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NERVA, 96-98 - AE As, Rome (sept.-dec.97)
weight 20,26gr. ; copper Ø 33mm.
obv. Laureate head of Nerva right, surrounded by the legend;
IMP NERVA CAES AVG PM TR P II COS III PP
rev. Libertas, draped, standing left, holding pileus in right hand and short
sceptre, pointing up slightly to right, in left hand, surrounded by the legend;
LIBERTAS PVBLICA
Cohen 118 ; RIC 100 ; BMC 135 ; Sear 3050var.
Minor flan crack. Good portrait.
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NERVA, 96-98 - AE As, Rome (sept.-dec. 97)
weight 11,55gr. ; copper Ø 28,5mm.
obv. Laureate head of Nerva right, surrounded by the legend;
IMP NERVA CAES AVG PM TR P II COS III PP
rev. Libertas, draped, standing left, holding pileus in right hand and short
sceptre, pointing up slightly to right, in left hand, surrounded by the legend;
LIBERTAS PVBLICA
Cohen 119 ; RIC 100 ; BMC 143 ; Sear 3064var.
Attractive dark brown patina. Good portrait.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - AE Sestertius, Rome (113)
weight 26,12gr. ; bronze Ø 32mm.
obv. Laureate head right, drapery on far left shoulder
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI PP
rev. Arabia standing facing, head left, holding branch und bundle of cinnamon sticks,
camel at feet on left, SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S - C in field, ARAB AD QVIS in exergue
cf. Cohen 34; cf. RIC 614 ; cf. Sear 3180 R
Dark patina. Rare.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - AE Sestertius, Rome (116)
weight 24,35gr. ; orichalcum Ø 34mm.
obv. Draped and laureate bust of Trajan right IMP CAES NER
TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P
rev. Trajan, bare-headed, in military dress, seated left on platform on right
with prefect, presenting King Parthamaspates, standing left, to Parthia,
kneeling in front of him REX PARTHIS DATVS, S C in exergue
Trajan′s last military campaign was meant to settle affairs in the East – no small task, even under the best of circumstances. He left Rome in October, 113 and settled in Antioch, which would be his headquarters and winter retreat for the next few years. In 114, Trajan invaded Armenia, annexed it as a Roman province, and killed Parthamasiris who was placed on the Armenian throne by his relative, the king of Parthia, Osroes I. In 115, the Roman emperor overran northern Mesopotamia and annexed it to Rome as well. The Romans then captured the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon, before sailing downriver to the Persian Gulf. However, in that year revolts erupted in Palestine, Syria and northern Mesopotamia, while a major Jewish revolt broke out in Roman territory, severely stretching Roman military resources. Trajan failed to take Hatra, which avoided total Parthian defeat. Parthian forces attacked key Roman positions and Roman garrisons at Seleucia, Nisibis and Edessa were evicted by the local populaces. Trajan subdued the rebels in Mesopotamia, installed the Parthian prince Parthamaspates as a client ruler, and withdrew to Syria. Trajan died in 117, before he could renew the war.
Cohen 328 ; RIC 667 ; BMC 1046 ; Sear 3191 R
Very attractyive coin, struck on wide planchet, with good portrait.
Small flancrack. Rare historical coin.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - AE Sestertius, Rome (104-107)
weight 23,47gr. ; bronze Ø 34mm.
obv. Laureate head of Trajanus, light drapery over left shoulder
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P COS V PP
rev. Abundantia, draped, standing left, holding two corn-ears in right hand
over modius with corn-ears left, and cornucopiae in left hand;
to right, prow of ship SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S - C across field
Cohen 469 ; RIC 492 ; BMC 781 ; Woytek, MIR 323b ; Sear 3195
Very attractive example with brown patina.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - AE Sestertius, Rome (107)
weight 23,95gr. ; orichalcum Ø 32mm.
obv. Laureate head right IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO
AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P
rev. Octastyle temple of Honos on podium of three steps,
cult-statue of the god standing within SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C
This imposing edifice is identified by Hill (op. Cit. pp.9-10) as that of the temple of Honos (part of the twin-temple of Honos and Virtus) situated outside the Porta Capena in Rome′s First Region.
Honos actually means nothing more than honor; it may seem remarkable to us that the Romans erected temples in honor of honor. To the Romans, however, that was nothing peculiar. To understand how Honor got herself a temple, it is necessary to familiarize ourselves with some basics of Roman religion.
Originally, the Romans′ faith was that of a peasant tribe shivering at the incomprehensible acts of growing and dying. Growing of crop and fruitbearing of trees was so mysterious and, at the same time, so essential that the Romans made the individual processes in the farming calendar deities. There was a goddess blossoming, a goddess fruits, a god granary and a goddess growing. Strictly speaking, all those deities had no human form. They were neither man nor woman but something impersonal. A case in point is the cult for Vesta who was responsible for the hearth and who was worshipped in the hearth′s fire.
To conclude any act successfully it was of paramount importance to pray to all protectors involved in that act. If, for example, a priest prayed for a good harvest, he invocated the following gods when sacrificing: first ploughman, second ploughman, rut maker, sower, tillerman, harrower, weeder, hoer, chopper, harvester, granarer, and dispenser. They all had to be revered to ensure a safe harvest.
That concept of deities was fundamentally different to that of the Greeks. A Greek might well have prayed to Zeus for gaining honor, or to Ares, when he had that kind of honor in mind that went hand in hand with a successful military career, or to Athena, when he was more interested in scientific honor. A Roman, in contrast, worshipped honor itself, that honor he was bestowed on based on achievements. That was the reason why Honos was combined with Virtus, that deity which received sacrifices in the context of virtue. Honos and Virtus necessarily were a pair of gods since they were closely linked in every-day life, too. Virtus, hence all abilities and virtues a man (= Lat. vir) could possess, led to Honos, i.e. the honor and reputation such a man deserved.
For that reason M. Claudius Marcellus pledged in 222 B. C. to build a temple in honor of these two deities. When fighting the Gauls, he had performed the biggest accomplishment possible and therefore was granted an extraordinary honor: in a fight man to man he had defeated the leader of hostile Gauls. That truly was a hero′s deed which the Romans honored by allowing Marcellus to personally dedicate the booty he took after the fight, the weapons of the enemy leader, in the temple of Jupiter. In 208, Marcellus intended to thank the gods and honor his vow but – to save expenditures – he tried to dedicate the existing Honos temple to both gods instead. That temple had been built in 234 by Q. Fabius Maximus Verrucosus after his victory over the Ligurians. Marcellus, however, wasn′t lucky. The senate felt that this way out of the vow was all too cheap. Hence, the victorious commander simply added a new cella for Virtus to the old one for Honos. In 205, that temple was inaugurated by his son. Vespasian had the building restored during his reign.
There is some indication that the temple shown on our coin is the very one for Honos. The statue inside the building, the die cutter has moved to the façade to make the identification easier, depicts a man with a drapery around the hips. In the right hand he is holding a scepter, in the left one a cornucopia. Similar depictions on other coins bear the explicit reference to Honos. But does this coin really allow a reconstruction of the temple′s layout?
