Three Roman provincial coins, purchased during yesterday's Cupertino Coin Club Show

[robinjojo]

This is the first time in a long while attending this show, put on for one day in a church hall not too far from my house.  As would be expected with such a small show ancient coin dealers were few, two specifically which is not bad really.  

One of the dealers, with a prominent sign "Ancient Coins" displayed next to their table, was Musa Numismatic Art.  They have some wonderful coins for collectors both beginning and advanced.  They also had some "grab bags" containing ancients at various price levels, all below $60.  

I ended up walking away with three Roman provincial coins, at least I think there are three. Two are no doubt of that type and I think the third one is as well, but I really need some help identifying it.  The second one also needs additional attribution.

Ocacilia Severa, AE 28, Mesopotamia, Nisbis, 244-49 AD.  From the "River God Collection".  Ex Stephen Huston, San Francisco, CA.

BMC 27

9.75 grams

This interesting coin is fairly common, based on my online search.  This coin was part of a collection put together by a hydrology engineer who resided in San Francisco.  His collection was centered on the theme of water, a theme that has a wide application with ancient coins.  This coin is from his estate.

Obverse: Bust right, wearing stephanus, set on crescent.

Reverse: Tyche seated facing, ram (Artes) above, and river god at feet, all within tetrastyle temple. 

 

Caracalla, AE 26, Moesia Inferior, Istrus, 198-217 AD.

12.59 grams

Although crude, the portrait of Caracalla is quite nice. The reverse of this coin depicts Apollo, standing facing left, sacrificing over alter, with a lyre resting on a column to the right, delta in the exergue.  

Is there a catalog number for this coin?  The envelope that this coin came in notes that it is "not in AMNG", but I am not sure what reference that is or its significance.  References often have gaps in them.

 

The third coin came out of a "cheap" bag, at $18.  I think the obverse is Commodus, but that just a guess.  The reverse has a biga being driven by a guy wearing a broad rim hat.  He holding some sort of object, rather ax-like, perhaps to help clear his way?  

Any help determining this coin's identity would be greatly appreciated.

Commodus (?), 177-92 AD, AE 21.

7.82 grams

 

Thanks for helping!

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by robinjojo

[Roman Collector]

The second one IS in ANMG*, but under Elagabalus, not Caracalla.

*AMNG is Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands. Berlin. 1898-1935. This would be Volume 1 by B. Pick & K. Regling. Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien. AMNG I. 2 Vols. Berlin. 1898.

[robinjojo]

Thanks!

 

[robinjojo]

So my research, so far using the RPC online catalog yielded this result regarding the third coin posted.  No photo of coin, however. 

There are differences.  Nike is not driving the biga and the object held is clearly not a palm branch.  Also, the weight of the posted coin, at 7.82 grams, is higher than cited by RPC.

Volume: IV.1 №: 4537 (temporary)
Reign: Commodus Persons: Commodus (Augustus)
City: Anchialus  Region: Thrace Province: Thrace
Denomination: Æ Average weight: 4.74 g. Issue: c. 191-192
Obverse: ΑV ΚΑΙ Λ ΑV ΚΟΜΟΔΟϹ; laureate head of Commodus, r.
Reverse: ΑΓΧΙΑΛƐΩΝ; Nike standing in galloping biga, r., holding palm-branch
Reference: AMNG 446, Cop 430 Specimens: 3

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Interesting coins to be sure. And collecting water-related coins because you are a hydraulic engineer is fitting.

[seth77]

Your Istros is not in AMNG, the previous owner is right. AMNG 514 has a different boyish bust type and a completely different obv legend AVT K M AVP(H) ANTΩNEINOC (probably the earliest coinage for Elagabal at this mint).

I'd like to propose for Istros a local catalog, compiled by a Romanian numismatist, see here. The work is in Romanian, but the catalog part is straight forward and very intuitive and easily understandable for anyone who knows some Latin, French and Italian (it seems that if you mix these 3 languages and add some Slavic words in the mix, you get Romanian). There, your coin is at p. 144 C-S3T3 (a double die-match to your coin). Another double die-match here. And likely another:

 

A rare coin, but not because it's not in AMNG but rather because it seems that all known specimens come from the same pair of dies. It also seems that the type was unknown in 1971 when C. Preda and H. Nubar wrote Histria III.