A personification of Alexandria bowing to Hadrian (plus some other geographical personifications)

[DonnaML]

I've always been particularly fond of (1) ancient coins with geographical personifications of cities and provinces (I like river gods, including Nilus, and my coin with a personification of Oceanus as well, but am putting them aside for purposes of this thread to keep things simpler!); (2) coins from Roman Alexandria (I currently have 53 different types); and (3) coins of Hadrian (I currently have 45 different types).

As a coin from Roman Alexandria issued by Hadrian, and depicting the personification of Alexandria on the reverse, this new coin combines all three different categories. So naturally I'm pleased with it. Furthermore, it was issued to commemorate his famous trip to Egypt in AD 130 -- famous, among other things, because during that trip Antinous drowned in the Nile under circumstances which will always remain a mystery -- and was issued contemporaneously, rather than several years after the fact like the coins in Hadrian's Travel Series depicting personifications of Alexandria, Aegyptos, Africa, etc.

Hadrian, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 15 (AD 130/131), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, ΑΥΤ ΚΑI ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ CЄΒ [ = Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus] / Rev. Hadrian, laureate and togate, standing left with scepter in his left hand and extending his right hand toward Alexandria standing right, with her head bowed forward, wearing cap in form of elephant’s head, short chiton, peplos, and boots, holding vexillum in her left hand and extending two grain ears with her right hand toward Hadrian’s right hand [see Milne p. 152, standing Alexandria with Hadrian rev. type a(1)]; L – IE (Year 15) across fields (L to left of Alexandria, and IE between her vexillum and Hadrian).

References:

RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III Online 5768 (at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5768 );

Milne 1294-1296 at p. 32 (same date placement) [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)];

BMC 16 Alexandria 669 at p. 79 (rev. ill. Pl. XXVII) (same date placement) [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892];

Kellner Teil 6, “Hadrianus (Jahr 12 bis zum Ende),” p. 18 (ill. p. 107 Abb. 5) (same date placement) [Wendelin Kellner, Die Münzstätte Alexandria in Ägypten (2009)];

K & G 32.505 (ill. p. 138) (date placement var.) [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria  (2008)];

Emmett 845.15 at p. 47 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)];

Förschner 450 (ill. p. 154) (same date placement) [Förschner, Gisela, Die Münzen der Römischen Kaiser in Alexandrien, Historisches Museum Frankfurt (1987)];

Sear RCV II 3736 at p. 173;

SNG France 4, Alexandrie II 1669-1678 (all illustrated; same date placement) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France Vol. 4, Alexandrie II, Hadrien – Antonin le Pieux – Nomes (Zurich 2018)];

Curtis 409-412 at p. 17 (same date placement) [James W. Curtis, The Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt (1969)].

 24 mm., 13.81 g., 12 h.

 Purchased from Leu Numismatik AG, Winterthur, Switzerland, Web Auction 29, 25 Feb. 2024, Lot 1511; “From the collection of a Cosmopolitan, acquired before 2005.”

This may be a common type, but for whatever reason, it isn't usually in this kind of condition, with this kind of detail.  (Also, the photo doesn't really convey its beautiful dark patina.) I particularly enjoy seeing so clearly that Alexandria is demonstrating her subordinate position with respect to Hadrian -- after all, Egypt was an "imperial" rather than merely a "senatorial" province -- by bowing her head to him.  (He probably wasn't aware when this scene took place that Nilus was lying in wait for Antinous!)

Here is my only other Roman Egyptian coin with a personification of Alexandria, although it's not her entire figure:

Nero, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 12 (65/66 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Radiate bust of Nero with aegis, right, ΝΕΡΩ ΚΛΑV ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡ / Rev. Bust of Alexandria, right, wearing elephant headdress, AYTO-KPA around, LIB [Year 12] in right field.  RPC I Online 5289, Emmett 109.12, Milne 238 at p. 7 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)], K&G 14.88. 20x23 mm., 12.11 g.

