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Six hundred years of an Ancient Denomination


kevikens

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Two coins struck in the same city over 300 years apart, but with a distinctly similar fabric. There was long gap in between the last tetradrachm and first 12 nummi, but the Egyptian's love for thick dumpy coins remained strong.

 

Left: Diocletian 284-305AD Alexandrian tetradrachm / Tyche year 3 (=286/287AD)

Right: Heraclius 610-641AD Byzantine 12 nummi

Alexandrian_tet_and_12n.jpg.5fcdd3c68f02dff02c2c6aae38a3d26b.jpg

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11 hours ago, kevikens said:

Interesting. I wonder if the Diocletian era and afterwards have their follis coins from the Alexandria  mint  thick and dumpy in the fourth and fifth centuries. It would be fascinating to discover that the Alexandria mint, whether turning out tetradrachms, folles, or nummi had gotten so used to that kind of fabric that they continued the practice right up to the Arab conquest.

This Umayyad AE fals (4.87g) struck at al-Iskandariya (Alexandria) c. 750 CE shares the familiar dumpy fabric of the Late Roman tetradrachms and Byzantine dodecanummi.

1412064.jpg.9f2bd31f634e35fa5ad1f652de2fb3e8.jpg

📷 Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger

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2 hours ago, Postvmvs said:

@DLTcoins Thanks for sharing. Is this a rare type?

Yes, it's rare, I suppose. I had one in my collection of early Islamic copper. It brought a good price when I sold the collection but those used to buying Roman coins would probably find Umayyad coppers, even rare ones, relatively affordable. Note on the left face Arabic مصر (Misr, "Egypt") above a rudimentary Greek AΛΕ (αλ'). On the other face is الاسكندرية (al-Iskandariya) broken into two lines. There is no date but it bears the name of the finance minister 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan who is known to have been active in Egypt in 132h. There are a number of AE types for Umayyad Egypt, most of which have the thick fabric.

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image.png.62306b5f4df42298dd33c4036f0e7aeb.png

Egypt Ptolemy I Soter Tet Delta bankers marks

 

image.png.eba1d2dffe72b21efe43f3839d59d5a4.png

Egypt Ptolemy III AE Tet 41mm 7.2mm thick 67.5g Zeus Ammon Eagle Cornucopia XP Chi-Rho

 

image.png.f074a2ba1f38715fca30ac6a4c409ea0.png

Egypt Ptolemy IV 221-205 BC AE Tet 40mm 7.2mm thick 69.5g Zeus Ammon Eagle

 

image.png.1d5eb3be74d42c2a08d1fbd3beb1b216.png

RI Carinus 282-285 CE BI Potin Tet 19mm 8.1g Alexandria Egypt 19mm Athena Seated holding Nike

 

image.png.c034a47a1f35220ddfeb966614620324.png

RI Carus 282-283 CE AE 18mm BI Tet Consecratio Flaming Alter Divus Carus under Carinus R2

 

image.png.dd57c980deda05e7e03424cddce0eaef.png

RI Otho 69 CE BI AR Tet 23mm Egypt Helmeted Roma Emmet 186

 

image.png.848ed1deda4c1876e8f8a464ef3b98e0.png

RI Poppea-Nero BI tetradrachm of Alexandria LI yr10 63-64 CE Milne 217 RPC 5275

 

 

 

 

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Posted · Supporter

Here is my latest.

Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Gordian I, 238 AD. Billon Tetradrachm (23mm, 12.49g). Struck 238 AD. Obv: Α Κ Μ ΑΝ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟΣ ΣΕΜ ΑΦΡ ΕΥΣΕΒ; Draped armored bust with laurel wreath n. r. Rev: Tyche with cornucopia and oar, in the field date L A. Ref: Dattari 4663 f.; Goats 2604; RPC 3639. Very Fine or better, nice grey brown patina. One of five privately owned copies! Ex Frankfurter Münzhandlung Auction 156 (4 Nov 2022), Lot 391. Ex Gorny & Mosch 302 (4 Mar 2024), Lot 373. 

image.jpeg.aa257269d5d57360e1053c9c92547984.jpeg

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Posted (edited)

With so many excellent coins posted, it's hard for me to come up with a worthwhile contribution, but here are possible candidates.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, tetradrachm, Alexandria,  285-246 BC.

13.87 grams

D-CameraPtolemyIIPhiladelphustetradrachmAlexandria285-246BC13.87gebayIsrael4-28-22.jpg.48745615c628a7f4899a9208173f9af8.jpg

 

Ptolemy XII, Tetradrachm, 73/2 BC, Regnal Year 8.

