Caracalla Æ from Pautalia by Sicinnius Clarus - Hera standing maybe? Maybe unpublished?

[Marsyas Mike]

Well, this one made my head spin and this post might be a bit granular for general interest, but I'm locked down in a "polar vortex" with slippery sidewalks to boot, so I'm going to share today's adventure in ancient coin attribution sleuthing.

From an un-attributed lot from eBay came this big low-grade Æ from Pautalia issued for Caracalla.  It has some issues, as you can see (har), but although I was able to find three obverse die-matches, I could not find a reverse type to match this one, which is where the journey begins.  Here's my coin (13.83 grams / 27 x 26 mm): 

 

***

 As usual I started digging around the Internet, acsearch, etc. to try and figure it out.  I was fairly certain it was Caracalla - what I found a little peculiar was the CAP part of the inscription - does anybody knows what that stands for?  Surely not CARacalla - as that was a nickname and not found on coins.  Anyway, after digging, I found no matches to the reverse type - but several obverse die-matches.  

My primary source was a post on FORVM by member archivum, who had a similar attribution to mine, same obverse die, but a reverse figure he couldn't figure out. 

"Caracalla, Pautalia, Thrace, magistr. Sicinnius Clarus, AE 27, 13,72g, Laur. cuir. bust r. / ? standing nude l. with staff, chlamys draped on l. arm. Though this coin's reverse legend is lost, it is clearly from the same obverse die as scarce Sicinnius Clarus issues Varbanov 4956-4957 (coins pictured below). The staff actually looks like a trident, but this is an untypical pose for Poseidon, and Pautalia had no marine access; the figure may also be wearing a Phrygian cap. Any theories on whom this reverse represents?"

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=111264.0

In his query, "archivum" helpfully posted three obverse die-matches to his coin, with Asclepius and Homonoia reverses.  He also guided me in the right direction with the hegemon, Sicinnius Clarus - whose name is visible (mostly) on mine (more about him below).  Another FORVM member ("clueless") posted one with what looks like Athena on the reverse, but had no idea what it was. 

All of these obverse die-match mine.  Here they are (less the Homonoia types - which see below):  mine; Asclepius; Minerva/Athena?; Neptune?: 

 

***

The FORVM query also included one with a Homonoia reverse.  After doing some more digging, I tracked down the Homonoia reverse, which came from a CNG auction which was a Varbanov plate coin:  "–; Varbanov 4957 corr. (this coin illustrated); Mouchmov 4247."  This in turn seems to be the example coin in Wildwinds - rather confusingly, the Varbanov number changed between CNG/Wildwinds, despite being the same coin. 

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (same coin as Wildwinds) Electronic Auction 344; Lot 265; 12.02.2015 THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ (27mm, 16.77 g, 7h). C. Sicinius Clarus, hegemon. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Homonoia standing left, holding cornucopia and sacrificing with patera over lighted and garlanded altar to left. SNG Copenhagen –; Varbanov 4957 corr. (this coin illustrated); Mouchmov 4247. Good VF, green-brown patina, minor roughness on the reverse. From the Dr. George Spradling Collection.  https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3318281

Wildwinds (same coin as CNG) Caracalla, AE28 of Pautalia, Thrace. (AY KA)ICAP ANTWNINOC, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right / HG (CIKIN KLA)POU OUL PAUTALIAC, Homonoia standing left by altar, holding patera and cornucopiae. Varbanov 4940 var (legends); Moushmov 4247.  ebay sale 1999

 https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/thrace/pautalia/t.html and https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/caracalla/_pautalia_Moushmov_4247.txt

On acsearch I also found another obverse die-match with Homonoia reverse:

Münzen & Medaillen GmbH (DE) Auction 15; Lot 161; 21.10.2004 Description SLG. J. - P. RIGHETTI, TEIL IV THRAKIEN PAUTALIA. No.: 161 Schätzpreis/Estimate: EUR 75.- d=27 mm  Caracalla, 197 - 217. Bronze des Q. Sicinius Clarus, 202 - 205. Drap., gep. Büste mit L. n. r. Rv. OULPIAC PA YTALIAC HG CIKINIOU KLAROU Homonoia im langen Gewand frontal stehend, Kopf mit Kalathos n. l., in der Linken Füllhorn haltend, mit Patera in der Rechten über einem Rundaltar zu ihren Füssen opfernd. 14,80 g.  Ruzicka, P. 139, 521var. (Variante der Av. - Legende). Selten. Dunkelbraune Patina. Knapp sehr schön