And here's the Roman Imperial coin from Hadrian's Travel Series depicting a personification of Alexandria, which looks quite different from the one on my new coin:

Hadrian AR Denarius, Travel Series, Rome Mint, 130-133 AD (according to RIC II.3 p. 173: Group 10, “Provinces Cycle”) [134-138 AD according to Mattingly & Sydenham in old RIC II]. Obv. Bareheaded and draped bust right, viewed from back or side, HADRIANVS - AVG COS III PP / Rev. Alexandria, draped, standing left, holding sistrum in extended right hand and basket in left hand with snake emerging from it and situla (water pail) hanging below*; ALEX-AN-DRIA. RIC II.3 Hadrian 1504 & Pl. 31 (2019 edition), old RIC II 300 (1926 ed.), RSC II 156, BMCRE III Hadrian 826, Foss 94a, Sear RCV II 3460 (obv. var.). Purchased from Dix Noonan Webb Auction 253, 13 March 2022, Lot 1408; ex B.A. Seaby Ltd. London, retail purchase 1990 (with coin envelope from Seaby).

 

*See Strack (1933) at p. 164, stating that the round object beneath the basket is a situla, Isis' normal two-part water pail or container, hanging from her left wrist in the coin type: "am Handgelenk hängt das der Isis eigene zweiteilige Wassergefäss." It certainly makes sense that Alexandria would have some more of the attributes of Isis in Romano-Egyptian iconography -- just like "Aegyptos" -- given that she already holds a sistrum. 

Wikipedia describes a situla as a bucket or pail, and specifically mentions it as an attribute of Isis. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situla. [Remainder of footnote omitted.]

Here's the personification of Aegyptos from Hadrian's Travel Series:

Hadrian AR Denarius, Travel Series, Rome Mint, 130-133 AD (according to RIC II.3 p. 173: Group 10, “Provinces Cycle”). Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right / Rev: AEGYPTOS, Egypt reclining left, holding sistrum in right hand and resting left arm on basket; to left, ibis standing right. RIC II.3 Hadrian 1482 & Pl. 30 (2019 edition), old RIC II 297d (1926 ed.), RSC II 99, Sear RCV II 3456, BMCRE III Hadrian 801-3, Foss 95 at p. 118 (dating Hadrian’s travels in Egypt to AD 130) [Clive Foss, Roman Historical Coins (Seaby, London, 1990)]. 18 mm., 3.11 g., 7 hr. 

And here are the two personifications of Africa from the same series. (Not the continent of Africa, of course, but the province, roughly encompassing "the territory of present-day Tunisia, the northeast of Algeria, and the coast of western Libya"; see  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa_(Roman_province)

Hadrian AR Denarius, Travel Series, Rome Mint, 130-133 AD (according to RIC II.3 p. 173: Group 10, “Provinces Cycle”) [134-138 AD according to Mattingly & Sydenham in old RIC II]. Obv. Bare head left, HADRIANVS - AVG COS III PP / Rev. Africa reclining left, leaning with left elbow on rock, wearing elephant-skin headdress, holding scorpion with extended right hand and cradling cornucopiae with left hand and arm, basket of grain-ears to left at her feet, AFRICA. RIC II.3 Hadrian 1497 & Pl. 31 (2019 edition) (see http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_3(2).hdn.1497); old RIC II Hadrian 299 (1926 ed.) var. (head right), RSC II Hadrian 137, Sear RCV II 3459 obv. var. (laureate head left), BMCRE III Hadrian 821 var. (this type cited at BMCRE 821 fn. at p. 344); Foss 81 at p. 117 (dating Hadrian’s travels in the province of Africa to AD 128) [Clive Foss, Roman Historical Coins (Seaby, London, 1990)]. 18 mm., 3.31 g. Purchased from Akropolis Ancient Coins, Jan. 2022.

Hadrian AR Denarius, Travel Series, Rome Mint, 130-133 AD (according to RIC II.3 p. 173: Group 10, “Provinces Cycle”) [136 AD according to Sear RCV II p. 150]. Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder, HADRIANVS – AVG COS III PP / Rev. Hadrian togate, standing left, holding volumen (scroll) in left hand; with his right hand, clasping right hand of Africa and about to raise her from her kneeling position, right; she wears elephant skin headdress and holds two grain ears with her left hand; between them, two stalks of grain; RESTITVTORI – AFRICAE. RIC II.3 Hadrian 1569 & Pl. 34 (2019 edition); old RIC II Hadrian 322 (1926 ed.); RSC II Hadrian 1223a; BMCRE III Hadrian 871; Sear RCV II 3533; Foss 80 at p. 117 (dating Hadrian’s relevant trip to AD 128) [Clive Foss, Roman Historical Coins (Seaby, London, 1990)]. 17x19 mm., 3.41 g.  Purchased from Noonans Auction 13-14 July, 2022, Lot 988.

