Macrinus. Antioch bronze seria SC

[Robi]

Marcus Opellius Macrinus. Coins from the Antioch SC series of Emperor Macrinus. And a rare coin in poor condition with depictions of Macrinus and Diadumenian (laureat heads, not bust) - McAlee 743

Please share your coins,

Robert

Edited October 3, 2024 by Robi

[PeteB]

5 hours ago, Robi said:

Please share your coins

 

[Robi]

26 minutes ago, PeteB said:

 

Pretty Diadumenian🙂 Thank You for sharing!

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

I didn’t even remember I own this Macrinus. Think it’s time for a serious inventory of my collection… and I like your C-S coin !

[Robi]

6 hours ago, Ocatarinetabellatchitchix said:

I didn’t even remember I own this Macrinus. Think it’s time for a serious inventory of my collection… and I like your C-S coin !

Thank You for sharing your coin!

[Roman Collector]

Lovely coins, @Robi! Here's my only Macrinus from Antioch:


Macrinus,  217-218 CE.
Roman provincial Æ 19 mm, 3.80 g, 12 h.
Syria: Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch ad Orontem, 217-218 CE.
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ Ο C ΜΑΚΡΙΝΟC CЄ, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: Large SC, Δ/Є above and beneath; all within laurel wreath interrupted by star above.
Refs: SGI 2949; BMC 20. 198,385; SNG Cop. 233; McAlee 728.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

CS I suppose stands for Coele-Syria.

There has been some debate here in the past on whether the S-C's stand for Syria-Coele or Senatus Consulto. I am not sure what is the dominant view at this point without consulting with the relevant coin literature.

[mcwyler]

My only Macrinus

 

Macrinus 217-218. Cyrrhus mint (24.5mm, 13.55g).
AYT K M OΠ CE MAKPINOC CEB. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right seen from the front /  ΔHMAPX EΞ YΠA TO Δ. Eagle seen from front, wings spread, head right and wreath in beak, standing on filleted thyrsos. Prieur 921.
 

[JAZ Numismatics]

I have but one coin of Macrinus at the moment, from Marcianopolis...

MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis.

Macrinus, AD 217-218.

Pontianus, legatus consularis.

Æ26, 10.3g, 12h.

Obv.: AYT K OΠEΛΛIOC CEYH MAKPEINOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.

Rev.: VΠ ΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩ, eagle standing facing, wings spread, head right, holding wreath in beak.

Ref.: Varbanov 1125.

[Al Kowsky]

Cyrrhestica, Beroea. Macrinus, AD 217-218. Billon Tetradrachm: 14.80 gm, 26 mm, 6 h. Prieur 890

Cyrrhestica, Hierapolis. Macrinus, AD 217-218. Billon Tetradrachm: 12.02 gm, 27 mm, 12 h. Prieur 943.

Mesopotamia, Carrhae. Macrinus, AD 217-218. Billon Tetradrachm: 15.18 gm, 27 mm, 1 h. Prieur 826.

Syria, Emesa. Macrinus, AD 217-218. Billon Tetradrachm: 11.26 gm, 25 mm, 1 h. Prieur 972.

[Robi]

@Ancient Coin Hunter thank You for your comment! From what I've read, that's the prevailing this view (citation of  Kristina M. Neumann book: Antioch in Syria, A history from coins, s.183, 184).

"General simplicity of this type belies the fierce debate over the significance of the letters "SC." A comparison is often drawn to coins of the imperial Roman government, for which SC has been understood as SENATUS CONSULTO ("by the decree of the senate") and in reference to the original decision of the Senate to mint during the Republic. Later in the imperial age, after the Senate was no longer the penultimate authority, the SC may have been a celebration of honors voted to the emperor by the Senate or still a mark of the authority or legislation behind the production.

If a comparison can be drawn to the Syrian issues, the SC could potentially refer to the original decree(s) from the imperial government to reorganize provincial coinage. Alternatively, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill argues that both western imperial bronze and the eastern provincial bronze struck at Antioch bore an SC to distinguish these coins from civic issues and to encourage their acceptability within circulation by making known that they were backed by the Roman administration

We also cannot completely rule out the possibility that the initial design choice came from either the provincial or civic officials overseeing the mint ah Antioch, perhaps in reflection of honors at Rome, in reference to the original decree(s) authorizing the production and/or an imitation of the imperial bronze to capitalize on the guarantee of the Roman authority. Additionally, even if the Roman administration originally dictated the design of the coins, this does not exclude a decision by the local authorities to continue using this design over the next few centuries".

We have also coins of Vespasian, Domitian, Titus, Trajan and Hadrian with SC from Rome mint for circulation in Syria.

So for me Antiochian SC it is a clear reference to the authority of Roman coinage and Roman goverment.
Especially that SC appears also on third century coins of Philippopolis in Arabia (not Syria-Coele).

CS i think it is a some minting error?, such as vertically ΕΔ on this coin instead ΔΕ. Maybe McAlee have some propose of explanation of this, but I haven't his book.

Greetings,
Robert

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Thank you. It's probably a way to indicate that these bronze issues are official tender. Maybe in the same way that Postumus the Gallic Empire usurper put SC on his throwback sestertii and double sestertii issued in 260 A.D. and later, when the central government led by Gallienus pulled the sestertius from circulation in favor of debased Antoniniani.