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=194364

The Münzen & Medaillen GmbH (DE) coin is also on a FORVM member's gallery (rennrad12020) here: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=3126&pid=60093

Here are photos of all the Homonoia reverses with obverse die-matches; the CNG/Wildwind example is shown three times because one of them had Varbanov notes, and the Wildwinds coin, though the same as the CNG/Varbanov example, has a very different color, but I am pretty sure it is the CNG example.  The bottom coin is from the Münzen & Medaillen auction (FORVM rennrad12020 not shown):

 

 

***

So what (who) is that reverse type?  Here is a photo with my "enhancements" showing what I can make out - a figure standing left, holding a sceptre (not a cornucopiae as Homonoia does in the die-matches), altar at left.  Here is the reverse on mine, with some "enhancements" I made showing what of the reverse figure I can make out.  Note that the bronze disease'd area has been cleaned up since this photo was taken:

These characteristics generally match one from Pautalia issued for Commodus that I found, with Hera on the reverse:

 

THRACE. Pautalia. Commodus, 177-192. Pentassarion (Bronze, 29 mm, 16.16 g, 12 h), struck under the legate Caecilius Maternus. ΑVΤ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΡ ΑYΡ ΚΟΜΟΔΟC Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus to right. Rev. ΗΓΕ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΤΕΡΝΟY ΟYΛΠΙΑC ΠΑYΤΑΛΙΑC Hera standing left, holding patera in right hand over altar at her feet to left, and long scepter in left. RPC IV.1 Online, 8864 (temporary). Ruzicka 190. Very rare - only one specimen noted in RPC Online. Of fine style and with a green patina with earthen highlights. Very fine.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8070464

So Hera seems to be a good guess, if not fer sure.  

***

And now for some information on the guy whose name is on the reverse of these coins, Quintus Sicinnius Clarus.  As it turns out there is an article on the guy on Bulgarian Wikipedia (you got to love the Internet, really).  Here it is in the English translation:

"Quintus Sicinnius Clarus (in Latin : Quintus Sicinnius Clarus , in Greek : Κόϊντος Σικίνννιος Κλᾶρος) was a Roman governor of the province of Thrace ( legatus Augusti pro praetore Thraciae ) at the time of Augustus Septimius Severus in the period 201-204 . He came from the noble Roman family of Sicinius

He participated in the issuing of coin issues through the city government of Hadrianopole (now Edirne ), Augusta Traiana (now Stara Zagora ), Pautalia (now Kyustendil ) and probably Anchialo (now Pomorie ). Clarus is the last governor of Thrace whose name appears on the coins of the city governments of the province. Participated in welcoming the imperial family to the province in 202 on his return from Antioch to Rome. He organized the founding of the Emporium Pizos marketplace near the present-day village of Dimitrievo in 202."

https://bg-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Квинт_Сикиний_Клар?_x_tr_sl=bg&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Квинт_Сикиний_Клар

This really cool broken inscription in Greek is part of the article:

 

 Also, I found an old Harlan J. Berk auction on Internet Archives with additional information, which I think references the inscription above:

"Full text of "Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. 181st Buy or Bid Sale"

An inscription proves that Sicinnius Clarus was governor of Thrace during the consulship of Septimius and Caracalla, i.e. in 202 AD. Coins of Plautilla naming Clarus at several mints prove a similar date: Clarus’ governorship must have overlapped with Plautilla’s years as Augusta, between her engagement and marriage in 202 and her fall and exile early in 205."

https://archive.org/stream/harlanjberkltd180181harl/harlanjberkltd180181harl_djvu.txt

The full text of the inscription came up in a Google Books result, but I'll spare you the details.  

***

Whew.  That was exhausting.  But fun too (for me anyway).  So as far as I can tell, my new coin is unpublished/unlisted, but of course there are probably some others floating around out there.  In any case, this obverse die was used for a variety of reverse types, apparently, none of them common (the Homonoia is the only type I could find with more than a single example).  A special issue?  The portrait is rendered in a fine style, finer than the typical Provincial of the era, I think. 

If anybody has any ideas on this reverse type, or what CAP means in the obverse legend, or anything else about Sicinnius Clarus, I'd be thrilled to hear them.  Feel free to share mystery coins, stuff from Thrace issued by Sicinnius Clarus etc.  

 

 

 

 

[Roman Collector]

The CAP is just the last syllable of KAICAP in the title. 

