A worthwile pseudo-autonomous issue of Eikonion

[seth77]

I could have added this coin to the Iconium thread, but it's a very distinctive coin, and I think, a very rare issue:

 

AE19x18mm 6g copper multiple unit, ca. late 1st century BC to the early 1st century AD.
Heroic bust of Perseus right, holding harpa and Gorgoneion over the shoulder, wearing winged helmet, countermark head to right in oval cartouche
EIKONIEΩ[N]; Zeus on throne holding long sceptre and thunderbolt
cf. SNG France 2268, cf. von Aulock Lykaoninens 195, SNG Tübingen 4512

 

The type in SNG France is an earlier variation, noting the local magistrate, as recorded here. Otherwise, I have not seen this type before. With these dimensions and the style, it is very likely a multiple unit of the first specimen mentioned here, which covers the early phase of the city under de facto Roman rule but 'pseudo-autonomous'. The lack of magistrate name while keeping the overall type, weight and style could indicate an issue at the turn of the 1st BC to 1st AD.

One of the very eclectic picks I did last month on eBay.

 

PS: I have managed to track down another specimen from this issue, of different dies. Von Aulock 195 is very similar and I cannot access SNG Tübingen to check the reference that Lanz gives for his specimen. A more specific dating is also put forward -- the reign of Augustus in the last quarter of the 1st century BC.

PPS: And an analogy for Ken Dorney's specimen, sold as a non-descript Eikonion here. That is an earlier issue, possibly dating around the mid 1st century BC.

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by seth77
found new analogies

[AncientOne]

@seth77That's got to be one of the coolest helmets on any bronze coin!

[Ed Snible]

They are nice coins, with a nicer heroic pose.  Mine is quite poor:

Iconium, 50 BC - 100 AD, AE21 6.73g
Bust of Perseus seen from behind, holding harpa and gorgoneion's head
[EΙΚΟΝΙEΩΝ] ΜEΝEΔΗ[Μ] [ΤΙΜ]ΟΘEΟΥ, Zeus seated left, holding scepter and thunderbolt.
SNG von Aulock 5384, Sear 5504, von Aulock, Muenze und Stadte Lykaoniens, 190

I bought this in 2002 for a bit of money!  I should have waited; I have seen much nicer specimens in the last decade for for much less than I paid.

The dating, 50 BC to 100 AD, is my guess.  George Hill thought it was the earliest coin of Iconium and put it in the first century BC.

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Ed Snible

[seth77]

More specimens similar here, here, here and here. One with a different countermark, although probably related, here. It seems they are not as rare as I suspected when I impulse bought my specimen last month, but they are still very interesting. The references given by the auction houses are also all over the place.

Why are these not in RPC?

Edited September 2, 2022 by seth77

[O-Towner]

An interesting provincial from Iconium: note: this is how it came to me and I have never tried to clean it.

Gallienus (253-268 AD) Ae : Iconium Lycaonia (22mm, 5.4gms)
Obv: IMP Γ P LIC ΓALLIENVΓ P F A; Radiate and cuirassed bust right
Rev: ICONIEN COLO; Perseus standing left holding severed head of Medusa and harpa; S - R in lower fields

Ref: SNG von Aulock 8649

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by O-Towner

[Ed Snible]

1 hour ago, seth77 said:

Why are these not in RPC?

They aren't in RPC because George Hill thought they were the only coinage of Iconium that was pure Greek, not pseudo-autonomous.

If you can read German, the most recent work on Iconium is Hans Christoph von Mosch, “perseus und andromeda (vormals) in ikonion. die bilder der „bilderstadt“ und ein besuch Gordians iii. im Jahre 239/40”, Festschrift Johannes Nollé (2019).  The answers you seek may be there.  I cannot read German.

The citizens of Iconium believed Perseus -- the mythological hero not the Hellenistic king -- refounded their city.  The name supposedly comes from a Greek word eikon which might mean the image of the gorgon.  For lots of (speculative?) ideas about Iconium you might read a 1908 book, The Cities of St. Paul Their Influence on His Life and Thought.

 

[seth77]

I'm fine with German, thank you for the reference.

[Broucheion]

On 9/2/2022 at 8:25 PM, Ed Snible said:

If you can read German, the most recent work on Iconium is Hans Christoph von Mosch, “perseus und andromeda (vormals) in ikonion. die bilder der „bilderstadt“ und ein besuch Gordians iii. im Jahre 239/40”, Festschrift Johannes Nollé (2019).  The answers you seek may be there.  I cannot read German.

Hi @seth77 & @Ed Snible,

 

The article is on Academia.edu here.

- Broucheion

[Roman Collector]

My only coin from this city:


Claudius, AD 41-54, and Agrippina II, AD 50-59.
Roman provincial Æ 19.6 mm, 4.19 g, 12 h.
Lycaonia, Iconia (as Claudiconium), magistrate M. Annius Afrinus, AD 50-54.
Obv: ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟϹ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ϹЄΒΑ, laureate head of Claudius, right.
Rev: ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ ЄΠΙ ΑΦΡЄΙΝΟΥ ΚΛΑΥΔЄΙΚΟΝΙЄⲰΝ, bare-headed and draped bust of Agrippina II, right.
Refs: RPC I 3542; von Aulock Lyk. 258–62.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Roman Collector

[Ed Snible]

@Broucheion, thanks for linking to the paper.  You will notice #58 in the paper is from Sammlung Ed Snible.

18mm, 5.56g.

The interesting thing about that coin -- the reason I showed it to Dr. Hans-Christoph von Mosch -- is that it has an inscription, apparently Ϝ Κϛ, to the left of Perseus.  This is is probably the date 26.

Von Aulock had seen examples with HK (year 28).  Now we have two dates, but we don't know what era.  The founding of the province Cilicia (101 BC) or Galatia (25 BC) or Actian era (31/30 BC) or Alexandrian Regnal of Augustus (30/29 BC)?

 

[seth77]

10 hours ago, Broucheion said:

Hi @seth77 & @Ed Snible,

 

The article is on Academia.edu here.

- Broucheion

I'd already found it and put it in the queue, but thank you for adding it.

[seth77]

A few of these went to auction this summer, so not particularly rare anymore. Here is a very cheap addition: