All 3 of the REAL Severan men, Septimius, Caracalla and Geta on one coin from the cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia

[Ryro]

 

Mesopotamia, where the idea of writing was first thought up, way before the Greek Solon it was Hammurabi who created one of, if not, the world's first law code around 1770 years BCE and was home to the Ziggurat from the bible known as the Tower of Babel!

(Beautiful drawing...but where are all the babes???) 

(Writing and art coming together waaaaay before movies)

Speaking of, we can't forget that the first EPIC, waaaay before The Iliad was written here!

(Gilgamesh and BFF Enkidu committing sacrilege...on a Tuesday!)

(Always keep a prophylactic when around this Crescent) 

 

Now for some context: Septimius Severus is closer (and not by a little) to us in history than he was with Sargon of Akkad, who established the world's first true empire in Mesopotamia around 2330 BCE!

(Much like Septimius, Sargon could grow a Hell of a beard!)

 

And they why: I recently have been listening to another on of "the Great Courses" on Audible, ancient Mesopotamia by Amanda H. Podany (I highly recommend it). And I started thinking that I only have 1 coin from Mesopotamia. In an auction I had been watching over the weekend there was this AWESOME and very rare coin with all 3 Severan men on it. I figured I didn't have a chance but would keep an eye out. And you'll never guess who won the coin...THIS GUY😁

MESOPOTAMIA. Edessa. Septimius Severus, with Caracalla and Geta, 193-211. Ae (bronze, 3.66 g, 20 mm). [...] Laureate head of Septimius to right, facing laureate and draped bust of Caracalla to left. Rev. [..]AVP[..], bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Geta to right; before, crescent on filleted globe. Lindgren II, 2559; cf. Nomos obolos 17, lot 550; Roma 88, lot 638. Nearly very fine. Extremely rare.

 

My other coin of Mesopotamia is also a Severan, nut case Caracalla! (Man do I love the creepy Tuche on the reverse)

Caracalla ? (198-217). Mesopotamia, Edessa. Æ (17mm, 3.80g, 6h). Laureate head r. R/ Turreted head of Tyche l. Cf. SNG Copenhagen 205. Brown patina. Purchased from Dara October 2021

 

And a partially written on Cuneiform Tablet with spells and incantations to do with raising the dead! Sadly, once all of the dead guys that I have revived to life realize that their dicks still don't work just kill themselves all over again.

Old Babylonian Cuneiform Tablet, 26-20th Century BCE. Ex Professor Reese Collection 

 

(Now I'm not usually into bird footed ladies. But when I am they are stacked like the 1996 Chicago Bulls!)

So please share your Mesopotamian coins, antiquities, thoughts stories or anything that might keep civilization alive for another 5,500 years 😉 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Ryro
I'll let you Imagine

[Alegandron]

Nice @Ryro! Cool coins and cuneiform tablet! Vey cool.

ROMAN EMPIRE Mesopotamia

RI Philip II 244-249 Nisibis Mesopotamia-farthest EAST Temple Tyche river god Mygdonius - sinister left

 

ROLL BACK the clock a bit...

Alexander III Obol


Makedon
Alexander III
336-323 BCE
AR Obol
7mm 0.51g
Babylon
Lifetime
Herakles lion skin
Club bow quiver wreath
M Price 3744

Edited June 6, 2022 by Alegandron

[Severus Alexander]

Many of the Mesopotamian mints produced some mighty silly looking portraits, I love both of your examples... especially your new one: dynastic, awesome!!

I have zero Mesopotamian coins to show. 😞 I can show a silly portrait of Sep Sev, though (from Decapolis/Petra in Arabia Petraea):

Like the Mesopotamian coins, these coins from Decapolis come in two fairly distinct, good and bad style.  I wonder what's up with that pattern?

I do have an Old Babylonian seal, c. 1900-1750 BCE (one of my very few antiquities):

[Alegandron]

There were no coins at this time in the Akkadian Empire, however, here is a Cylinder Seal from around the time of SARGON the Great of Akkad. I captured it because of Sargon and his impact on History:



Cylinder Seal of Hero Fighting Animals. Akkadian, 2350-2200 B.C. Ex J Tabot collection
Cylinder Seal of Hero Fighting Animals. 
Akkadian, 2350-2200 B.C. Ex J Tabot collection.. 
Buff stone cylinder seal with scene of hero wresting antelope and winged lion. 
25 mm. 
Good subject, design worn but still makes an impression. 
From the J Tabot collection.
Ex: Agora

[Roman Collector]

What a cool, cool coin, @Ryro! A provincial Severan dynastic coin!

I only have a few from Mesopotamia and they are post-Severan:

Gordian III and Tranquillina, AD 241-244.
Roman provincial Æ 31.3 mm, 20.16 g, 12 h.
Mesopotamia, Singara.
Obv: AVTOK K M ANT ΓOPΔIANON CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CЄB, confronted busts of Gordian, laureate, draped and cuirassed on left, and Tranquillina, draped and wearing stephane on right.
Rev: AVP CЄΠ KOΛ CINΓAPA, Tyche seated left on rock, holding branch; the centaur Sagittarius above to left, discharging arrow, river god swimming left below.
Refs: BMC 8-12; SNG Copenhagen 256; Lindgren 2627, Sear 3804.

Otacilia Severa, AD 244-249.
Roman provincial Æ 24 mm, 14.34 g.
Mesopotamia, Nisibis, AD 244-249.
Obv: MAP ΩTAKIΛ CЄOYHPAN CЄB, diademed and draped bust right, on crescent.
Rev: IOY CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT, tetrastyle temple containing statue of city goddess seated facing; above her head, ram (Aries) leaping right; below, river god Mygdonius swimming right.
Refs: BMC 27; SNG Copenhagen 244; Sear GIC 4065; SNG Hunterian 2447; MacDonald 4.

 

Philip II, AD 244-249.
Roman provincial Æ 23.8 mm, 8.42 g, 11 h.
Mesopotamia, Nisibis, AD 244-49.
Obv: ΑVΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΙΟVΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC CЄB, radiate and cuirassed bust left
Rev: IOV CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT, tetrastyle temple; statue of Tyche within, ram above Tyche's head, river god below.
Refs: BMC 22-23*; Sear GIC 4157; SNG Cop 240*; SNG Hunterian 2.
*BMC and SNG Cop erroneously attribute this coin to Philip I.