[seth77]

Fantastic work tracking down clues and very interesting coin.

The obverse legend is also a bit odd innit. The Lanz spec reads clearly AV KAICAR ANTWNINOC but are there other dies with this titulature? Usually Caracalla post-198 is reffered to as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (with several abbreviations) and then Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus, so what up with the strange emphasis on Caesar while Caracalla is obviously already Augustus?

The legate is certainly Sicinnius Clarus, dated to +/- 202 because of the coinage minted for Plautilla. With this obverse legend, your coin is likely pre-wedding, as the coinage of Plautilla minted by Clarus has full titles, so possibly 201?

The reverse die that would attribute your coin has to be a very wide and have the full ΠΑΥΤΑΛΙΑϹ in the well-defined exergue. This feature appears more in the coinage of the 2nd century - Marcus Aurelius, Commodus.

I think that fully attributing this coin would require access to Bulgarian researchers.

[Roman Collector]

46 minutes ago, seth77 said:

The Lanz spec reads clearly AV KAICAR ANTWNINOC but are there other dies with this titulature?

Ruzicka 519 (the Asklepios reverse type) was clearly struck with this die as well. It is the only tetrassarion listed in Ruzicka issued under Caracalla with this obverse legend. It may well be limited to a single obverse die. 

[Al Kowsky]

15 hours ago, Marsyas Mike said:

Well, this one made my head spin and this post might be a bit granular for general interest, but I'm locked down in a "polar vortex" with slippery sidewalks to boot, so I'm going to share today's adventure in ancient coin attribution sleuthing.

From an un-attributed lot from eBay came this big low-grade Æ from Pautalia issued for Caracalla.  It has some issues, as you can see (har), but although I was able to find three obverse die-matches, I could not find a reverse type to match this one, which is where the journey begins.  Here's my coin (13.83 grams / 27 x 26 mm): 

 

***

 As usual I started digging around the Internet, acsearch, etc. to try and figure it out.  I was fairly certain it was Caracalla - what I found a little peculiar was the CAP part of the inscription - does anybody knows what that stands for?  Surely not CARacalla - as that was a nickname and not found on coins.  Anyway, after digging, I found no matches to the reverse type - but several obverse die-matches.  

My primary source was a post on FORVM by member archivum, who had a similar attribution to mine, same obverse die, but a reverse figure he couldn't figure out. 

"Caracalla, Pautalia, Thrace, magistr. Sicinnius Clarus, AE 27, 13,72g, Laur. cuir. bust r. / ? standing nude l. with staff, chlamys draped on l. arm. Though this coin's reverse legend is lost, it is clearly from the same obverse die as scarce Sicinnius Clarus issues Varbanov 4956-4957 (coins pictured below). The staff actually looks like a trident, but this is an untypical pose for Poseidon, and Pautalia had no marine access; the figure may also be wearing a Phrygian cap. Any theories on whom this reverse represents?"

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=111264.0

In his query, "archivum" helpfully posted three obverse die-matches to his coin, with Asclepius and Homonoia reverses.  He also guided me in the right direction with the hegemon, Sicinnius Clarus - whose name is visible (mostly) on mine (more about him below).  Another FORVM member ("clueless") posted one with what looks like Athena on the reverse, but had no idea what it was. 

All of these obverse die-match mine.  Here they are (less the Homonoia types - which see below):  mine; Asclepius; Minerva/Athena?; Neptune?: 

 

***

The FORVM query also included one with a Homonoia reverse.  After doing some more digging, I tracked down the Homonoia reverse, which came from a CNG auction which was a Varbanov plate coin:  "–; Varbanov 4957 corr. (this coin illustrated); Mouchmov 4247."  This in turn seems to be the example coin in Wildwinds - rather confusingly, the Varbanov number changed between CNG/Wildwinds, despite being the same coin. 