Coins are no photographs. Roman die cutters had no desire to show a temple down to the tiniest detail. They rather showed what they regarded important. Something important was, for instance, when the temple was dedicated, hence the owner had to be clearly visible. Often, but not always, his depiction was integrated into the façade, sometimes in the shape of a cult statue. In fact, the god of course stayed in the interior of the cella, hidden from sight. It was absolutely of no relevance, however, how many columns a temple had, to the result that there are many depictions are known of one and the same temple differing in such quantifiable details. The building′s decoration with figures and reliefs was only relevant when the die cutter regarded it important in the context of his coin’s message. Because of that we are faced with depictions which show in minute detail the figural decoration of a building, whereas on others that decoration is only indicated by some lines.
Why, then, do we find the temple of the two deities, Honos and Virtus, on this Trajan coin and why is only one of them shown, i.e. Honos and not Virtus? After all, neither Honos nor Virtus ranged among the most important Roman deities. To understand that, we have to look at the inscription of the coin: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI – The senate and the Roman people to the highest prince. Thus, an honor was involved; senate and people of Rome had bestowed the title ″highest prince″ to Trajan. Well, the honor is obvious, like the statues of Honos on the coin′s reverse, but the condition for that honor were the countless achievements of Trajan, his Virtus. And just like Virtus belonged to Honos in the temple, these achievements were the true reason for Trajan′s honor, which the best of all principles, however – and this is the hidden message of this coin –, out of modesty really didn′t want to hear.
Cohen 552 ; RIC 575 ; BMC 857 ; Sear 3209 R
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - GALATIA - TITUS POMPONIUS BASSUS, gouvernor of Cappadocia-Gallatia, 94-100 AD - AE 25
weight 10,10gr. ; bronze Ø 24mm.
obv. Laureate head of Trajan right AVT NEP TPAIANOC KAIΣAP ΣEB
rev. Mên standing left, wearing Phrygian cap and crescent on shoulders,
raising right hand EΠI ΠOM BAΣΣO KOINON ΓAΛΛATIAΣ
Titus Pomponius Bassus was a Roman senator who held a number of imperial appointments. He was suffect consul in the nundinium of September-December 94 as the colleague of Lucius Silius Decianus. He enters history as the legatus or assistant of the proconsular governor of Asia Marcus Ulpius Traianus in 79/80. Although being a proconsular legate was a posting which could result in a number of influential contacts, fifteen years passed until Bassus acceded to the consulate. Around the year 94, either after he stepped down from the consulate, or while holding that magistracy in absentia, Bassus began his term as governor of Cappadocia-Galatia; where most terms as governor are about three years, his was prolonged for six years, standing down in the year 100. Upon returning to Rome, he was appointed curator of the alimenta in Central Italy, and was elected by the council of Ferentinum to be patron of that city. His last mention in history is as an addressee of Pliny the Younger. Pliny wrote Bassus a letter congratulating his retirement from the Senate, looking forward to a life of leisure and self-education after a career holding ″highly distinguished magistracies″ and having ″commanded armies″. This letter probably dates from the year 104 or 105.
BMC 6 ; SNG.von Aulock- ; Sear GIC.1066 R
Highly interesting historical coin. Rare.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - KOINON OF CYPRUS - AE 33 of Trichalkon (112-117 AD)
weight 25,05gr. ; bronze Ø 33mm.
obv. Laurated and draped bust right
AYTOKP KAIC NЄP TRAIANΩ APICTΩ CЄB ΓEPM ΔAK
rev. Zeus Salaminios standing facing, holding eagle-tipped scepter and patera,
around the legend ΔHMAPX ЄΞ YΠATOΣ, KOINON KYΠPIΩN in exergue
With this coin they followed the exact standard of the sestertius, in metal (orichalcum) weight and size. On this coin the cult of Zeus Salaminios is celebrated. This cult goes back to the early times of Teucer, the legendary founder of the city of Salamis. In Greek mythology, Teucer was the son of King Telamon of Salamis island and Hesione, daughter of King Laomedon of Troy. In the Hellenistic period a temple was built, dedicated to Zeus of Salamis. After the earthquakes of 76 and 77 AD, restoration of the city was begun under Vespasian and continued in the following decades. Also the temple of Zeus was rebuilt, even more impressive as it was before.Throughout this period, the city′s ceremonial focus was the sanctuary of Zeus, and the image of Zeus appeared prominently on Roman coins as we can also see on this coin.
The Koinon of Cyprus; In order to maintain some degree of autonomy after control of the island shifted to the Roman Empire, the various cities of Cyprus maintained a collective administrative body that reflected Hellenistic values introduced by the Ptolemaic dynasty at the end of the 4th century. Under the Ptolemies, the cities of Cyprus were allowed a degree of autonomy that was unfamiliar and somewhat unexpected. In order to maintain solidarity throughout the kingdom, the cities formed parliamentary committees with each other. Though the resulting confederation of Cypriot cities does not have an exact date of origin, the term Koinon (meaning ″common″) began to appear on inscriptions around the middle of the 2nd century BC. Little is known about the exact function of the Koinon, though it seems to have been grounded in religion due to its initial associations with religious festivals at the Temple of Aphrodite, which was located at Palaipafos. The large number of people that gathered at the Temple likely realized a need for religious unity amongst all of them; thus, the Koinon was formed to coordinate pancyprian religious festivals. Soon, the meetings of the Koinon began to stray from strictly religious matters and focus more on the social and political aspects of the country, including unifying the various districts and cities in terms of political representation. These assumptions are based on inscriptions on statues and other dedicatory epigraphical evidence around the island that implies that the Koinon had a presence all over Cyprus, as well as the money and influence to affect many different cities. Thus, the purpose of the Koinon shifted from autonomous parliamentary committees during the Hellenistic period to a religiously motivated pancyprian political body. The administrative privileges of the Koinon, by the end of the Roman period, included minting its own coins, participating in political relations with Rome, and bestowing honorary distinctions upon notable individuals. Inscriptions on statues, as previously mentioned, attest to this final function and indicate the fact that the Koinon was most likely a funded organization which received its dues in the form of an annual contribution from each city. The Koinon therefore maintained a great deal of power because it essentially controlled all forms of religion on the entirety of Cyprus. This power is later utilized to deify some of the Roman emperors starting with Augustus and ending with the dynasty of Septimius Severus. Known evidence in the form of inscriptions and dedications indicates with certainty that the emperors Augustus, Caracalla, Titus, Tiberius, Trajan, Vespasian, Claudius, Nero, and Septimius Severus and his succeeding dynasty all formed imperial cults that were represented on Cyprus. These cults were mostly formed by the emperors in an attempt to solidify their right to rule and gain religious support as peers of the Roman pantheon of gods.
BMC 40 ; SNG.Copenhagen 83 ; Forrer 7752 ; SNG.Schweiz II, 1733 ; Sear GIC- RR
Highly interesting and very rare large bronze coin.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - SYRIA, SELEUKIS & PIERIA, ANTIOCHA AD ORONTEM - AR Tetradrachm (110/111 AD)
weight 14,21gr. ; silver Ø 24mm.
Year 15, Consulship 5 (= 110/111 AD)
obv. Laureate head of Trajan, right; below, eagle standing right,
wings folded, club in field below head
AYTOKP KAIC NEP TRAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK
rev. Laureate bust of Melqart-Herakles right, lion-skin around neck,
knotted in front ΔHMAPX EΞ IЄ YΠAT Є
McAlee 460 ; RPC.III.3539 ; Prieur 1515 (Tyre) ; Wruck 159
BMC Phoenicia p. 301, 15 ; cf. Butcher p. 91, 2
Minor weakness and some light scratches.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - SYRIA, SELEUKIS & PIERIA, ANTIOCHIA AD ORONTEM - AR Tetradrachm (112 AD)
weight 13,99gr. ; silver Ø 25mm.
