SNG Cop 651; BMC Ptolemies p. 94, 78; Malter 242; Weiser -; Noeske -, EF, areas of weak strike, obverse edge beveled, edge crack, weight 36.82 g, maximum diameter 43.0 mm, Kyrene (near Shahhat, Libya) mint, c. 150 B.C.; obverse diademed and horned head of Zeus Ammon right, taenia with basileion above forehead; reverse BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY EYEPΓETOY, eagle standing right on thunderbolt, head right, wings open, Φ right; ex Leu Numismatik web auction 10 (7 Dec 2019), lot 618; rare; $700.00 (€574.00)
Nero and Poppaea, 13 October 54 - 9 June 68 A.D., Roman Provincial Egypt
RPC Online I notes, "The date does look like L IB, but the coin is very battered." and "Confirmation required. Poppaea died in AD 65, so it seems unlikely that coins should have been made for her in year 12." This is the Dattari Collection plate coin and Dattari identified it as year 12. In Alexandria, Nero's year 12 began on 29 August 65 A.D. According to Suetonius, one day in the summer of 65, Poppaea quarreled fiercely with Nero over his spending too much time at the races. She was pregnant with her second child. In a fit of rage, Nero kicked her in the abdomen, killing her. This coin suggests her death was likely on or after the 19th of August. It would have taken 9 days or more for the news of her death to reach Alexandria. This coin may have been a trial strike or perhaps one of very few struck during the first days of the new year.RX93590. Billon tetradrachm, Dattari-Savio pl. 7, 199 (this coin!); RPC Online I 5289A (this coin!, the only spec.), aVF, brown tone, corrosion, scratches, rough, weight 7.834 g, maximum diameter 23.3 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, c. 29 Aug 65 A.D.; obverse NEPΩ KΛAV KAIΣ ΣEB ΓEP AYTO, radiate bust of Nero right; reverse ΠOΠΠAIA ΣEBAΣTH, draped bust of Poppaea right, L IB (year 12) lower right; from the Kreuzer Collection, ex Naville Numismatics auction 51 (21 Jul 2019), lot 301; ex Dattari Collection; this is the only known example of this type dated year 12!; unique!?; $540.00 (€442.80)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX Soter II, 116 - 110 B.C. and 109 - 107 B.C.
The reattribution from Ptolemy V to Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX is based on a hoard found in Egypt and the contents of an Egyptian shipwreck that contained these coins mixed with tetradrachms attributed with certainty to Ptolemy IX and Cleopatra III. The ΣΩ in the left field probably refers to the epithet of Ptolemy IX Soter II.GP95822. Bronze obol, Svoronos 1191, Weiser 114, SNG Cop 534, Noeske 187, Cohen DCA 35, VF, highlighting earthen deposits, tight flan cutting off right side of reverse legend, old scratch, obverse edge beveled, central depressions, weight 8.199 g, maximum diameter 21.7 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, series 8, 115 - 114 B.C.; obverse bearded head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, K behind; reverse ΠToΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, head left, wings closed, Ω over Σ in left field, LΓ (year 3) in right field; rare; $200.00 (€164.00)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphos, 285 - 246 B.C.
Most finds of this type are from Bulgaria, suggesting a mint in Thrace. This type is found both with and without central depressions, indicating it was struck both before and after the coinage reform of 265 B.C., after which central depressions (dimples) became a feature of Ptolemaic coinage. This example is pre-reform. GP86417. Bronze AE 17, Svoronos 351, SNG Cop 100, Lorber CPE B310 var. (post reform), SNG Milan -, Weiser -, Noeske -, BMC Ptolemies -, Malter -, aVF, obv. die break from nose to edge, rev. well centered on a tight flan, bumps, marks, corrosion, without central cavities, weight 5.472 g, maximum diameter 17.4 mm, die axis 270o, uncertain (Thracian?) mint, pre-reform, 285 - 265 B.C.; obverse veiled and diademed bust of Arsinoe II right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (King Ptolemy), eagle standing left on fulmen (thunderbolt), head left, wings open, ∆I over
(AX monogram) left; see CNG e-auction 92 (23 Jun 2004), lot 64, for another specimen with the same obverse die break; rare; $140.00 (€114.80) Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphos, 285 - 246 B.C.
This post-reform tetrobol type is not identified as rare in references but the type is seldom offered.GP97579. Bronze tetrobol, Lorber CPE B275, Svoronos 505 (8 spec.), Weiser 28, SNG Milan 552, BMC Ptolemies -, SNG Cop -, Hosking -, Noeske -, Malter -, VF, nice dark green patina, thick tight flan, porosity, obverse edge beveled, central depressions, weight 45.469 g, maximum diameter 33.0 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, c. 260 - 246 B.C.; obverse horned head of Zeus Ammon right, wearing taenia; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagles standing left on a thunderbolt, wings open, head left, Y/T monogram between legs; from a New England collector, Coin Archives records only one sale of this type in the past two decades; very rare; $140.00 (€114.80)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy IX - Ptolemy XII, 99 - 58 B.C.
The Paphos II finds were excavated at the House of Dionysos in Paphos.GB95763. Bronze dichalkon, Paphos II 383 - 385, otherwise unpublished, F, dark green patina with earthen highlighting, scratches, porosity, edge cracks, beveled obverse edge, sprue remnants, weight 2.044 g, maximum diameter 14.1 mm, die axis 0o, Cyprus, Paphos mint, 88 - 58 B.C.; obverse diademed and horned bust of Zeus Ammon right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ (King Ptolemy), single cornucopia bound with fillet; ; rare; $130.00 (€106.60)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246 - 222 B.C.
Scarce small denomination of the popular Chi-Rho series. This chi rho (XP) monogram was later used for Christ. Ptolemy III Euergetes was the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He promoted the translation of Jewish scriptures into Greek as the Septuagint. Due to a falling out at the Seleucid court, his eldest sister Berenice Phernophorus was murdered along with her infant son. In response, he invaded Syria, occupied Antioch, and even reached Babylon. This war, the Third Syrian War, is cryptically alluded to in Daniel XI 7-9. The Ptolemaic kingdom reached the height of its power during his reign.GP96786. Bronze hemiobol, Lorber CPE B399 (19 spec.), Svoronos 968, SNG Cop 181, SNG Milan -, Weiser -, Noeske -, Malter -, VF, mottled green-red-brown patina, some flatness of strike, broad flan, central depressions, obverse edge beveled, weight 5.290 g, maximum diameter 18.4 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, c. 230 - 222 B.C.; obverse horned and diademed head of Zeus Ammon right, wearing taenia; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on fulmen, head left, wings closed, filleted cornucopia ascending behind from shoulder, chi rho monogram
(control symbol) between legs; ex Naville Numismatics auction 54 (15 Dec 2019), lot 201 (part of); ex Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Collection; scarce; $130.00 (€106.60) CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY - FORVM's PRIOR SALES
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