D-CameraPtolemyXIITetradrachm73-72ADYear82019eBaypurchaseIseael6-4-20.jpg.113ef6615764e08c683fe6ef1f79cebe.jpg

 

Nero, BI tetradrachm, Tiberius on reverse, Alexandria, RY 13 (AD 66/7)

Köln 187-9

12.54 grams

D-CameraNeroTiberiusBItetAlexandriaDatedRY13AD66-67Kln187-912.54gSal4-11-22.jpg.ca273e2f5342c02f779bc5cf9c2d8785.jpg

 

Hadrian, BI tetradrachm, Alexandria, RY 14 (129/30 AD).

RPC III 5737

12.80 grams

D-CameraHadrianBItetradrachmAlexandriaRY14(129-30AD)RPCIII573712.80geBay7-15-22.jpg.06e0366f548d84e2e1202fb98cbbf266.jpg

 

Sabina, BI tetradrachm, Alexandria, Year 15 (130/1 AD).

Cologne-1262; Dattari-2063; BM-918; RPC-5774 (9 specimens)

12.84 grams

D-CameraSabinaBItetradrachmAlexandriaYear15130-1ADCologne-1262Dattari-2063BM-918RPC-5774(9specimens)12.84grams.jpg.b0931dd297a88d2a029289883f30e256.jpg

 

Gallienus, BI tetradrachm;  253-268 AD, Alexandria, RY 14 (266//7 AD).

10.22 grams

D-CameraGallienusTet253-268ADAlexandriaRY14266-267AD10.22gHJB7-20219-18-21.jpg.d725479e2c3746d6f0b5b50dcf57cd59.jpg

 

Diocletian, BI tetradrachm, Alexandria, RY 12 (295/6 AD).

RPC unassigned; ID 76381.

7.02 grams 

Last year of tetradrachm production for Alexandria, Egypt.

D-CameraDiocletianBItetraAlexandriaRY12(lastyearoftetprod)7.02grams4-9-24.jpg.d0c6d5d682bc8df19b581dd8aa2a9fb0.jpg

Edited by robinjojo
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On 5/25/2024 at 2:37 AM, robinjojo said:

With so many excellent coins posted, it's hard for me to come up with a worthwhile contribution, but here are possible candidates.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus, tetradrachm, Alexandria,  285-246 BC.

13.87 grams

D-CameraPtolemyIIPhiladelphustetradrachmAlexandria285-246BC13.87gebayIsrael4-28-22.jpg.48745615c628a7f4899a9208173f9af8.jpg

 

Ptolemy XII, Tetradrachm, 73/2 BC, Regnal Year 8.

D-CameraPtolemyXIITetradrachm73-72ADYear82019eBaypurchaseIseael6-4-20.jpg.113ef6615764e08c683fe6ef1f79cebe.jpg

 

Nero, BI tetradrachm, Tiberius on reverse, Alexandria, RY 13 (AD 66/7)

Köln 187-9

12.54 grams

D-CameraNeroTiberiusBItetAlexandriaDatedRY13AD66-67Kln187-912.54gSal4-11-22.jpg.ca273e2f5342c02f779bc5cf9c2d8785.jpg

 

Hadrian, BI tetradrachm, Alexandria, RY 14 (129/30 AD).

RPC III 5737

12.80 grams

D-CameraHadrianBItetradrachmAlexandriaRY14(129-30AD)RPCIII573712.80geBay7-15-22.jpg.06e0366f548d84e2e1202fb98cbbf266.jpg

 

Sabina, BI tetradrachm, Alexandria, Year 15 (130/1 AD).

Cologne-1262; Dattari-2063; BM-918; RPC-5774 (9 specimens)

12.84 grams

D-CameraSabinaBItetradrachmAlexandriaYear15130-1ADCologne-1262Dattari-2063BM-918RPC-5774(9specimens)12.84grams.jpg.b0931dd297a88d2a029289883f30e256.jpg

 

Gallienus, BI tetradrachm;  253-268 AD, Alexandria, RY 14 (266//7 AD).

10.22 grams

D-CameraGallienusTet253-268ADAlexandriaRY14266-267AD10.22gHJB7-20219-18-21.jpg.d725479e2c3746d6f0b5b50dcf57cd59.jpg

 

Diocletian, BI tetradrachm, Alexandria, RY 12 (295/6 AD).

RPC unassigned; ID 76381.

7.02 grams 

Last year of tetradrachm production for Alexandria, Egypt.

D-CameraDiocletianBItetraAlexandriaRY12(lastyearoftetprod)7.02grams4-9-24.jpg.d0c6d5d682bc8df19b581dd8aa2a9fb0.jpg

That coin of Sabina is one of the best of her I have ever seen!

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