Consulship 6 (= 112 AD)
obv. Laureate head of Trajan, right; below, eagle standing right,
wings folded, club in field below head
AYTOKP KAIC NEP TRAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ΔAK
rev. Laureate bust of Melqart-Herakles right, lion-skin around neck,
knotted in front ΔHMAPX EΞ IϚ YΠAT Ϛ
cf. Metcalf 54a/b ; cf. Sydenham 164-165 ; McAlee 461 ;
RPC.III.3542 ; Prieur 1516 (Tyre) ; Wruck 162 ;
BMC Phoenicia p. 301, 16 ; cf. Butcher p. 91, 2
Minor weakness.
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TRAJANUS (TRAJAN), 98-117 - ARABIA PETRAEA - AR Drachm (112-114 AD), Bostra
weight 3,32gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Laureate bust of Trajan to right, with slight drapery on his left shoulder
AYTOKP KAIC NEP TRAIAN CЄB ΓЄΡΜ ΔΑΚ
rev. Arabia standing left holding branch and bundle of cinnamon sticks;
at feet, camel ΔHMAPX ЄΞ YΠAT S
The history of Bostra (or Bosra) goes far back in time. The settlement was first mentioned in the documents of Thutmose III and Akhenaten (14th century BC). Bosra was the first Nabatean city in the 2nd century BC. The Nabatean Kingdom was conquered by Cornelius Palma, a general of Trajan, in 106 AD. Bosra was renamed Nova Trajana Bostra and was the residence of the legio III Cyrenaica. It was made capital of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. The city flourished and became a major metropolis at the juncture of several trade routes, namely the Via Traiana Nova, a Roman road that connected Damascus to the Red Sea. It became an important center for food production. Soon after the Roman occupation. Bosra began to mint its own coins. The two Councils of Arabia were held at Bosra in 246 and 247 AD.
By the Byzantine period which began in the 5th-century, Christianity became the dominant religion in Bosra. The city became a Metropolitan archbishop′s seat and a large cathedral was built in the sixth century. Bosra was conquered by the Sasanian Persians in the early seventh century, but was recaptured during a Byzantine reconquest. Bosra played an important part in the early life of Muhammad, as described in the entry for the Christian monk Bahira. The forces of the Rashidun Caliphate under general Khalid ibn Walid captured the city from the Byzantines in the Battle of Bosra in 634. A golden age of political and architectural activity in Bosra began during the reign of Ayyubid sultan al-Adil I (1196–1218). One of the first architectural developments in the city was the construction of eight large external towers in the Roman theater-turned-fortress. The project began in 1202 and were completed in 1253, towards the end of the Ayyubid period. The two northern corner towers alone occupied more space than the remaining six. After al-Adil′s death in 1218, his son as-Salih Ismail inherited the fief of Bosra who resided in its newly fortified citadel. During Ismail′s rule, Bosra gained political prominence. Ismail used the city as his base when he claimed the sultanate in Damascus on two separate occasions, reigning between 1237–38 and 1239–45.
In 1596 Bosra appeared in the Ottoman tax registers as Nafs Busra, being part of the nahiyah of Bani Nasiyya in the Qada of Hauran. It had a Muslim population consisting of 75 households and 27 bachelors, and a Christian population of 15 households and 8 bachelors. Taxes were paid on wheat, barley, summer crops, fruit- or other trees, goats and/or beehives and water mill. Today, Bosra is town in southern Syria with a major archaeological site, containing ruins from Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim times, its main feature being the well preserved Roman theatre. Every year there is a national music festival hosted in the main theatre.
ANSMN.20 (1975), 14-17 ; RPC III 4073-5 ; SNG.ANS.1153-1155
For the issue a very attractive example.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 - AR Denarius, Rome (133-135)
weight 3,02gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Draped bust of Hadrianus, bare, right,
surrounded by the legend; HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP
rev. Hadrianus in toga standing right, holding scroll,
clasping hands with Felicitas standing left holding caduceus,
surrounded by the legend; FELICITAS AVG
This variety with draped bust and bare head is very rare.
Cohen 632var. ; cf. RIC 237 ; BMC 613-617var. ;
Sear 3488var. ; RIC vol.III, part.3, 1998 (R2) RR
Attractive toning.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 - AE Sestertius, Rome (124-125)
weight 28,01gr. ; silver Ø 32mm.
obv. Laureate bust right, light drapery on far shoulder,
surrounded by the legend; HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS
rev. Diana standing right, holding arrow and bow,
surrounded by the legend; COS III, S C across fields
Cohen 316 ; RIC 631b ; BMC 1281-1285 ; Sear 3583 ;
RIC Volume III, part 3, 738
Attractive dark green-brown patina.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 - AE As, Rome (126-127)
weight 11,61gr. ; bronze Ø 26mm.
obv.Cuirassed bust, with bare head, of Hadrianus right,
surrounded by the legend; HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS
rev. Salus standing right, holding snake and feeding it from patera,
surrounded by the legend; COS I I I, S - C across fields
Cohen- (cf. 369) ; RIC- (cf. 669) ; BMC- (cf. 1341) ; Sear - (cf. 3681) ;
RIC vol.II, part 3, no.884 (R2) RR
Attractive dark green patina. Very rare.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN),117-138 - AE Sestertius, Rome (August - December 117)
weight 25,06gr. ; orichalcum Ø 33mm.
obv. Bust of Hadrian, laureate, cuirassed, right,
viewed from front, surrounded by the legend;
IMP CAES DIVI TRAIAN AVG F TRAIAN HADRIAN OPT AVG GER
rev. Fortuna seated left, holding rudder and cornucopia,
surrounded by the legend; DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS P P,
FORT RED in exergue, S - C across fields
This sestertius belong to the first series of coins that were
minted after Hadrian′s appointment as emperor. Very rare.
Cohen 740 ; RIC 536 ; Sear- ; BMC 1105 ;
RIC vol.III, part 3, 39 (R2) RR
Very minor traces of oxidation.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 - AR Denarius, Rome (118)
weight 3,30gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Laureate bust of Hadrianus right, light drapery on left shoulder,
surrounded by the legend; IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG
rev. Justitia seated left on throne, holding patera and sceptre,
surrounded by the legend; P M TR P COS II, IVSTITIA in exergue
Cohen 877 ; RIC 42 ; BMC 74 ; Sear - (cf. 3501) ;
RIC vol.III, part.3, 117
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN),117-138 - AE Sestertius, Rome (119-121)
weight 24,35gr. ; bronze Ø 31mm.
