Extremely rare Alexandrian drachm from a rummage tray

[wuntbedruv]

Yesterday was the London Coin Fair, the highlight of my November (apart from Bonfire Night). One of the dealers had an ancients rummage box at £25 a pop, which had some fun stuff in it. All the coins were packeted up with basic tickets, ranging from Greek to Roman Imperial/Provincial, Byzantine, British hammered and assorted world coins .

I only had a small budget due to needing to save for my forthcoming January trip to NYINC, so spending power was limited. This one, however, described briefly as 'Antoninus Pius, Alexandria', caught my eye immediately due to the reverse subject matter. So, I bagged it.

Upon getting the coin home and doing some research, I was able to identify it as RPC IV.4, no. 402/Dattari 2550. Antoninus Pius issue of year 5 (AD 141-142), reverse depicting the laureate bust of Apollo facing right with branch before. RPC lists just two other coins known, one in a museum collection and the other (RPC plate coin) last sold via CNG in 2013 with a provenance going back to 1990.

NY 1944.100.60191

 

 

CNG e-auction 287, lot 367 - September 2012/CNG  e-auction 113, lot 161 - May 2005/CNA Auction XII lot 186 - September 1990

 

I am fairly sure all these three specimens are from the same die-pair. The subject of the reverse has been debated, with Dattari suggesting it represented Euthenia.

All in all, extremely rare coin acquired for relatively small sum of money, good day had, beer drunk and shawarma eaten afterwards. Result - happiness!

Edited November 3, 2024 by wuntbedruv

[Roman Collector]

I love acquiring unrecognized rarities! Nice pick up!!

[CPK]

Wow, very nice score!

[wuntbedruv]

34 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

I love acquiring unrecognized rarities! Nice pick up!!

I seem to make a habit of doing it unintentionally. I figured that if I couldn't find the coin on RPC within the half hour I spent searching for it as I walked round a few tables, it must be at least uncommon.

[Gallienus]

You mentioned you're saving up to go to the NYICS. So am I.  If you want, we could meet up there & talk about coins?

[wuntbedruv]

15 minutes ago, Gallienus said:

You mentioned you're saving up to go to the NYICS. So am I.  If you want, we could meet up there & talk about coins?

That sounds entirely agreeable!

I was actually thinking do a thread soon 'NYINC 2025 - who's going?' My first trip outside Europe, my longest flight and my first solo outing to a foreign country. Bring it on.

[Marsyas Mike]

Impressive find and coin-sleuthing @wuntbedruv.  A while back I found a drachm of Antoninus Pius in an unattributed eBay lot.  It too is rare, but wow, is it in terrible, terrible shape.  I posted it on CT a while back - I'm not a 100% on the attribution, but maybe...and you thought riding sidesaddle on a horse was difficult - Isis could do it on a dog!  

...The reverse is bronze hamburger, but I was determined to figure it out. So I pulled up everything issued Alexandria for Antoninus Pius and got 114 pages (!) on RPC Online. My coin doesn't have enough visible to narrow the search, so I started scrolling. On page 107 (!!) I found Isis riding a dog and I think I got a match. Page 107, I said. Of course it was page 107. 



Or am I fooling myself? Below are three versions of the reverse, one enhanced (dog in red, Isis in blue, cornucopiae in green), the third from RPC, showing what a nice one looks like:

Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm
Year LKA=21 (157-158 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
[ΑVΤ Κ]ΑΙ Τ ΑΙΛ Α[ΔΡ ΑΝΤƱΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ (ƐVϹ)], laureate draped bust right / Isis Sothis, holding cornucopia and sceptre, riding right on dog running right, [LKA below].
RPC IV.4, 15227 (temporary)
(15.45 grams / 32 x 29 mm)
Attribution Note:
Reverse is very worn and pitted, but dog's tail, along with face and cornucopiae of Isis are visible, barely. Unsure attribution.
Köln 1804 var. (obv. bust type); Dattari (Savio) 8580; K&G 35.752 var. (same); RPC IV.4 Online 15227; Emmett 1593.21.
 

 

[wuntbedruv]

6 minutes ago, Marsyas Mike said:

Impressive find and coin-sleuthing @wuntbedruv.  A while back I found a drachm of Antoninus Pius in an unattributed eBay lot.  It too is rare, but wow, is it in terrible, terrible shape.  I posted it on CT a while back - I'm not a 100% on the attribution, but maybe...and you thought riding sidesaddle on a horse was difficult - Isis could do it on a dog!  

...The reverse is bronze hamburger, but I was determined to figure it out. So I pulled up everything issued Alexandria for Antoninus Pius and got 114 pages (!) on RPC Online. My coin doesn't have enough visible to narrow the search, so I started scrolling. On page 107 (!!) I found Isis riding a dog and I think I got a match. Page 107, I said. Of course it was page 107. 



Or am I fooling myself? Below are three versions of the reverse, one enhanced (dog in red, Isis in blue, cornucopiae in green), the third from RPC, showing what a nice one looks like:

Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm
Year LKA=21 (157-158 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
[ΑVΤ Κ]ΑΙ Τ ΑΙΛ Α[ΔΡ ΑΝΤƱΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ (ƐVϹ)], laureate draped bust right / Isis Sothis, holding cornucopia and sceptre, riding right on dog running right, [LKA below].
RPC IV.4, 15227 (temporary)
(15.45 grams / 32 x 29 mm)
Attribution Note:
Reverse is very worn and pitted, but dog's tail, along with face and cornucopiae of Isis are visible, barely. Unsure attribution.
Köln 1804 var. (obv. bust type); Dattari (Savio) 8580; K&G 35.752 var. (same); RPC IV.4 Online 15227; Emmett 1593.21.
 

 

A great find! Isn't it always the way, that the rarest coins are so often the most unbelievably worn? But I completely agree with your identification.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Great catch! 

You won the lottery

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a very fun junk box (I call the pick bins by the old school name) pick!  Alas, it's been 15 years since I have gone through an ancients one.

[wuntbedruv]

Now on RPC as an 'additional coin post-publication'

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/485881

[Amarmur]

Athens Drachm Fouree purchased in ancient coin junk bin for $8. One of my coolest junk bin finds.