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Barely identifiable Nero of Cnossus


Roman Collector

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This thing is barely identifiable, but I'm confident it's RPC I, 1005 because I think it's an obverse die match to the illustrated coin.

722798078_NeroandClaudiaOctaviaCnossos.jpg.45056e725cbe9188f72e95924de77178.jpg
Nero, AD 54-68.
Roman provincial Æ 24.6 mm, 8.60 g, 7 h.
Crete, Cnossus, AD 55-60.
Obv: NERO CLAV CAES AVG IMP VOLVMNIO LVPINO II, bare head of Nero right, scepter over left shoulder.
Rev: NERO CLAVD CAES AVG IMP ET OCTAVIA AVGVSTI, bare heads face to face of Octavia, to the r., and Nero, to the l.; a crescent over Octavia's head and a star over Nero's.
Refs: RPC 1005; Sear GI 655; Svoronos 95, 217; Cohen 313, 1-2.

The RPC 1005 plate coin:

Capture.JPG.0b8bfd6b81f4da0fc9f42f07d290f958.JPG

Let's see your barely identifiable coins, your provincial coins of Nero, or anything you feel is relevant!

Edited by Roman Collector
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Bronze Provincial Coin (AE24) minted at Cnossos on Crete, for CLAUDIA OCTAVIA, first wife of NERO, between 55 - 60 A.D. Obv. NERO.CLAV.CAES.AVG.IMP.LVPINO.VOLVMNIO.II. Bare hd. of NERO r., dr. and scepter at shoulder. Rev. Confronting busts of CLAUDIA OCTAVIA, dr. at l. with crescent above, and NERO, at r., bare with star above. VAGI #732. GIC #655.

 

AEW-296 REV.jpg

AEW-296 OBV.jpg

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Nice detective work, @Roman Collector.  

Here's one that was sitting in my binder full of unattributables for a couple of years - unlike most of these, there was a lot of inscription remaining, but I just couldn't crack the case.  A few days ago I decided to try again.  My original approach was to find it via Dionysos-altar image searches on RPC, acsearch, etc.  But since this wasn't working, I painfully wrote out the reverse Greek legend, which narrowed it down to Cyzicus; I even found a match for the Strategos behind the issue.  

Close, but no cigar!  As far as I can tell, it is unlisted.  

621911628_Cyzicus-GallienusDionysioslotFeb2020(0).jpg.76f27eeb68e01ad6ffcb806e46a8e504.jpg

Gallienus  Æ 25 Aurelios Sostratos, Strategos (c. 253-268 A.D.) Cyzicus, Mysia ΑΥΤ Κ Π ΛΙΚ Γ[ΑΛ]ΛΙΗΝΟC, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right / AYP CΩCTPATOY KYZIKHNΩN | NEOKOPΩ in field, Dionysos standing left, holding thyrsus,  altar at feet.  (6.92 grams / 25 x 23 mm) eBay Feb. 2020 Lot @ $0.83

Attribution:  Unable to find this type anywhere; obv. portrait in very fine style compared to others from Cyzicus of this era.  Possible Obverse Die Match: Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 197; Lot 69; 15.10.2008 (Dionysos seated). "Apparently unpublished (but cf. SNG France 865 for same obv. die, different rev. type)."

Here is the closest thing to a match I could find (as referenced above) - it may not be an exact obverse die-match, but it is similar.  Most of the Cyzicus provincials of that era have crude busts, but for some reason, a few of them are finer style, like mine and the CNG example:

68032027_Cyzicus-GallienusDionysioslotFeb2020(0comp).jpg.768c08fad721e1456026e6313ec643ad.jpg

 

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=526294

I don't know, for sure, but I'm closer than I was.  In ancients, sometimes it's the journey, not the destination.  

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