obv.Laureate and draped bust right
IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG P M TR P COS III
rev. Hadrian, togate, seated left on platform, on right, extending right hand;
behind, an officer standing left; in front, on his right, an attendant holding up tessera;
at foot of platform, citizen standing right, holding out fold of toga in both hands
LIBERALITAS AVG III S • C
Cohen 930 ; RIC 582c ; BMC 1189 ; Sear- R
Minor flan crack. Very interesting and rare type.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN),117-138 - AR Denarius, Rome (119-122)
weight 3,28gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Bust of Hadrian, laureate, draped on left shoulder, right
IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG
rev. Salus seated left, feeding serpent, who is wrapped round an altar,
out of patera with right hand P M TR P COS III, SALVS AVG in exergue
Cohen 1353 ; RIC 139b ; BMC 320 ; Sear-
Wonderful coin with excellent details. Near mintstate.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 - CILICIA, SELEUCIA AD CALYCADNUM - AE 28, year 20 (137-138 AD)
weight 14,63gr. ; bronze Ø 28mm.
obv. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Hadrianus right,
with paludamentum, seen from rear, surrounded by the legend;
ΤΟ Κ ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟⳞ ⳞΕΒ Π Π
rev. Heracles, wearing short chiton, standing, facing, head left,
resting on club and lion′s skin, surrounded by the legend;
ⳞΕΛΕΥΚΕΩΝ ΤΩ ΠΡ ΚΑΛΥ ΤΗⳞ ΙΕΡ, ΚΑΙ ΑⳞ ΑΥΤ in field to right
Seleucia on the Calycadnus (modern-day Silifke, Turkey) was founded by Seleucus I Nicator in the early 3rd century BC, one of several cities he named after himself. It is probable that there were already towns called Olbia (or Olba) and Hyria and that Seleucus I merely united them giving them his name. The city grew to include the nearby settlement of Holmi (in modern-day Taşucu) which had been established earlier as an Ionian colony but being on the coast was vulnerable to raiders and pirates. The new city up river was doubtless seen as safer against attacks from the sea so Seleucia achieved considerable commercial prosperity as a port for this corner of Cilicia (later named Isauria), and was even a rival of Tarsus.
Cilicia thrived as a province of the Romans, and Seleucia became a religious center with a renowned 2nd century Temple of Jupiter. It was also the site of a noted school of philosophy and literature, the birthplace of peripatetics Athenaeus and Xenarchus. The stone bridge was built by the governor L.Octavius Memor in 77 AD. Around 300 AD Isauria was established as an independent state with Seleucia as the capital. In the 11th century, the city was captured by the Seljuk Turks; they met with resistance and in 1137, Seleucia was besieged by Leon of Cilician Armenia. During this period of struggle between Armenians, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Turks, a stronghold was built on the heights overlooking the city. On June 10, 1190, the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was drowned trying to cross the Calycadnus, near Seleucia during the Third Crusade. In the 13th century Seleucia was in the possession of the Hospitallers, who lost it to the Karamanid Principality in the second half of the 13th century, and then it ended up in the hands of the Ottomans under general Gedik Ahmet Pasha in 1471.
BMC - ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock- ;
Ziegler- ; SNG.Paris 968 ; SNG.Schweiz (Levante) - ;
Mionnet vol.VII suppl., no.332 (page 241) ;
RPC.III.3233 (8 specimens listed) ; Sear GIC.- RR
Dark patina. Very rare.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 - SYRIA, CHALCIDICE, CHALCIS AD BELUM- AE 22, year 25 (117 AD)
weight 12,68gr. ; bronze Ø 22mm.
obv. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Hadrianus right,
with paludamentum, surrounded by the legend;
ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ Θ ΤΡΑ ΥΙ Θ ΝΕΡ ΥΙ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ
rev. ΦΛ ΧΑΛ / ΚΙΔΕⲰΝ / Κ Є within laurel-wreath
Dated year 25 (117 AD) according to the Era of Chalcis.
According to Appian, Chalcis (modern-today Qinnasrin, Syria) was founded by Seleucus I Nicator (305-281 BC), and named after Chalcis in Euboea. Chalcis was distinguished from Chalcis sub Libanum by its river, the ancient Belus. The river, but not the city, was named for the Semitic god Bel or Ba′al. In 92 AD, Chalcis received the title ″Flavia″, in honor of Emperor Domitian, to be known as ″Flavia of the Chalcidonese″. The city was a Christian bishopric from an early stage, at first a suffragan of Seleucia Pieria. In Late Antiquity, it belonged to the province of Syria Prima. Its importance was due to its strategic location, both as a caravan stop and as part of the frontier zone (limes) with the desert. In 540, the Sassanid shah Khusro I appeared before the city and extracted 200 pounds of gold as ransom in return for sparing the city. This prompted the Emperor Justinian I to order its fortifications rebuilt, a work undertaken by Isidore the Younger (a nephew of Isidore of Miletus) in circa 550. The Sassanids occupied the city in 608/9, during the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628, and kept it until the war′s end. Barely ten years later, in 636/7, it fell to the Arabs after a brief resistance. During the second half of the 10th century, the city became a frequent conflict zone between the Byzantines and Hamdanids during the latter stages of the Arab–Byzantine wars. In 963 the inhabitants were evacuated, though they returned afterward. The city was destroyed by the Byzantines in 998. It was rebuilt, but once more sacked by the Byzantines in 1030. It remained as a barely populated, but strategic town during the Crusader period.
BMC page 148, 7var. ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; CRS 437/16 var.
RPC.III.3473 (7 specimens listed) ; Sear GIC- (cf. 1236) RR
Dark patina. Very rare.
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN),117-138 - EGYPTE, ALEXANDRIA - BI Tetradrachm, jr.15 (130-131)
weight 12,12gr. ; bronze 25mm.
obv. Laureate head right AVT KAI TPAI AΔPIA CEB
rev. Hadrianus in toga standing left holding sceptre, receiving ears of corn from
Alexandria, who stands right facing him, holding vexillum, L - IE across field
This type commemorates Hadrian′s visit to Egypt,
during the course of which Antinoüs was drowned in the Nile.
Dattari 1267 ; Milne 1294 ; Cologne 1026-1028 ; RPC.III, 5768/95 ;
Emmett 845 ; Staffieri In Nummis 60 ; BMC 669
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HADRIANUS (HADRIAN), 117-138 & SABINA - CILICIA, EPIPHANEIA - AE 29, year 205 (137-138 AD)
weight 13,27gr. ; bronze Ø 29mm.
obv. Laureate and draped bust of Hadrianus right, surrounded by the legend;
ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒΑϹΤΟϹ
rev. Draped bust of Sabina right, wearing stephane, surrounded by the legend;
ϹΑΒΕΙΝΑ ϹΕΒΑϹΤΗ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΕⲰΝ, ΕⳞ (upside down) in lower right field
Countermark ″bearded head right″ on the obverse (Howgego 104).
Epiphaneia was a city in Cilicia Secunda (Cilicia Trachea), in Anatolia. The city was originally called Oeniandos or Oiniandos, and was located in the area of the northern tip of the Gulf of Iskenderun on the route from Missis to Antioch. In the 2nd century BC the city was renamed Epiphania, in honour of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, King of Syria from 175 BC to 164 BC. The city is mentioned in the writings of Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder. Cicero stayed there briefly during his exile. In 66 BC the Roman general Pompey led a campaign against the Mediterranean pirates. After the surrender of the pirates, they were dispersed and many were settled at Epiphaneia. According to Gibbon, Saint George was born here, in a fuller′s shop, in the late 4th century. Saint Amphion was the earliest known bishop of Epiphaneia in 325, as a suffragan of the Bishop of Anazarbus. He attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325, and later suffered under the persecutions of Diocletian.
