Marsyas Mike Posted July 3, 2022 · Member Share Posted July 3, 2022 Well, I got my first "Europa and the Bull" type by accident via an eBay screw-up. I am pretty happy with it, all things considered (Europa's missing head!), but I am having trouble attributing it. Can anybody out there help me. Here it is (11.82 grams / 22 mm): It was described by the seller as being for Claudius, and that seems as close as anything. Augustus, Caligula and Nero all issued the same type, without obverse inscriptions and similar crude portraits. The reverse of mine has what looks like BEP for the date, which per RPC is only for Claudius. So perhaps RPC 4615? found here: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/4615 Here is the clearest illustration of RPC 4615 from RPC: The problem I am having is that I am not finding any other Europa types for Claudius online to compare with, and of the 11 examples on RPC, only two are illustrated - and neither one of them look all that much like mine; they don't really match RPC's own description either (see the date on the one illustrated above - it is supposed to be BEP; it looks more like L-something to me). Virtually all the Europa types for the Julio-Claudians have the date in the field, in front of the bull. Mine seems to be underneath the bull. RPC describes the reverse inscriptions as: ΣΙΔΩΝΟΣ ΘΕΑΣ, ΒΞΡ (in field) That BEP date looks sort of like mine, closer than any others I can find - note mine also seems to lack the ΘΕΑΣ line: Other emperors issued these, but the dates and other details are even less of a match for mine. So just hoping somebody can set me straight. Any help greatly appreciated. 😀 Please feel free to pile on with Europa-and-the-Bull types of any description. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamnaskires Posted July 3, 2022 · Member Share Posted July 3, 2022 (edited) Not my area, but I think you probably have it right (although since yours is apparently sans "ΘΕΑΣ", it may be a variant). If you enlarge the reverse image of coin #1 on the RPC page, you'll see the ΒΞΡ of that example is directly below the bull, as on yours. Now, that coin has a star lower right obverse, which to me suggests that there must be a number of varieties within this general type. But I suspect the attribution to Claudius and Sidon is likely solid. Edited July 3, 2022 by Kamnaskires 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsyas Mike Posted July 3, 2022 · Member Author Share Posted July 3, 2022 24 minutes ago, Kamnaskires said: Not my area, but I think you probably have it right (although since yours is apparently sans "ΘΕΑΣ", it may be a variant). If you enlarge the reverse image of coin #1 on the RPC page, you'll see the ΒΞΡ of that example is directly below the bull, as on yours. Now, that coin has a star lower right obverse, which to me suggests that there must be a number of varieties within this general type. But I suspect the attribution to Claudius and Sidon is likely solid. Thank you so much for your help - I had sort of ignored RPC example 1 because of the star and because the photo is so poor, but now that you point it out, the date does seem to match mine, under the bull. Nothing better than a second pair of eyes looking these things over! Again, many thanks @Kamnaskires Here's RPC 4615 example 1: Maybe I'm getting too excited, but that might even be a reverse die match to mine? Both headless anyway! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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