[Note the similarity of this personification of Africa to the personification of Alexandria on my new coin posted above, including the elephant-skin headdress, the two grain ears in her hand, and the subordinate position to Hadrian.]

Two other personifications of Africa, one earlier and one later than Hadrian:

Roman Republic, Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio with M. Eppivs, Leg. F. C., 47/46 BCE, N. Africa, mobile military mint traveling with Scipio’s camp [see CRI, infra at p. 33]. Obv. Head of Africa right [smaller-head type] wearing elephant skin, grain-ear in front and plough below, Q • METEL[L] downwards at right, [SC]IPIO • IM[P] upwards at left; “J”-shaped banker’s mark in right field in front of Africa’s chin and neck / Rev. Hercules, naked, standing facing, right hand on hip, left arm resting on club draped with lion’s skin and set on rock; EPPIVS downwards at right, [LE]G • F • C upwards at left.  Crawford 461/1; CRI 44 p. 33 (ill p. 33) [David Sear, The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators 49-27 BC (1998)]; RSC I Caecilia [Babelon] 50a [smaller head] & Eppia 1; Sear RCV I 1380/2 [smaller head] (ill. p. 262); RBW Collection 1605 (ill. p. 337); BMCRR Africa 12 [smaller head]; Claire Rowan, From Caesar to Augustus (c. 49 BC - AD 14), Using Coins as Sources (Cambridge 2019) at pp. 46-47 (ill. Fig. 2.25 p. 46). 15x18 mm., 3.82 g.  Purchased from Noonans (Noonans Mayfair Ltd., London, UK), Auction 285, 5 Dec. 2023, Lot 231 (no pedigree, but described as having “old cabinet tone”).* 

*Issued by Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio (ca. 95-46 BCE), a great-great-great-grandson of Scipio Africanus [see Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintus_Caecilius_Metellus_Pius_Scipio], and also a member of the Caecilii Metelli family by testamentary adoption [id.]. He issued this coin as the commander-in-chief of the remaining Pompeian forces in North Africa after Pompey’s defeat at Pharsalus and subsequent assassination, leading up to their defeat by Caesar at the Battle of Thapsus (in present-day Tunisia) on 6 Feb. 46 BCE. In CRI at p. 33, Sear states as follows about this coin:

[Remainder of footnote omitted.]

Septimius Severus, AR Denarius 207 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, SEVERVS - PIVS AVG / Rev. Africa in elephant-skin headdress standing facing, head right, holding out drapery containing basket of fruit[?], lion crouching to her right at her feet, head left, PM TR P XV CPOS III PP. RIC IV 207, RSC III 493, Sear RCV II 6341. 18.73 mm., 2.95 g.  Purchased from Marc Breitsprecher; ex Madroosi Collection (Joe Blazick).

Some more geographical personifications -- not counting Roma herself -- from Hadrian's Travel Series (writeups omitted):

The Province of Asia:

The Province of Italia:

The Province of Germania:

The Province of Hispania being raised by Hadrian, complete with the famous Rabbit of Spain:

 

A Roman Republican coin with a personification of Sicilia:

Roman Republic, Mn. Aquillius Mn.f. Mn.n. [Manius Aquillius, son of Manius and grandson of Manius], AR Serrate Denarius, 71 BCE, Rome Mint. Obv. Helmeted and draped bust of Virtus right; III VIR downwards behind, VIRTVS upwards in front / Rev. Manius Aquillius [the moneyer’s grandfather, Consul 101 BCE] standing facing, head right, bearing shield on his left side, raising with his right hand a prostrate Sicilia [personification of Sicily], kneeling left at his feet; MN. AQVIL. upwards to right, MN. F. MN. N. [each MN in monogram] downwards to left; SICIL in exergue. Crawford 401/1, RSC I Aquillia 2 (ill.), Sear RCV I 336 (ill.), Sydenham 798, Harlan RRM I Ch. 31, pp. 183-188 [Harlan, Michael, Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins, 81 BCE-64 BCE (2012)]. 18x20 mm., 3.76 g.* 

Some other geographical personifications (writeups omitted), not counting river or ocean gods, and not counting Roma and Constantinopolis:

A couple of Trajan's personifications of Arabia, one a denarius and the other a drachm:

I'm leaving out my coins of Trajan with personifications of the Danube and the Via Traiana, but here are some depicting captive Dacians, even though it isn't clear to me that any of them are supposed to be personifications of Dacia itself rather than individual Dacians:

Finally, a couple of geographical personifications of provinces on coins of Trajan Decius:

Trajan Decius, Dacia:

Trajan Decius, the two Pannoniae:

Please post your own ancient coins with geographical personifications (excluding Roma, Constantinopolis, and personifications of rivers, oceans, roads, etc.).