BMC page 76, no.1 ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock- ;
Ziegler- ; SNG.Paris- ; SNG.Schweiz (Levante) 1816 ;
RPC.III.3394 (8 specimens listed) ; Sear GIC.1238 RR
Usual strike with weaknesses. Very rare.
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SABINA, wife of Hadrian (117-138) - AR Denarius, Rome (133-135)
weight 3,24gr. ; silver Ø 17mm.
obv. Diademed and draped bust of Sabina right;
hair is knotted in back and falls in waves down neck,
hair also piled on top, above diadem, surrounded by the legend;
SABINA AVGVSTA
rev. Concordia seated left, holding patera and sceptre; below seat, cornucopia,
surrounded by the legend; CONCORDIA AVG
Cohen 24 ; RIC 391 ; BMC 932 ; Sear 3919var. ;
RIC vol.III, part 3, 2548
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SABINA, wife of Hadrian (117-138) - AR Denarius, Rome (133-135)
weight 3,26gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Diademed and draped bust of Sabina right;
hair is knotted in back and falls in waves down neck,
hair also piled on top, above diadem, surrounded by the legend;
SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI AVG P P
rev. Vesta seated left, holding palladium and sceptre,
surrounded by the legend; VESTA
Cohen 81 ; RIC 410 ; BMC 915 ; Sear 3925
RIC vol.III, part 3, 2545
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AELIUS AS CAESAR, 136-138 - AE Sestertius, Rome (137)
weight 26,51gr. ; bronze Ø 31mm.
obv. Bust of Lucius Aelius Caesar, bare, right
L AELIVS CAESAR
rev. Concordia, draped, seated left, holding patera in right hand
and resting left arm on cornucopiae set on base
TR POT COS II, S - C in field, CONCORD in exergue
″He was a man of joyous life and well versed in letters. In the palace his stay was but a short one but he was considerate of his family, well-dressed, elegant in appearance, a man of regal beauty, with a countenance that commanded respect, a speaker of unusual eloquence, deft at writing verse, and, moreover, not altogether a failure in public life.″ – Historia Augusta
Aelius was born on 13 Januari 101 with the name Lucius Ceionius Commodus. His father, also named Lucius Ceionius Commodus (the author of the Augustan History adds the cognomen Verus), was consul in 106, and his paternal grandfather, also of the same name, was consul in 78. His paternal ancestors were from Etruria, and were of consular rank. His mother was a surmised but otherwise undocumented Roman woman named Ignota Plautia. The Augustan History states that his maternal grandfather and his maternal ancestors were of consular rank. Before 130, the younger Lucius Commodus married Avidia Plautia. Four children were born, among which Lucius Ceionius Commodus the younger, which we know as the later emperor Lucius Verus. For a long time, the emperor Hadrian had considered his brother-in-law Lucius Julius Ursus Servianus as his unofficial successor. As Hadrian′s reign drew to a close, however, he changed his mind. Although the emperor certainly thought Servianus capable of ruling as an emperor after Hadrian′s own death, Servianus, by now in his nineties, was clearly too old for the position. Hadrian′s attentions turned to Servianus′ grandson, Gnaeus Pedanius Fuscus Salinator II. Hadrian promoted the young Salinator, his great-nephew, gave him special status in his court, and groomed him as his heir. However, in late 136, Hadrian almost died from a haemorrhage. Convalescent in his villa at Tivoli, he decided to change his mind, and selected Lucius Ceionius Commodus as his new successor, adopting him as his son. Although Lucius had no military experience, he had served as a senator, and had powerful political connections; however, he was in poor health. As part of his adoption, Lucius Ceionius Commodus took the name Lucius Aelius Caesar. After a year′s stationing on the Danube frontier, Aelius returned to Rome to make an address to the senate on the first day of 138. The night before the speech, however, he grew ill, and died of a haemorrhage late the next day. The prevailing modern view is that Aelius had, in fact, been suffering from Tuberculosis, one of the most dominant diseases in the ancient world and one that affected members of all classes. Hadrian put forward a remarkable new plan for the future of his dynasty, nominating not only his new successor on 24 Januari 138 – a mild-mannered senator named Aurelius Antoninus (Antoninus Pius) – but also the two after that (Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus), who he demanded should rule concordantly, a first in the Imperial age.
Cohen 7 ; RIC 1057 ; BMC 1918
(cf. Numismatica Genevensis SA, auction 7, lot 365 in xf ; CHF 28.000 + 17,5%)
Spectacular coin with excellent portrait of Lucius Aelius
and with attractive dark patina. Among the finest known. Very rare.
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ANTONINUS PIUS, 138-161 - AE Sestertius, Rome (139)
weight 25,78gr. ; bronze Ø 32mm.
obv. Laureate head of Antoninus right ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP
rev. Mauretania standing left, holding crown and spear
MAVRETANIA COS II S C
This sestertius, minted at the beginning of the rule of Antoninus Pius, in 139 AD, depicts on the obverse the head of the emperor, and on the reverse the personification of the province of Mauretania. The inscription refers to the emperor as Antoninus, Augustus, Pius, pater patriae (father of the fatherland), and consul for the second time. The emperor assumed the consulate for the second time in the same year, 139-140 AD. The inscription on the reverse refers to the remission of the aurum coronarium, or “gold for crowns,” for the province of Mauretania. Besides, on the reverse, the initials SC, which stand for senatus consultum, which already appears during the reign of Augustus, indicate that the senate had given its assent to the minting of bronze coins whose value was less than the nominal one. The aurum coronarium was initially a way for certain communities or cities to offer a gift to the emperor, as a way of expressing their loyalty. It had been customary from the second century BC onwards, but in the late Republic the practice had begun to be abused, with Julius Caesar in 59 BC enacting a law which decreed that the aurum coronarium could not be exacted if a formal triumph had not been authorised by the Senate. The issue was still problematic during the rule of Augustus.In the early empire, the “gold for crowns” became “institutionalised as a tax,” which each city was obliged to pay when the new emperor was enthroned, or on the occasions of anniversaries, adoption, and visits; the ideology behind it, however, endured, with the monies given to the emperor considered to be “voluntary” rather than forcibly enacted. As Clifford Ando has noted, “the cities of the empire were not required simply to pay the emperor and then thank him for that privilege,” as the form of the aurum coronarium benefitted the community from which it came too; the giving of the gift included a speech, which praised the emperor for the benefits that his rule bestowed, but which also publicly requested for his support in anything that they might seek, masking Rome′s official power to tax with a public declaration of consensus that demonstrated the favour with which they might expect the emperor to respond to future requests (Ando, Imperial Ideology and Provincial Loyalty, p. 176). Antoninus Pius, an emperor attentive to abuses, decreed to remit the aurum coronarium on the occasion of his adoption, with coinage such as this issued in reference to the event (this was quite unusual, as the remit usually occurred in celebration of succession, see Historia Augusta, Life of Antoninus Pius IV.10). Various coins depicting the personification of a province were minted, including Africa, Asia, Cappadocia, Dacia, Hispania, Mauretania, Phoenicia, Scythia, Sicilia, Syria, and Thracia, as well as the city of Alexandria. Besides, two issues naming Armenia and Parthia were also minted. These emissions, therefore, celebrate the relationship between the emperor and the particular provinces, as well as an imperial gesture of generosity, namely the remission of a heavy and unwelcome tax.
