Valentinian Posted January 21, 2023 · Member Share Posted January 21, 2023 Many years ago my initial collecting focus was on in Roman coins from the second century AD and later. When I thought of "silver" coins I thought of denarii and antoniniani. Of course, Syria tetradrachms are common, but most don't seem like good silver. Other silver denominations (siliquae, argentei) were infrequently offered in the paper ancient-coin catalogs I got in the mail, but they weren't on my radar and they were relatively expensive. Now, with internet sources, it is much easier to realize there are silver Roman coins from cities other than Rome. For example, there are silver "drachms" from Caesarea. Here is something different. I bought a "tridrachm" in the recent Leu auction. Hadrian. 117-138. 26 mm. 9.56 grams. AYT KAI ΘE TP ΠAP YI ΘE NEP YI TP AΔPIANOC CЄImperator [Autokrater] Caesar divi Traiani Parthicus filius divi Nervae nepos Traianus Hadrianus Augustus TAP CEWN MHTPΠOΛEWC "Tarsos" to left, "Metropolis" (i.e. first city of the region) around. Turreted city goddess seated left, holding palm and cornucopia, river god Kyndos swimming left below Prier 759, page 91. RPC III 3259. Show us some Roman silver that is not a denarius, antoninianus, siliqua, or argenteus! 12 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted January 21, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted January 21, 2023 I have two "tridrachms," both Hadrians from Tarsos; one of them has a similar reverse to yours, although it's a different RPC number. (Footnotes omitted.) Hadrian, AR Tridrachm, Tarsus [= Tarsos], Province of Cilicia, AD 117-138 (undated). Obv. Laureate head right with drapery on far shoulder, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΘΕ ΤΡΑ ΠΑΡ ΥΙ ΘΕ ΝΕΡ ΥΙ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟⳞ ⳞΕ [ = Imperator Caesar divi Traiani Parthicus filius divi Nervae nepos Traianus Hadrianus Augustus] / Rev. Hittite/Cilician god Sandan (a/k/a Sandas)* wearing towered crown, striding right on back of a horned and winged lion (with curved goat horns**); Sandan wears bow-case and sword on left side (together with additional weapons [club and dagger?] worn at waist), and holds double axe and wreath (or crown) in his left hand, with a quiver(?) worn on his right side, and his right hand raised to point forward; ΤΑΡⳞΕΩΝ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩⳞ. 25.5 mm., 9.95 g. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 3266 (2015); RPC III Online 3266 (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3266); BMC Vol. 21 Cilicia, Tarsus 145-146 at p. 186 [Hill, G.F., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Greek Coins of Lycaonia, Isauria, and Cilicia (London, 1900)]; Prieur 767 [Michel and Karin Prieur, Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms (London, 2000)]. Purchased from Aegean Numismatics, Mentor OH, Nov. 20, 2022. Hadrian, AR Tridrachm, Tarsus [= Tarsos], Province of Cilicia (SE Anatolia, now in Turkey), AD 117-138 (undated). Obv. Laureate head right, [ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΘΕ Τ]ΡA ΠΑΡ ΥΙ ΘΕ ΝΕΡ ΥΙ ΤΡΑI ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹEB / Rev. City-goddess Tyche, turreted and veiled, seated left on diphros [backless stool with four turned legs] (front leg & seat decorated as foreleg and wing of sphinx or griffin), holding palm branch in right hand and touching back corner of seat with left hand [type without cornucopiae in left hand]; at her feet to left, river-God Kydnos,* crowned with wreath of sedge-plant, swimming left with right arm upraised, [ΤΑ]Ρ-CΕΩΝ-ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩC. 23 mm., 9.39 g., 1 h. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 3262 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3262; Prieur 761 [Michel and Karin Prieur, Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms (London, 2000)]; BMC Vol. 21 Cilicia, Tarsus 148 at p. 187 [Hill, G.F., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Greek Coins of Lycaonia, Isauria, and Cilicia (London, 1900)]; SNG France Cilicia 1401-1403 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France Vol. 2, Cilicia (Paris 1993)]. Purchased from Leu Numismatik AG, Winterthur, Switzerland, Web Auction 20, 16-18 Jul 2022, Lot 2065. I also think that there are some Syro-Phoenician tetradrachms from the earlier periods that appear to be made of decent silver rather than "billon." For example, this one from Trajan: Trajan AR Tetradrachm, AD 100, Phoenicia, Tyre. Obv. Laureate head of Trajan right; behind, ear of grain in left field; to right, club in right field; below, eagle with folded wings standing right, ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ / Rev. Laureate bust of Melqart (as Herakles) right, lion’s skin tied at neck, ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞ ΥΠΑΤ Γ [= COS III]. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 3526 (2015); RPC Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3526; Prieur 1482 [Prieur, Michel and Karin, Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms (London, 2000)]; McAlee 452/2 (ill. p. 203; portraits appear to be a die match) (Group 5) [McAlee, Richard, The Coins of Roman Antioch (2007), ascribing Melqart types to Tyre or Rome]. 27 mm., 14.25 g. 13 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted January 21, 2023 · Member Share Posted January 21, 2023 (edited) Beautiful coins!! I love big silver! This is probably my favourite silver piece that is not a denarius. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=125344 Edited January 21, 2023 by David Atherton 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Ancient Coin Hunter Posted January 24, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted January 24, 2023 Tridrachms are cool and I have never actually heard of the denomination until now. Nice examples folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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