Edited March 21 by DonnaML

[John Conduitt]

A nice diverse set of reverses. I didn't even know there were 45 of Hadrian!

I only have Britannia, in bronze, looking like Dacia.

Hadrian As, 119

Rome. Bronze, 10.00g. Laureate bust right; IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG. Britannia seated facing, holding sceptre, large shield to right; PONT MAX T R POT COS III; S C; BRITANNIA in exergue (RIC II.3, 241).

Antoninus Pius As, 154-155

Britain or Rome. Bronze, 8.63g. Laureate head right; ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVIII. Britannia seated left on rock, resting head on hand; arms in background; BRITANNIA - COS IIII around; SC in exergue (RIC III, 934).

[DonnaML]

33 minutes ago, John Conduitt said:

A nice diverse set of reverses. I didn't even know there were 45 of Hadrian!
 

No, 45 is just the number of coins of Hadrian I have, not the number of different types of his travel series. Although that number has to be pretty high itself, especially if you count the denarii and the sestertii separately as different types, even when they portray the same personification.

I really like your Britannias; I don't often see them. Do you know if they were found in England?

Edited March 22 by DonnaML

[John Conduitt]

I don't know, but I suspect not. Even the Hadrian is in a better state than almost every Britannia coin I've seen that was found in Britain. It seems they were well used and then lost singularly, so they're both worn and heavily corroded.

[DonnaML]

For anyone interested in how one European dealer handles U.S. Customs issues for ancient coins from Roman Egypt, here is the Leu statement that accompanied my new coin.

I only wish Leu would pick less ridiculous-sounding fictional names for the collections it sells than "Collection of a Cosmopolitan"! 

[David Atherton]

Your new Hadrian is superb Donna. And a wonderful write-up to go with it. Congrats!

[AETHER]

If only he could, Hadrian would blush right bout now.

[DonnaML]

A Marcus Aurelius sestertius with a personification of Italia that I forgot to post above, along with an unidentified personification on a coin of Gratian for whom one of our members suggested Italia as the identity. 

Marcus Aurelius, AE Sestertius, 173 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder; M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII / Rev. Marcus Aurelius standing left, holding scepter with left hand, and, with his right hand, raising by her right hand a kneeling figure of Italia, wearing a turret and holding a globe with her left hand; [RESTITVTORI ITALIAE] IMP VI COS III [bracketed portion off flan]. RIC III 1078, Sear RCV II 4997, Cohen 538. 30mm, 25.8g. [According to David Sear (see RCV II at p. 315), this coin "commemorates the deliverance of Italy from the threat of barbarian invasion resulting from the emperor's successes in his wars against the Germanic tribes of the Danubian region."] [Purchased from Incitatus Coins, June 2020.]

Gratian, AE Maiorina, AD 379-383, Siscia [Sisak, Croatia] Mint, 1st Officina. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG / Rev. Gratian, in military attire, standing facing, head left, raising with his right hand a turreted female figure (Italia?)* who kneels right before him, and holding Victory on globe in his left hand, REPARATIO – REIPVB; in exergue, mint & officina mark ASISC [A = 1st Officina, SISC = Siscia Mint]. RIC IX Siscia 26(a)1 (p. 150); Sear RCV V 20008 (ill. p. 364); Cohen 30. 23 mm., 4.58 g. Purchased 2 Apr. 2023 from Kirk Davis, Claremont, CA, Cat. No. 81, Spring 2023, Lot 80 (ill. p. 19).