Cohen 551 ; RIC 583 (R2) ; BMC 1190 ; Sear 4194 RR
Some light scratches. Interesting historical coin. Very rare.
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ANTONINUS PIUS, 138-161 - AV Aureus, Rome (151-152)
weight 7,16gr. ; gold Ø 20mm.
obv. Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right
IMP CAES T AEL HADR ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P
rev. Pax, draped, standing left, holding branch extended in right hand
and vertical sceptre in left, PAX below , around TR POT XIIII COS IIII
Cohen 579 ; RIC 200a ; BMC 726-727 ;
Calicó 1588 (this coin) ; Sear- (cf. 4014)
Small flan crack. Wonderful lustrous coin with excellent details.
Near mintstate. Very rare in this outstanding quality.
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ANTONINUS PIUS, 138-161 - AE Sestertius, Rome (juli - oktober 138)
weight 23,14gr. ; bronze Ø 31mm.
obv. Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right
IMP T AELIVS CAESAR ANTONINVS
rev. Veiled and diademed Pietas standing right next to altar,
raising right hand and holding box of incense in left
TRIB POT COS , S - C in field, PIETAS in exergue
Minted in the first months of his reign, when he was not yet accepted by the Senat, for which reason Antoninus choose not to use the title of Augustus but that of Caesar.
Cohen 600 ; RIC 1082 ; BMC 1950 ; Sear- R
Wonderful coin with powerful details and dark patina. Rare.
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ANTONINUS PIUS, 138-161 - AE Sestertius, Rome (158-159)
weight 26,44gr. ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Laureate head right ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P XXII
rev. Octastyle temple of Divus Augustus, containing cult-statues of Augustus
and Livia TEMPL DIVI AVG REST COS IIII S C
The Temple of Divus Augustus was a major temple originally built to commemorate the deified first Roman emperor, Augustus. It was built between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, behind the Basilica Julia, on the site of the house that Augustus had inhabited before he entered public life in the mid-1st century BC. The temple′s construction took place during the 1st century AD, having been vowed by the Roman Senate shortly after the death of the emperor in AD 14. It is known from Roman coinage that the temple was originally built to an Ionic hexastyle design. However, its size, physical proportions and exact site are unknown. During the reign of Domitian the Temple of Divus Augustus was destroyed by fire but was rebuilt and rededicated in 89/90 with a shrine to his favourite deity, Minerva. The temple was redesigned as a memorial to four deified emperors, including Vespasian and Titus. It was restored again in the mid 150s by Antonius Pius, and that was the reason for this coinage. The last known reference to the temple was on 27 May 218; at some point thereafter it was completely destroyed and its stones were presumably quarried for later buildings. Its remains are not visible and the area in which it lay has never been excavated.
Cohen- (cf. 805) ; RIC 1003A ; Sear 4235var. R
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ANTONINUS PIUS, 138-161 - TRACIA - AE 30, Philippolis
weight 18,67 ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Laureate head of Antoninus right
AVT AI AΔPIA ANTΩNEINOC
rev. Homonoia standing, facing, head left, holding patera and cornucopia
ΗΓΕ ΓΑΡΓΙΛΙ ΑΝΤΙΚΟΥ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙ
The earliest signs of habitation on the territory of Philippopolis date as far back as the 6th millennium BC when the first settlements were established. In 516 BC during the rule of Darius the Great, Thrace was included in the Persian empire. In 492 BC the Persian general Mardonius subjected Thrace again, and it became nominally a vassal of Persia until 479 BC and the early rule of Xerxes I. The town was included in the Odrysian kingdom (460 BC-46 AD), a Thracian tribal union. In 46 AD the city was finally incorporated into the Roman Empire by emperor Claudius. It gained city status (municipium) in the late 1st century. Although it was not the capital of the Province of Thrace at this time, the city was the largest and most important centre in the province. It was the seat of the Union of Thracians and the Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis), the most important military road in the Balkans, passed through the city. Roman times were a period of growth and cultural excellence. and the ancient ruins tell a story of a vibrant, growing city with numerous public buildings, shrines, baths, theatres, a stadium. The large scale of public construction during the Flavian Dynasty (69-96 AD) led to the city being named Flavia Philippopolis. It became the provincial capital of Thrace in the early 3rd century. In about 250 the Battle of Philippopolis involved a long siege by the Goths led by their ruler Cniva and after betrayal by a disgruntled citizen who showed them where to scale the walls, the city was burned and 100.000 of its citizens died or were taken captive according to Ammianus Marcellinus. It prospered again in the 4th century like many cities in the region. However, it was destroyed again by Attila′s Huns in 441-442 and by the Goths of Teodoric Strabo in 471.
BMC- (cf. 7; with altar); SNG.Copenhagen- ; Lindgen collection- ;
Varbanov- (cf. 671) ; Mouchmov, Philippopolis- (cf. 45) ;
Weber collection- ; RPC.IV.- (cf. 7421 ; with altar) RRRR
Very attractive coin of good style and with a brown patina.
Extremely rare.
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ANTONINUS PIUS, 138-161 - LYCAONIA, ICONIUM - AE 19
weight 3,71gr. ; bronze Ø 19mm.
obv. Laureate bust of Antoninus Pius wearing cuirass
and paludamentum right ANTONINVS AVG PIVS
rev. Helmeted head of Athena right COL ICO
In Roman times Iconium was a city on borders of Phrygia and Lycaonia. It was included in the Roman province Galatia in 25 BC. Excavations have shown that the region was inhabited during the Late Copper Age, around 3000 BC. The city came under the influence of the Hittites around 1500 BC. These were overtaken by the Sea Peoples around 1200 BC. The Phrygians established their kingdom in central Anatolia in the 8th century BC. Xenophon describes Iconium, as the city was called, as the last city of Phrygia. The region was overwhelmed by Cimmerian invaders circa 690 BC. It was later part of the Persian Empire, until Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. Alexander′s empire broke up shortly after his death and the town came under the rule of Seleucus I Nicator. During the Hellenistic period the town was ruled by the kings of Pergamon. As Attalus III, the last king of Pergamon, was about to die without an heir, he bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. Under the rule of emperor Claudius, the city′s name was changed to Claudioconium, and during the rule of emperor Hadrianus to Colonia Aelia Hadriana. Saint Paul and Barnabas preached in Iconium during the First Missionary Journey in about 47-48 AD (see Acts 14:1-5 and Acts 14:21), and Paul and Silas probably visited it again during the Second Missionary Journey in about 50 (see Acts 16:2). In Christian legend, it was also the birthplace of Saint Thecla. During the Byzantine Empire the town was destroyed several times by Arab invaders in the 7th-9th centuries.
BMC 7 ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock 8648 ;
RPC IV online 7259 (temporary) ; SNG.Pfälzer 575 ;
SNG.Paris- ; Sear GIC.1473
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FAUSTINA THE ELDER, wife of Antoninus Pius (138-161) - AV Aureus, Rome (146)
weight 7,24gr. ; gold Ø 19mm.
obv. Bust of Faustina I, draped, right, hair elaborately waved in several
loops round head and drawn up and coiled on top DIVA FAVSTINA
rev. Fortuna, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended
right hand and vertical rudder, set on globe, in left AETERNITAS
Cohen 4 ; RIC 349b ; BMC 285 ; Calicó 1746 ; Sear 4548 R
Beautiful lustrous coin. Near mintstate. Rare.
