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Help to correctly attribute a Geta provincial


ambr0zie

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Identifying coins is one of the most pleasant aspect of this hobby for me and for the areas I'm most interested in (Provincial and Imperial) I handle the identification in a satisfactory way.

But now and then I get stumped 😐

Won this coin as I liked it overall. And it was a reverse I wanted for a while. Slightly off centered, but this is not a problem (.... in fact it is)

image.png.1ed5f7eaaefe24a275765fd0dd5f81f1.png

I don't think the attribution provided by the house is correct.

THRACE. Anchialus. Geta (Caesar, 198-209). Ae.
Bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: Winged Genius standing facing, legs crossed, resting on torch set on altar.
Varbanov 43

 

The Anchialus coin with this reverse has the legend AΓXIAΛEΩN. On mine it starts with a Λ (or A) and ends with ΛITΩN or AITΩN. So Anchialus is not an option.

I know this reverse is common for several Thrace cities BUT
- not Pautalia - ΠAVTA-ΛIΩTΩN  (on my reverse it ends with ITΩN - one "extra" Ω on Pautalia
- not Marcianopolis - MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN - as the city on my coin starts with a Λ or A
- not Nicopolis -  NIKOΠOΛ ΠPOC IC
- not Augusta Traiana
 
Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Thanks for looking, but I already know this, I am after the mint. 

I provided some cities I found issuing Geta coins with similar reverses. Nothing fits. 

Close match I found is this Hadrianopolis, Varbanov 3657 var 

_hadrianopolis_AE18_Varbanov_2007.jpg

 

From wildwinds Hadrianopolis page 

https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/thrace/hadrianopolis/t.html

But obverse legend doesn't match. 

Edited by ambr0zie
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Hadrianopolis seems like a good guess.  Here is one I have for Caracalla (Geta's awful big brother): 

2021476811_Hadrianopolis-CaracallaErosThanlotJul2021(0).jpg.dc15695bdd514630ad354b9af75cc884.jpg

Caracalla   Æ 17 (c. 198-217 A.D.) Thrace, Hadrianopolis AVT K M AVP CE ANTΩNEINOC, laureate head, right / AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Nude Eros-Thanatos standing right, left leg crossed over right, leaning on inverted lit torch. (3.52 grams / 17 x 16 mm) eBay July 2021 

Attribution Notes: Varbanov 3526 (R4); Jurukova Hadrianopolis 390 (V199/R379); CN 5217; Moushmov 2615; cf. SNG Cop 271.

Possible Die Matches: Roma Numismatics E-Sale 84, Lot 1178, 21.02.2021; Classical Numismatic Group,  Auction 88, Lot 743, 14.09.2011

Die-matches, maybe.  Or at least in better condition than mine!

1456230250_Hadrianopolis-CaracallaErosThanlotJul2021(0diematches).jpg.e7e6b334d91670071a88d90ae254f508.jpg

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Thanks, Mike (check my other coin with Marsyas, that was easy to attribute 😄 )

This Geta still remains a mystery as the reverse legend might suggest Hadrianopolis, but the obverse legend doesn't fit any of the coins I found.

Either unpublished or I can't pinpoint it.

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Just relying on sources that are available online might not be enough in that case (as it is in many, by the way). Did you check Varbanov or Jurukova? Nothing with your coin's legend for Geta from Hadrianopolis there?

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Thanks for looking, @dougsmit.

Unfortunately identifying after the style is not my best point.

My instinct says it's a Hadrianopolis. The wildwinds example for Hadrianopolis 3657 var seems similar at the reverse style, especially the first one from this collage I made

image.png.2ca3726ffb59e61c771fa5290bf4c0a1.png

It's interesting that on Wildwinds both are marked as 3657 var and I can't find a single example of a Varbanov 3657 coin to see on acsearch or coinarchives. Perhaps mine is exactly the example Varbanov 3657 entry?! I need to buy the Varbanov catalogue anyways.

Attribtutions from wildwinds examples (pics 2 and 3 in the collage)

Geta AE18 of Hadrianopolis, Thrace. Λ CEΠTI ΓETA KAI, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / AΔΡIANOΠOΛITΩN, Thanatos or Weary Eros, winged, standing right leaning on burning torch. Varbanov (Bulg. 2007); (Engl.) 3657; not in Moushmov.

Geta AE18 of Hadrianopolis, Thrace. Λ CEΠTI ΓETA KAI, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Eros, winged, standing right, legs crossed, resting on burning torch. Varbanov 3657 var (obv. legend); Moushmov -.

Obverse legend clearly different on my coin. Reverse legend might be the same as coin 2 (having the ending of the reverse legend missing....)

 

Edited by ambr0zie
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