*To the best of my knowledge, no authority has attempted to identify this turreted female figure. I have certainly never seen Roma portrayed with a turreted crown. Could she have been intended as a personification of “the Republic” itself? Among other personifications and deities portrayed with a turreted crown, Cybele and Tyche seem unlikely in this era. Perhaps bearing in mind that Gratian was Emperor only in the West, our member @John Conduitt suggested Italia. See his comment at https://www.numisforums.com/topic/2120-emperors-of-rome-a-chronological-portrait-gallery/page/61/#comment-50238 . However, coins with the same reverse legend and depicting the same turreted female figure were issued during the same period in the name of Theodosius I – then Emperor only in the East – in Siscia and elsewhere. What would be the identity of the turreted female personification on those coins?

 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Magnus Maximus also struck the turreted woman type. I have one on an AE2.

Agree that in this mostly Christian era it is probably not Tyche. Then it that case whom might it represent? Also wonderful selection Donna. I have the Alexandria kissing Hadrian's hand, head bowed, on a drachm.

Edit: I've added the relevant coins. Note that the Hadrian piece was acquired from the forum's own @JAZ Numismatics a couple of years ago.

 

Edited March 23 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[expat]

Wonderful thread subject accompanied by a great selection of coin examples. I have an example of Septimus Severus wiith the personification of Africa

Septimius Severus AR Denarius, Rome 207 AD. 20mm, 3.31gr.
RIC 207, RSC 493, BMC 531
SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / P M TR P XV COS III P P, Personification of Africa standing right, holding out folds of drapery containing fruits, lion at feet walking right.

[JAZ Numismatics]

I always have to set aside an afternoon to read your dissertations Donna, lol. Lots of very cool coins in that first post! Wow.

 

I currently have one of the Nero/Alexandria tets. The date is off-flan, but this type was only struck in RY12 according to my sources, AD 65/6. At this stage they still poured enough silver into the sludge to make the coins look silvery...

 

As far as Hadrian goes, here's a rare as with Janus reverse. Yes, Janus - on this example it looks like he has only one face, but on better preserved specimens, it's quite clear. Janus is found frequently on Republic coinage, but very rarely on Imperial types. Some of them are so rare, you'll likely never see one come up for auction.

 

 

 

And for geographical personifications, I'll add Moesia from an issue of Viminacium...

 

 

Edited March 22 by JAZ Numismatics

[Octavius]

Personification of Judea in mourning on the reverse of this IVDAEA CAPTA sestertius of Vespasian....

[DonnaML]

5 hours ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

I always have to set aside an afternoon to read your dissertations Donna, lol. Lots of very cool coins in that first post! Wow.

 

And for geographical personifications, I'll add Moesia from an issue of Viminacium...

 

 

Thank you, @JAZ Numismatics. Good to see you posting again.

I don't know how I managed to forget that I have what looks like the same or a very similar type depicting Moesia's personification that you do:

Philip I, AE 23 (Dupondius), Viminacium, Moesia Superior (Provincial capital) [nr. Kostolac, Serbia], Mar-Jul 244 AD [City Year 5].* Obv. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, IMP IVL PHILIPPVS PIVS FEL AVG PM [PM = Persicus Maximus] [= Emperor Iulius Philippus dutiful and fortunate Augustus, greatest conquerer of the Persians] / Rev. Moesia standing facing, head left; to left, bull standing right; to right, lion standing left; P M S C – OL VIM [Provinciae Moesiae Superioris Colonia Viminacium] around; in exergue, AN V [Year 5]. 23 mm., 8.11 g., 1 h. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. VIII Online 2383 [temporary ID number] (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/2383) ; AMNG I/I 97 (p. 39) [Pick, Behrendt, Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. I/I  (Berlin, 1898)]; Varbanov 131 Varbanov 5781 [Varbanov, Ivan, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume I: Dacia, Moesia Superior & Moesia Inferior (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria, 2005)]; H & J 25 [Hristova, Nina and Gospodin Jekov, The Local Coinage of the Roman Empire - Moesia Superior, VIMINACIUM (Blagoevgrad, 2004)]. Purchased from Nomos AG Obolos Auction 23, 12 Jun 2022, Lot 576.

[DonnaML]

14 hours ago, Ancient Coin Hunter said:

Magnus Maximus also struck the turreted woman type. I have one on an AE2.

Agree that in this mostly Christian era it is probably not Tyche. Then it that case whom might it represent? 

Thank you, @Ancient Coin Hunter. It's rather frustrating that despite all that's been written about Roman coin types in the last 150 years or so, no catalog or numismatic expert I know of appears even to have speculated about the identity of the kneeling turreted personification on coins of several emperors -- in both the East and the West -- in the second half of the 4th century.  None of the "usual suspects" seems to fit very well.

