A Christmas Day Dattari

[David Atherton]

It is always a pleasant feeling when one obtains a plate coin, especially from the esteemed Dattari Collection of Alexandrian coins. I decided to unbox this newly acquired one on Christmas Day.

 

Domitian

Æ Hemidrachm, 7.74g
Alexandria mint, 91-92 AD
Obv: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΘƐΟ(Υ) ΥΙΟϹ ΔΟΜΙΤ ϹƐΒ ΓƐΡΜ; Head of Domitian wreathed with corn (?), r.
Rev: LΙΑ; Nike advancing l., with wreath and palm
RPC 2610 (1 spec.). Emmett 269.11. Dattari-Savio 6749 (this coin).
Ex CNG E529, 14 December 2022, lot 561. Ex Naville Auction 64, 21 March 2021, lot 323. Ex Dattari Collection.

The Alexandrian mint under Domitian around regnal year 10 or 11 experienced a 'dramatic improvement in style' and the 'adoption of a wide range of new types' (Milne). This reverse featuring the Greek goddess Nike is one of the more abundant hemidrachm types struck after the mint's overhaul. This specimen is an extremely rare variety of the type and is also the Dattari-Savio plate coin (pl. 19, 6749). RPC's description indicates the obverse portrait of Domitian may possibly be wearing a corn wreath, however, this specimen is too worn to be certain. Another oddity - it is categorised as a hemidrachm, but at 25mm and 7.74g it is woefully small for the denomination. This coin is illustrated in the RPC online database.

 

And here it is next to the pencil rubbing from the 1999 edition of the Dattari-Savio catalogue.

 

 

I would be hard pressed to tell if it is the same coin!

 

Please feel free to share your plate coins.

As always, thank you for looking and happy holidays!

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by David Atherton

[Roman Collector]

It's always nice to acquire a coin with a big-name provenance! Congratulations, @David Atherton! Another fine addition to your numophylacium.

Here's one from the Lindgren catalog.

Annia Faustina, 3rd wife of Elagabalus, Augusta, 221 CE.
Isinda, Pisidia; AE 25.0 mm, 8.55 gm
Obv: ANNIAN FAVCTEINAN, Dr. bust of Faustina r.
Rev: Confronted heads of Serapis and Isis; I-N above, in exergue, ΕΩΝ.
Refs: Ex Lindgren I A1322A, ex von Aulock, Pisidia I 833 (Plate coin for both references).

Here is the info from Lindgren I:

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Roman Collector

[zadie]

Great addition! Ex Dattari is as good as it gets with these.

Here's my one and only plate, currently also serving as my profile picture:

 

Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Fabius Hadrianus as Proconsul of Asia. Pammenes, magistrate. AR Cistophoric tetradrachm, Tralles 24th march 57 BC - 24th march 56 BC. Serpents emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / C•FABI•M•F - PRO•COS, Two serpents entwined by bow case, eagle above. In the left field, zebu over a meander, TPAΛ. In the right field, Apollo standing left. ΠΑMMΕΝΗΣ in exergue. 26.90 mm, 12.20 g. Stumpf 32; Metcalf 325 (This coin, O4/R25)

Ex NAC Sale 52, 2009, 832.

 

[antwerpen2306]

Tetradrachm of Nero, Dattari 248

Dattari

it is also in Roman Provincial Coinage :

Volume: I №: 5218

Reign: Nero Persons: Nero (Augustus)

City:  Region: Egypt Province: Egypt

Denomination: Tetradrachm Average weight: 12.55 g. Issue: LΔ = year 4 (AD 57/8)

Obverse: ΝΕΡ ΚΛΑΥ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡ ΑΥΤΟ; laureate head of Nero, r.

Reverse: ΡΩΜΗ, LΔ; Roma seated, l., with Nike and sword in scabbard

Reference: Walker 121–30 Specimens: 2

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a very exciting collection to obtain an example from.  You've had a most productive year.

[DonnaML]

Great acquisition! I also have one Roman Alexandrian coin that's ex Dattari Collection, although someone posted an image of the pencil rubbing and I have to take it pretty much on faith that it's the same coin. Those pencil rubbings are really not terribly useful, in my opinion, so I've refrained from purchasing a copy of the 2007 Dattari Savio edition containing them. I do have a pdf of the original 1901 Dattari book; the plates are limited but at least one can double-check the numbers. Anyway, this coin was on my "top Roman Provincials" list for this year.