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (same coin as Wildwinds) Electronic Auction 344; Lot 265; 12.02.2015 THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ (27mm, 16.77 g, 7h). C. Sicinius Clarus, hegemon. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Homonoia standing left, holding cornucopia and sacrificing with patera over lighted and garlanded altar to left. SNG Copenhagen –; Varbanov 4957 corr. (this coin illustrated); Mouchmov 4247. Good VF, green-brown patina, minor roughness on the reverse. From the Dr. George Spradling Collection.  https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3318281

Wildwinds (same coin as CNG) Caracalla, AE28 of Pautalia, Thrace. (AY KA)ICAP ANTWNINOC, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right / HG (CIKIN KLA)POU OUL PAUTALIAC, Homonoia standing left by altar, holding patera and cornucopiae. Varbanov 4940 var (legends); Moushmov 4247.  ebay sale 1999

 https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/thrace/pautalia/t.html and https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/caracalla/_pautalia_Moushmov_4247.txt

On acsearch I also found another obverse die-match with Homonoia reverse:

Münzen & Medaillen GmbH (DE) Auction 15; Lot 161; 21.10.2004 Description SLG. J. - P. RIGHETTI, TEIL IV THRAKIEN PAUTALIA. No.: 161 Schätzpreis/Estimate: EUR 75.- d=27 mm  Caracalla, 197 - 217. Bronze des Q. Sicinius Clarus, 202 - 205. Drap., gep. Büste mit L. n. r. Rv. OULPIAC PA YTALIAC HG CIKINIOU KLAROU Homonoia im langen Gewand frontal stehend, Kopf mit Kalathos n. l., in der Linken Füllhorn haltend, mit Patera in der Rechten über einem Rundaltar zu ihren Füssen opfernd. 14,80 g.  Ruzicka, P. 139, 521var. (Variante der Av. - Legende). Selten. Dunkelbraune Patina. Knapp sehr schön

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=194364

The Münzen & Medaillen GmbH (DE) coin is also on a FORVM member's gallery (rennrad12020) here: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=3126&pid=60093

Here are photos of all the Homonoia reverses with obverse die-matches; the CNG/Wildwind example is shown three times because one of them had Varbanov notes, and the Wildwinds coin, though the same as the CNG/Varbanov example, has a very different color, but I am pretty sure it is the CNG example.  The bottom coin is from the Münzen & Medaillen auction (FORVM rennrad12020 not shown):

 

 

***

So what (who) is that reverse type?  Here is a photo with my "enhancements" showing what I can make out - a figure standing left, holding a sceptre (not a cornucopiae as Homonoia does in the die-matches), altar at left.  Here is the reverse on mine, with some "enhancements" I made showing what of the reverse figure I can make out.  Note that the bronze disease'd area has been cleaned up since this photo was taken:

These characteristics generally match one from Pautalia issued for Commodus that I found, with Hera on the reverse:

 

THRACE. Pautalia. Commodus, 177-192. Pentassarion (Bronze, 29 mm, 16.16 g, 12 h), struck under the legate Caecilius Maternus. ΑVΤ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΡ ΑYΡ ΚΟΜΟΔΟC Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus to right. Rev. ΗΓΕ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΤΕΡΝΟY ΟYΛΠΙΑC ΠΑYΤΑΛΙΑC Hera standing left, holding patera in right hand over altar at her feet to left, and long scepter in left. RPC IV.1 Online, 8864 (temporary). Ruzicka 190. Very rare - only one specimen noted in RPC Online. Of fine style and with a green patina with earthen highlights. Very fine.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8070464

So Hera seems to be a good guess, if not fer sure.  

***

And now for some information on the guy whose name is on the reverse of these coins, Quintus Sicinnius Clarus.  As it turns out there is an article on the guy on Bulgarian Wikipedia (you got to love the Internet, really).  Here it is in the English translation:

"Quintus Sicinnius Clarus (in Latin : Quintus Sicinnius Clarus , in Greek : Κόϊντος Σικίνννιος Κλᾶρος) was a Roman governor of the province of Thrace ( legatus Augusti pro praetore Thraciae ) at the time of Augustus Septimius Severus in the period 201-204 . He came from the noble Roman family of Sicinius

He participated in the issuing of coin issues through the city government of Hadrianopole (now Edirne ), Augusta Traiana (now Stara Zagora ), Pautalia (now Kyustendil ) and probably Anchialo (now Pomorie ). Clarus is the last governor of Thrace whose name appears on the coins of the city governments of the province. Participated in welcoming the imperial family to the province in 202 on his return from Antioch to Rome. He organized the founding of the Emporium Pizos marketplace near the present-day village of Dimitrievo in 202."

https://bg-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Квинт_Сикиний_Клар?_x_tr_sl=bg&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Квинт_Сикиний_Клар

This really cool broken inscription in Greek is part of the article:

 

 Also, I found an old Harlan J. Berk auction on Internet Archives with additional information, which I think references the inscription above:

"Full text of "Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. 181st Buy or Bid Sale"

An inscription proves that Sicinnius Clarus was governor of Thrace during the consulship of Septimius and Caracalla, i.e. in 202 AD. Coins of Plautilla naming Clarus at several mints prove a similar date: Clarus’ governorship must have overlapped with Plautilla’s years as Augusta, between her engagement and marriage in 202 and her fall and exile early in 205."

https://archive.org/stream/harlanjberkltd180181harl/harlanjberkltd180181harl_djvu.txt

The full text of the inscription came up in a Google Books result, but I'll spare you the details.  