[JAZ Numismatics]

I believe it is Tyche, and the scene is meant to symbolize the submission of local governmental authority to the crown, an expression of hierarchy. Tyche was, after all, a civic deity - the protectress of cities. The true Gloria Romanorum was its social organization. That's what enabled the empire's vast and complex civilization. 

But by the Valentinian Dynasty, Christianity had become firmly established, and it's possible the scene had a double meaning: the submission of paganism to the Christian emperor, who was in the 4th and 5th centuries still considered pontifex maximus.

[DonnaML]

47 minutes ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

I believe it is Tyche, and the scene is meant to symbolize the submission of local governmental authority to the crown, an expression of hierarchy. Tyche was, after all, a civic deity - the protectress of cities. The true Gloria Romanorum was its social organization. That's what enabled the empire's vast and complex civilization. 

But by the Valentinian Dynasty, Christianity had become firmly established, and it's possible the scene had a double meaning: the submission of paganism to the Christian emperor, who was in the 4th and 5th centuries still considered pontifex maximus.

Sounds very logical to me! I will quote you in the future as the leading authority on this question.

Edited March 23 by DonnaML

[antwerpen2306]

I have the same tetradrachm of Nero as yours :23,5 mm , 12,98 gr , as 12 uur .

The reverse is the personification of the town Alexandria.

In the first century of Roman art, a woman with an elephants symbol was the image of Africa. The first representation of a head with an'exuviae elephantis' is on a tetrdrachm of Ptolemaios I, about 320/315. The represented person is Alexander the Great. Ptolemaios made also an analogy of Alexander with Heracles with a lions skin, referring to the battle of Alexander  with Poros on an elephant in Hydaspes in 326 BC.

In the Julian-Claudian period is there only one representation of a woman with a cap in the form of an elephants head, this coin, the reason why numismatics think it is a representation of Alexandria.

The personification of Africa occurs not often in the period Traianus-Hadrianus and Africa is also represented as an elephant or a protome .

I am making  an inventory of my coins for my daughter and this is the commentary I made for this coin.

 

[Marsyas Mike]

On 3/22/2024 at 12:19 AM, DonnaML said:

Marcus Aurelius, AE Sestertius, 173 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder; M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII / Rev. Marcus Aurelius standing left, holding scepter with left hand, and, with his right hand, raising by her right hand a kneeling figure of Italia, wearing a turret and holding a globe with her left hand; [RESTITVTORI ITALIAE] IMP VI COS III [bracketed portion off flan]. RIC III 1078, Sear RCV II 4997, Cohen 538. 30mm, 25.8g. [According to David Sear (see RCV II at p. 315), this coin "commemorates the deliverance of Italy from the threat of barbarian invasion resulting from the emperor's successes in his wars against the Germanic tribes of the Danubian region."] [Purchased from Incitatus Coins, June 2020.]

@DonnaML your collection is dazzling.  Thanks for sharing.  

Here's Alexandria holding the severed head of Serapis on a tetradrachm of Diocletian.  

Egypt  Potin Tetradrachm Diocletian Year 5 (288/289 A.D.) Alexandria Mint A K Γ OYA Λ ΔIOKΛ[HTIANOC] CEB], laureate and cuir. bust r. / Alexandria standing left holding head of Serapis and  sceptre, star right, L-Є across. Milne 4915; Emmett 4025. (7.98 grams / 17 mm) eBay Sep. 2019           

Just last week I got a Marcus Aurelius with the RESTITVTORI ITALIAE reverse, for one of mine, it isn't too shabby:

 

[Orange Julius]

Some really cool coins in this thread. I’d love to collect Hadrian’s travel series but those can get expensive. 

I’ve always like this personification of Alexandria from Alexandria. The Claudius II portrait isn’t of great style but the reverse portrait of Alexandria is beautiful.

Claudius II, AE Potin tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt. Year 2. AYT K KΛAYΔIOC CEB, laureate, cuirassed bust right / L-B to left and right of Alexandria, draped and turreted bust right, wearing close fitting cap, curls of hair down the neck. Maerkl Coll. 29; Mionnet VI 3427, Pl. III 56. Kampmann 104.19; Milne 4246; BMC 2330; Emmett 3869.