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FAUSTINA THE ELDER, wife of Antoninus Pius (138-161) - AR Denarius, Rome (147-161)
weight 3,72gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Draped bust of Faustina right, hair elaborately waved and
coiled in bands across head and drawn up at back and piled in
a round coil on top, surrounded by the legend; DIVA FAVSTINA
rev. Ceres, in wreath of corn-ears, draped, standing, left, holding
two corn-ears downwards in right hand and long torch, vertical, in left,
surrounded by the legend; AVGVSTA
Cohen 78; RIC 360 ; BMC 408 ; Sear 4582
Beautiful coin with attractive light toning. Near mint state.
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FAUSTINA THE ELDER, wife of Antoninus Pius (138-161) - AE Sestertius, Rome (147-161)
weight 21,68gr. ; bronze Ø 32mm.
obv. Bust of Faustina I, draped, right, hair elaborately waved and
coiled in bands across head and drawn up at back and piled in a
round coil on top DIVA FAVSTINA
rev. Juno, diademed, veiled, standing left, holding patera and sceptre
IVNO, S - C in field
Cohen 210; RIC 1143 ; BMC 1531 ; Sear 4629
Very minor roughness. Attractive glossy dark green patina.
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FAUSTINA THE ELDER, wife of Antoninus Pius (138-161) - AE Sestertius, Rome (141)
weight 26,40gr. ; bronze Ø 33mm.
obv. Bust of Faustina I, draped, right, hair elaborately waved and
coiled in bands across head and drawn up at back and piled in a
round coil on top DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA
rev. Pietas, veiled, draped, standing, left, dropping incense out of right
hand over lighted candelabrum-altar, left and holding box in left hand
PIETAS AVG, S - C in field
cf. Cohen 240; RIC 1146A ; BMC 1442 ; Sear 4631
small faln crack
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MARCUS AURELIUS, 161-180 - AE Dupondius, Rome (177)
weight 11,92gr. ; bronze Ø 23mm.
obv. Radiated head right M ANTONINVS AVG GERM SARM TR P XXXI
rev. Two captives seated back to back at foot of trophy IMP VIII COS III PP S C,
DE SARM in exergue
This coin refers to the defeat of the Sarmatians (the lazyges) in 175 AD, who lived in the plain of the river Tisza. A treaty was signed. According to its terms, the Iazyges King Zanticus delivered 100.000 Roman prisoners and, in addition, provided 8,000 auxiliary cavalrymen, most of whom (5.500) were sent to Britain. Upon this, Marcus assumed the victory title "Sarmaticus".
Cohen 170 ; RIC 1188 ; BMC 1614 ; MIR 372a ; Sear 5025
Very attractive historical coin with good portrait and dark patina.
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MARCUS AURELIUS, 161-180 - AR Denarius, Rome (168)
weight 3,30gr. ; silver Ø 19mm.
obv.Laureate head of Marcus Aurelius right, surrounded by the legend;
M ANTONINVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX
rev. Fortuna, draped, seated left on low seat, holding rudder set on ground
in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand, surrounded by the legend;
FORT RED TR P XXII IMP V, COS III in exergue
Marcus modestly refused the title Armeniacus when it was given to Lucius Verus
at the end of AD 163, instead waiting until the following year to accept it.
Cohen 208 ; RIC 185 ; BMC 459 ; MIR 170 ; Sear-
Wonderful lustrous coin with excellent details. Perfect coin. Mintstate.
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MARCUS AURELIUS, 161-180 - AE Dupondius, Rome (172-173)
weight 13,94gr. ; bronze Ø 25mm.
obv. Radiate head of Marcus Aurelius head right,
surround by the legend; M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII
rev. Jupiter, naked to waist, seated left on throne, holding Victory, standing left
and offering crown, on extended right hand, and holding long sceptre in left hand,
surrounded by the legend ; IMP VI COS III S C
Cohen 249 ; RIC 1065 ; MIR 246 ; Sear- (cf. 5029)
Attractive coin with good portrait and dark patina.
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MARCUS AURELIUS, 161-180 - AE Dupondius, Rome (172-173)
weight 10,45gr. ; bronze Ø 24mm.
obv. Radiate head of Marcus Aurelius head right,
surround by the legend; M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII
rev. Jupiter, naked to waist, seated left on throne, holding Victory, standing left
and offering crown, on extended right hand, and holding long sceptre in left hand,
surrounded by the legend ; IMP VI COS III S C
Cohen 249 ; RIC 1065 ; Sear- (cf. 5029)
Some tooling. Attractive dark patina.
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MARCUS AURELIUS, 161-180 - MACEDONIA, STOBI - AE 25
weight 12,60gr. ; bronze Ø 25mm.
obv. Laurated head right IMP M AV ANTONINVS
rev. Hades in galloping quadriga right, carrying off struggling Persephone
and holding sceptre MVN STOB
Persephone lived a peaceful life far away from the other deities, a goddess within Nature herself before the days of planting seeds and nurturing plants. She was innocently picking flowers when Hades, god of the Underworld, burst through a cleft in the earth and abducted her. While Demeter searched desperately for her daughter she neglected the earth and caused nothing to grow. Zeus, pressed by the cries of hungry people, determined to force Hades to return Persephone. However, Hades had tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds, and because anyone who consumed food or drink in the Underworld was doomed to spend eternity there, she is forced return to the underworld for a period each year. Explaining the seasons, when Demeter and her daughter are reunited, the Earth flourishes with vegetation and color, but for the months each year when Persephone returns to the underworld, the earth becomes barren.
Stobi was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and later turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris (now near Gradsko in the Republic of Macedonia). It is located on the main road that leads from the Danube to the Aegean Sea and is considered by many to be the most famous archaeological site in the Republic of Macedonia. Stobi was built where the Erigón River (mod. Crna) joins the Axiós River (mod. Vardar), making it strategically important as a center for both trade and warfare. The city was first mentioned in writing by the historian Livy, in connection with a victory of Philip V of Macedon over the Dardani in 197 BC. In 168 BC, the Romans defeated Perseus and Macedonia was divided into four nominally independent republics. In 148 BC, the four areas of Macedonia were brought together in a unified Roman province. In the reign of Augustus the city grew in size and population. The city grew further in 69 BC once it became a municipium, at which time it began to produce coins printed with Municipium Stobensium. The citizens of Stobi enjoyed Ius Italicum and were citizens of Rome. Most belonged to the Roman tribes Aemila and Tromentina. During Roman times Stobi was the capital of the Roman province Macedonia Salutaris. Emperor Theodosius I stayed in Stobi in 388. Late in the 5th century the city underwent a terrible turn of events. In 479, it was robbed by Theodoric, an Ostrogothic king. The citizens reconstructed the city, but in 518 it was struck by a powerful earthquake. Avaro-Slavic invasions in the 6th century destroyed the city′s economy and infrastructure.
BMC- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; Lindgren collection- ;
Varbanov- ; AMNG.- ; Sear GIC.- RRR
Seems to be unpublished. Extremely rare.