Antoninus Pius, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 6 (142-143 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ - ϹƐΒƐVϹƐΒ around (beginning at 1:00) / Rev. Phoenix standing right, crowned with circular nimbus [halo], ΑΙ - ⲰΝ [= Aion, Greek equivalent of Roman Aeternitas, also symbolizing the cyclical nature of “time, the orb or circle encompassing the universe, and the zodiac” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aion_(deity))]; across lower fields, L - Ϛ [Year 6]. 23.5 mm., 12.7 g.  Dattari (1901 ed.) 2431 at p. 153 (this coin) [Dattari, Giovanni, Monete imperiali greche, Numi Augg. Alexandrini, Catalogo della collezione (Cairo 1901)]; Dattari (Savio) 2429 & Pl. 117 (this coin) [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)] [numbering different because of error: illustrations of 2431 and 2429 switched on Pl. 117]; RPC IV.4 Online 13506 (temporary) (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/13506); Emmett 1419.6; Milne 1734 at p. 42; BMC 16 Alexandria 1004 at p. 117 (rev. ill at Pl. XXVI) [“Phoenix (Numidian crane)”], K&G 35.180 (obv. var., draped), SNG Fr. Alexandrie II 2267 (obv. var., draped). Purchased from Naville Numismatics Auction 72 (27 Mar 2022), Lot 341; ex Dattari Collection.*

Here's the photo that was posted of the pencil rubbing. I guess it's the same coin!

Edited December 25, 2022 by DonnaML

[LONGINUS]

Thank you for your interesting post, David !

 

Having the good fortune of owning a coin that has appeared in a reference book by a well known author is a great privilege.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by LONGINUS

[shanxi]

Last week I discovered that two of my Hierocaesarea coins are shown in GRPC Lydia and therefore are now "plate coins":

 

Lydia. Hierocaesaraea
Agrippina Junior (Augusta, 50-59)
Bronze, AE 19
Obv.: AΓPIΠΠINAN ΘЄAN CЄBACTHN, draped bust right, hair in long plait down back of neck and looped at end, long loosely curled lock down side of neck;
Rev.: IЄPOKAICAPЄΩN ЄΠI KAΠITΩNOC, Artemis Persica standing facing, wearing long chiton, with right hand
drawing arrow from quiver on right shoulder, left hand on hip, stag at her side on left
AE, 5.93g, maximum diameter 18.8mm, die axis 0o
Ref.: RPC I 2387; BMC Lydia p. 106, 22, GRPC Lydia 69 (this coin)

 

Lydia. Hierocaesaraea
Nero, AD 54-68
Kapitonos, magistrate
Bronze, AE 17
Obv.: NEPWωN KΛAYΔIOC KAICAP CEBACTOC, bare-headed and draped bust right
Rev: IЄPOKAICAPЄωN ЄΠI KAΠITωNOC, Artemis Persica standing facing, drawing arrow from quiver on shoulder; stag to left.
Æ, 17mm, 5.90g
Ref.: RPC I 2385, GRPC Lydia 66b (this coin)

Edited December 26, 2022 by shanxi

[Sulla80]

On 12/25/2022 at 5:15 AM, David Atherton said:

I would be hard pressed to tell if it is the same coin!

Congrats on the Christmas present!  A coin that reflects not only the history of ancient Rome but life of the coin afterwards as it was collected and studied is always fun. With a slightly more detailed photo of Dattari's page for this coin, I think the flatness at the top of flan, and flan cracks at 12 and 5 o'clock on the obverse make a convincing case for "you have the right coin"!

 

Here's one that I purchased as a Dattari plate coin - although I have no doubt that it is from the Dattari collection and it does appear to be a similar strike - I do not think that it is the coin depicted:

[David Atherton]

12 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

Congrats on the Christmas present!  A coin that reflects not only the history of ancient Rome but life of the coin afterwards as it was collected and studied is always fun. With a slightly more detailed photo of Dattari's page for this coin, I think the flatness at the top of flan, and flan cracks at 12 and 5 o'clock on the obverse make a convincing case for "you have the right coin"!

 

Here's one that I purchased as a Dattari plate coin - although I have no doubt that it is from the Dattari collection and it does appear to be a similar strike - I do not think that it is the coin depicted:

Thank you for posting the 2007 plate. Apparently, other than a colourised background, it has the same amount of detail (perhaps less?) as the 1999 edition ... which to say isn't much!

Edited December 27, 2022 by David Atherton

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Here's a Nero/Serapis coin, followed by Nerva and Snake (Agathadaemon) wearing crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Ancient Coin Hunter