***

Whew.  That was exhausting.  But fun too (for me anyway).  So as far as I can tell, my new coin is unpublished/unlisted, but of course there are probably some others floating around out there.  In any case, this obverse die was used for a variety of reverse types, apparently, none of them common (the Homonoia is the only type I could find with more than a single example).  A special issue?  The portrait is rendered in a fine style, finer than the typical Provincial of the era, I think. 

If anybody has any ideas on this reverse type, or what CAP means in the obverse legend, or anything else about Sicinnius Clarus, I'd be thrilled to hear them.  Feel free to share mystery coins, stuff from Thrace issued by Sicinnius Clarus etc.  

 

 

 

 

Interesting coins & writeup 🤩!

[seth77]

22 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

Ruzicka 519 (the Asklepios reverse type) was clearly struck with this die as well. It is the only tetrassarion listed in Ruzicka issued under Caracalla with this obverse legend. It may well be limited to a single obverse die. 

At a rapid skim-through this legend is not used at other mints in Thracia either. And I don't think it was in use in Moesia Inferior either.

[Marsyas Mike]

Thank you so much @seth77 @Roman Collector @Al Kowsky for the clarifications, additional information and encouragement.  

3 hours ago, seth77 said:

The obverse legend is also a bit odd innit. The Lanz spec reads clearly AV KAICAR ANTWNINOC but are there other dies with this titulature? Usually Caracalla post-198 is reffered to as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (with several abbreviations) and then Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus, so what up with the strange emphasis on Caesar while Caracalla is obviously already Augustus?

The legate is certainly Sicinnius Clarus, dated to +/- 202 because of the coinage minted for Plautilla. With this obverse legend, your coin is likely pre-wedding, as the coinage of Plautilla minted by Clarus has full titles, so possibly 201?

The reverse die that would attribute your coin has to be a very wide and have the full ΠΑΥΤΑΛΙΑϹ in the well-defined exergue. This feature appears more in the coinage of the 2nd century - Marcus Aurelius, Commodus.

This is the kind of detail I was hoping to find - thanks again @seth77.   Severan titular stuff is definitely something I need to learn more about.  My knowledge about Provincials could at best be described as fledgling - my bewilderment over that CAR for example - I'm so used to seeing the "KAI" abbreviation on these the CAP threw me for a loop (thanks again @Roman Collector).  

 

2 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

It may well be limited to a single obverse die. 

I was starting to suspect the same thing - I think Pautalia was a fairly robust coin-issuing entity but this obverse bust just isn't turning up very often. 

The lot this came in consisted of two coins - barely a "lot" - but the seller threw in a cute little Caracalla from Trajanopolis as a freebie (I really, really like this seller).  The other coin in the purchase is also from Thrace and also apparently fairly scarce.  Thanks to finding a die-match in Corpus Nummorum, it wasn't nearly as difficult to attribute since I could just use the CN example.  Here it is:

Septimius Severus Æ 27 Hadrianopolis, Thrace (c. 193-211 A.D.) ΑV Κ Λ ϹΕΠΤΙ ϹΕVΗ[ΡΟϹΠ], laureate head right / ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Hermes, nude standing left, holding purse and caduceus; at his feet, ram. Jurukova 207; Varbanov 3374; Corpus Nummorum type 5927. (11.25 grams / 27 x 26 mm) eBay Jan. 2024      

Die-Match Obverse and Reverse: Corpus Nummorum type 5927; Jurukova p. 152, nr. 207; Varbanov p. 278, nr. 3374

Similar Type:  CNG E-Auction 323; Lot 212; 26.03.2014 has cuirassed bust with possible hegemon name T. S. Barbarus (196-198 A.D.)

Here is mine again with the CN example obverse-reverse die-match - this is the only other example anywhere I could find:

https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/types/5927

 

 

 

[seth77]

These local coinages make very interesting research projects. It's worth noting that your coin is not related to the issue of Barbarus, but it's rather ca. 205+ after Pautalia drops the legate signature on its large denominations.