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus - AE Sestertius, Rome (166-169)
weight 21,47gr. ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, hair waved and fastened in a low chignon
at back of head, draped, right LVCILLA AVGVSTA
rev. Ceres, veiled, draped, seated left on cista mystica from which
a snake emerges, holding two corn-ears in right hand and torch in
left hand CERES, S - C in field
Cohen 2 ; RIC 1728 ; BMC 1194 ; MIR 24 ; Sear 5496 S
Dark brown patina. Very attractive coin with fine details.
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus (161-169 AD) - AE As, Rome (164-166)
weight 7,30gr. ; copper Ø 21mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, hair waved and fastened in a low chignon
at back of head, draped, right LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F
rev. Concordia, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right
hand and cornucopiae in left hand CONCORDIA, S - C in field
Cohen 11 ; RIC 1733 ; BMC 1182 ; MIR 4 ; Sear 5511
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus - AE Sestertius, Rome (166-169)
weight 24,83gr. ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, hair waved and fastened in a low chignon
at back of head, draped, right LVCILLA AVGVSTA
rev. Juno, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right
hand and sceptre in left hand; at feet, peacock IVNO REGINA, S - C in field
Cohen 43 ; RIC 1751 ; BMC 1207 ; MIR 35 ; Sear 5502
Minor scratch. Dark brown patina.
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus - AE Sestertius, Rome (164-169)
weight 31,60gr. ; bronze Ø 31mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, hair waved and fastened in a low chignon
at back of head, draped, right LVCILLA AVGVSTA
rev. Pietas, veiled, draped, standing left, dropping incense from
right hand on lighted altar left and holding box in left hand PIETAS,
S - C in field
Cohen 53 ; RIC 1755 ; BMC 1209 ; cf. Sear 5505
Dark brown patina.
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus - AE Sestertius, Rome (164-169)
weight 26,83gr. ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, hair waved and fastened in a low chignon
at back of head, draped, right LVCILLA AVGVSTA
rev. Pietas, veiled, draped, standing left, dropping incense from
right hand on lighted altar left and holding box in left hand PIETAS,
S - C in field
Cohen 54 ; RIC 1756 ; BMC 1161 ; MIR 11 ; Sear 5505
Wonderful coin with dark patina.
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus - AR Denarius, Rome (166-169)
weight 3,00gr. ; silver Ø 19mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, bare-headed, hair waved and fastened in
a bun on back of head, draped, rightLVCILLA AVGVSTA
rev. Pudicitia, veiled, draped, seated left on low seat,
with right hand on breast PVDICITIA
Cohen 62 ; RIC 781 ; BMC 781 ; MIR 39 ; Sear 5490
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LUCILLA, wife of Lucius Verus - AR Denarius, Rome (166-169)
weight 3,66gr. ; silver Ø 17mm.
obv. Bust of Lucilla, bare-headed, hair waved and fastened in
a bun on back of head, draped, right LVCILLA AVGVSTA
rev. Venus, draped with right breast bare, standing left, holding
Victory in extended right hand and resting left hand on shield
set on ground VENVS VICTRIX
Cohen 89 ; RIC 786 ; BMC 353 ; MIR 45 ; Sear 5492
wonderful portrait
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COMMODUS AS CAESAR, 166-176 - PAMPHYLIA, PERGA (PERGE) - AE 13
weight 2,63gr. ; bronze Ø 13mm.
obv. Youthful bare headed bust of Commudus right (AVTO KAI ) ΚΟΜΟΔΟϹ
rev. temple with two columns including statue of Artemis of Perge
ΠEΡΓΑΙΩ (Ν)
Perga was an ancient and important city of Pamphylia, between the rivers Catarrhactes and Cestrus. Its history goes back to before 1000 BC. A treaty between the Hittite Great King Tudhaliya IV (1239-1209 BC) and his vassal, the king of Tarhuntassa, defined the latter′s western border at the city ″Parha″ and the ″Kastaraya River″. The river is assumed to be the classical Cestrus. West of Parha were the ″Lukka Lands″. Parha likely spoke a late Luwian dialect like Lycian and that of the neo-Hittite kingdoms.
Perga returns to history as a Pamphylian Greek city, and with Pamphylia came under successive rule by Persians, Athenians, and Persians again. Alexander the Great, after quitting Phaselis, occupied Perga with a part of his army. The road between these two towns is described as long and difficult. Alexander′s rule was followed by the Diadochi empire of the Seleucids, then the Romans. Perga gained renown for the worship of Artemis, whose temple stood on a hill outside the town, and in whose honour annual festivals were celebrated. The coins of Perga represent both the goddess and her temple. In 46 AD, according to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul journeyed to Perga, from there continued on to Antiocheia in Pisidia, then returned to Perga where he preached the word of God (Acts 14:25). Then he left the city and went to Attaleia. As the Cestrus silted up over the late Roman era, Perga declined as a secular city. In the first half of the 4th century, during the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337), Perga became an important centre of Christianity, which soon became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The city retained its status as a Christian centre in the 5th and 6th centuries.
In RPC this reverse type is published (only 1 specimen), however that coin has a bit older bearded portrait of Commodus, that was struck in the time that he already was augustus. This coin has a very youthful portrait of Commodus, which certainly belong to the time that he was Caesar under Marcus Aurelius. Unpublished. Coin of the highest rarity.
BMC- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; Weber collection- ; Lindgren collection.- ;
SNG.von Aulock- ; SNG.Paris- ; SNG.Pfälzer- ; SNG.Leypold- ;
RPC IV.3 online - (cf. 10664 = as Augustus) RRRR
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COMMODUS, 177-192 - AR Denarius, Rome (187)
weight 1,85gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Laureate head of Commodus right M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT
rev. Hilaritas, draped, standing left, holding branch in right hand and long palm,
nearly vertical, in left hand HILAR AVG P M TR P XII IMP VIII COS V PP
With the weight of 1,85 gram, this denarius is remarkable light.
Cohen 212 ; RIC 150a ; BMC 210 ; MIR 728 ; Sear 5647
Very minor traces of oxidation.
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CRISPINA, wife of Commodus - AR Denarius, Rome (180-182)
weight 3,42gr. ; silver Ø 17mm.
obv. Bust of Crispina, draped, hair in round coil at back, right
CRISPINA AVGVSTA
rev. Hilaritas, draped, standing left, holding long palm, nearly vertical,
in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand HILARITAS
Cohen 18 ; RIC 282 ; BMC 40 ; MIR 11 ; Sear 6000
A bit soft reverse strike. Attractive lustrous coin with good portrait.
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CRISPINA, wife of Commodus - AR Denarius, Rome (180-182)
weight 3,60gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
obv. Bust of Crispina, draped, hair in round coil at back, right
CRISPINA AVGVSTA
rev. Juno, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended
right hand and sceptre in left hand; at left, peacock IVNO
Cohen 21 ; RIC 283 ; BMC 41 ; MIR 12 ; Sear 6001
A bit soft reverse strike. Wonderful lustrous coin with excellent portrait.
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CRISPINA, wife of Commodus - AE Sestertius, Rome (180-182)
weight 22,63gr. ; bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Bust of Crispina, draped, hair waved and rolled at crown
and knotted on back of head, right CRISPINA AVGVSTA
rev. Venus, draped, seated left, holding Victory in extended right hand
and sceptre in left hand VENVS FELIX, S - C in field
Cohen 40 ; RIC 673 ; BMC 424 ; Sear 6011
Some tooling and re-engraving, otherwise wonderful coin.
Dark brown patina. Very rare this nice.
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