Help Request. Greek or Indo-Greek, Kushan or Bactrian or Thrace? Small AE with two heads.

[Marsyas Mike]

I recently bought an unattributed batch of mixed Greek and Roman ancients that has been a lot of fun figuring out.  The first dozen I attributed, with some effort in some cases.  But this one has me stumped.  Just glancing at it, the style seems very Kushan to me.  Or possibly Thrace, part of the Augustus-Rhoemetalces series of two-and-three-headed AEs?  Or Indo-Scythian, Indo-Greek, Bactrian?   But this one is just not matching up to anything I've seen online, acsearch, etc.

It is 17 mm diameter and 2.35 grams.  The inscription looks kinda Greek, kinda not (Kharoshti?).  

Any help greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.    

 

 

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I'm not a provincial expert but it reminds me of the Anatolian issues with Demos/the Senate.

[Marsyas Mike]

Just now, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I'm not a provincial expert but it reminds me of the Anatolian issues with Demos/the Senate.

Ha!  Yes is does!  I had not thought of that - thank you for the suggestion.  Sometimes when I research these, I go into a kind of feedback loop that I have trouble getting out of.  I will look into this.  Thanks again @Nerosmyfavorite68

[shanxi]

Not Demos, Roma (turreted) and Senate. You can read ..ΛΗΤΟ.. (ϹΥΝΚΛΗΤΟϹ) behind Senate.

The Ω behind Roma is in the same position as the Ω in (ΘΕΑ)(Ν) (ΡΩ) ΕΡΜΟΚΑΠΗΛ(Ε)ΙΤ(Ω)(Ν) on this coin from Hermocapelia.

Not much, I know.

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/328016

Edited September 21 by shanxi

[Marsyas Mike]

36 minutes ago, shanxi said:

Not Demos, Roma (turreted) and Senate. You can read ..ΛΗΤΟ.. (ϹΥΝΚΛΗΤΟϹ) behind Senate.

The Ω behind Roma is in the same position as the Ω in (ΘΕΑ)(Ν) (ΡΩ) ΕΡΜΟΚΑΠΗΛ(Ε)ΙΤ(Ω)(Ν) on this coin from Hermocapelia.

Not much, I know.

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/328016

This is a much closer match than I was coming up with - many thanks @shanxi   This gets me closer, I'm certain!  (And no, I've never heard of Hermocapelia).    

[Marsyas Mike]

1 hour ago, shanxi said:

Not Demos, Roma (turreted) and Senate. You can read ..ΛΗΤΟ.. (ϹΥΝΚΛΗΤΟϹ) behind Senate.

The Ω behind Roma is in the same position as the Ω in (ΘΕΑ)(Ν) (ΡΩ) ΕΡΜΟΚΑΠΗΛ(Ε)ΙΤ(Ω)(Ν) on this coin from Hermocapelia.

Not much, I know.

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/328016

Yep, I think you solved it.  Mine seems to match this one a bit better, but from same place, same design (mine seems to have the monogram before the bust) - I couldn't have done it without you, @shanxi (and so much for my Kushan, etc. theories!).  The legends on these (via RPC, acsearch) are kind of blundered, so matching the inscriptions seems unlikely for my poor specimen, but I do think this is it:

Volume: III №: 1879 Reign: Uncertain City: Hermocapelia  Region: Lydia Province: Asia (conventus of Pergamum) Denomination: Æ (18 mm) Average weight: 3.06 g. Issue: First half of the second century Obverse: ΕΡΜΟΚΑΠΗΛΙΤΩΝ; turreted and draped bust of Roma, right; in front, monogram Reverse: ΘΕΟΝ ϹΥΝΚΛΗΤΟΝ; draped bust of the Senate, right Reference: BMC 11–12 corr. Specimens: 14

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/1879

 

Thanks again @shanxi and @Nerosmyfavorite68.  I appreciate the help. 

[Anaximander]

Good detective work.  My reference (Dane Kurth, GRPC Lydia) shows the RPC III 1879 specimen. Same photo, just smaller. 

There is a similar type: Roma/Senate with ΘEA or ΘEAN on obverse.  RPC III ref. #1877. 

And here are some more monograms associated with the type Roma/Senate without ΘEA or ΘEAN on obverse. 
Do I discern monogram 25 or 28 on your coin? 

SNG Copenhagen V (Lydia) has #163-167 as Time of Hadrian, of which #167 has the VTAB monogram.

[Marsyas Mike]

33 minutes ago, Anaximander said:

Good detective work.  My reference (Dane Kurth, GRPC Lydia) shows the RPC III 1879 specimen. Same photo, just smaller. 

There is a similar type: Roma/Senate with ΘEA or ΘEAN on obverse.  RPC III ref. #1877. 

And here are some more monograms associated with the type Roma/Senate without ΘEA or ΘEAN on obverse. 
Do I discern monogram 25 or 28 on your coin? 

SNG Copenhagen V (Lydia) has #163-167 as Time of Hadrian, of which #167 has the VTAB monogram.

Thank you so much for this additional information @Anaximander.  I noticed that there were a lot of monograms for this type, but couldn't find any rundown on them.  I'm much obliged!  

I'm thinking 28 is the monogram - but 26 could be possible, if the legend lettering is running into the monogram, making the "A" look more like an "N."  Mine is in such poor shape it is hard to tell.  

 

Edited September 21 by Marsyas Mike
Monogram sleuthing effort.