Akropolis Ancient Coins
                                                 
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5. Vespasian and Titus; AR didrachm (7.1 gm); Caesareia, Cappadocia. Obv: Laur. hd of Vespasian, r. Rev: Laur. hd. of Titus, r. VF, but struck slightly off center. Die break before hd. of Titus. Syd 102. Rare..(Image) $575

7. Antoninus Pius, Roman emperor 138-161 A.D.; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 24. Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus was born in Lanuviumin 86 A.D. He pursued a senatorial career and was appointed consul in 120 A.D. He later distinguished himself as proconsul of Asia. He was adopted by Hadrian as his son and successor and upon Hadrian's death in 138 A.D., became emperor of the Roman empire. The history of his long reign was so tranquil that little has come down to us about events during that period. However, it was a period of prosperity under his patient, judicious, and impartial rule. He died at Laurium on March 7, 161 A.D.  The obverse shows a highly artistic portrait of the emperor; his bare head, right. The reverse depicts the Egyptian goddess Isis. She holds a sistrum in her right hand and a situla in her left. She is crowned by a lotus blossom. The local Roman governor Zeno is named on the reverse. The coin is in VF+ condition, with a magnificent dark green patina. A museum quality coin! It is not listed in AMNG (Pick), the "bible" of coins of the region. In fact, only three coins of differing reverses are listed there for this emperor. SNG Copenhagen lists a single example of Antoninus Pius for this city, and it has a different reverse (Nike). The British Museum catalog lists only one coin of this emperor for this city, and it is a different reverse (Fortuna). Not listed in Varbanov, the compendium of Balkan numismatic catalogs! Possibly unique!...................................................................................(Image) SOLD 

8. Commodus; 177-192 A.D.; Pautalia, Thrace;  Æ 18. Obv: His laur. hd. r.; Rev: Highly unusual Cista, lid open, with serpent emerging; lagobolon to r. Near EF, but some legends off flan or weak. Green patina.........(Image) $110

9. Commodus; 177-192 A.D.; Philippopolis, Thrace, under Maternus; Æ 28. Obv: His laur. bust, r., draped in aegis (!). Rev: Commodus standing l., sacrificing from a patera over an altar, apparently dedicating a temple on a hilltop to the upper l.  Varbanov__. Possibly unique! F+............(Image) SOLD

10. Septimius Severus; 193-211 A.D.; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 26. Obv: His laureate head, r. Rev: Herakles capturing the rampaging Cretan Bull. This depicts the 7th of his "Twelve Labors." AMNG 1309, except a differing obverse legend. Magnificent dark green patina............................(Image) SOLD

11. Septimius Severus; 193-211 A.D.; Hadrianopolis, Thrace; Æ 28. Obv: His laureate and draped bust, r. Rev: To right, Pan, with goat legs, holding lagobolon and facing HERMAPHRODITOS (!!) on the left. Note that Hermaphroditos depicts both male and female attributes. The legend of this mythological figure stems apparently from a single ancient source: Ovid, in his play Metamorphosis. He was said to have been the son of the messenger god Hermes and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. He was born a male and nursed by Naiads in the caves of Mount Ida in Asia Minor. At the age of 15 he wandered through the lands of Lycia and Caria. In his travels, he came upon a beautiful pool of clear water, in which lived the Naiad Salmacis, who was gathering flowers nearby. He decided to refresh himself by bathing in the pool. Salmacis,  struck by his handsomeness, slipped into the pool with him and sang to him of her love. However, the youth rejected her advances. Salmacis embraced him and tried to win him over, and prayed to the gods that they be joined together as one, forever. The gods granted her prayers and the two were joined, displaying both male and female attributes of the two; hence, the name Hermaphroditos (Hermaphrodite). The coin is in VF condition, with a dark green patina. The patina is chipped on the obverse edge, with a small, hard green deposit behind Severus' ear. This is an exceedingly rare coin; the second example of which I have seen in 40 years! It is not listed in the British Museum catalog, SNG Copenhagen, or in Jurukova's corpus on Hadrianopolis, though its obv. die is her V114. See Varbanov II (English), 3392 for a second example, incorrectly identified as Apollo, in my opinion. The referenced source as "WW" is also incorrect....................................................(Image) $4500

12. Septimius Severus; 193-211 A.D.; Anchialos, Thrace; Æ 29. Obv: His laur. hd., r. Rev: Demeter standing l., veiled; holding flaming torch in left arm. She faces a conical wicker basket pointed at both ends (fish trap?), around which is a coiled serpent extending toward Demeter, whose hand is raised toward the serpent, as if to touch it. There is a "Δ" (4 assaria) in the center field, with two pellets above it. This is an enigmatic mythical depiction which has not been explained. Indeed, leading authors disagree as to the nature of the conical object in the left field, with B.V. Head and AMNG (Strack) describing it as a torch, but the British Museum describing it as above. However, the sole known example of this coin available to them was far inferior to this example. The "torch" interpretation seems to be refuted by this coin, which clearly shows the serpent coiled about what Head and Strack would identify as the flame; a highly unlikely scenario. This coin may be the second known example, and the finest by far. BMC Thrace, 84. 6; AMNG (Strack)  II, 1, p.234, no. 467, pl. VI, 27 (referencing the sole example in BMC)............................................................................(Image) $775

13. Septimius Severus; 193-211 A.D.; Odessos, Thrace; Æ 27. Obv: ΔΙVΩ CΕΥΗΡΩ ΠΕΙΩ (Divus Severus Pius). His bare head, r. Rev: ΟΔΗCCΕΙΤΩΝ. The Great God of Odessos stg.facing, hd. l., holding  cornucopia in left arm and patera over altar to his right. Sear GI 2129, where-in Sear states  "Posthumous types are rarely encountered in the Greek Imperial series, other than the issues for Divus Augustus."

Pick (AMNG) lists the coin at Volume I/II, p. 562, no. 2271, with which this coin has an obverse die link, but a different reverse die. He points out that the die maker spelled out, in Greek, the Latin "Divus" as "ΔΙVΩ", 
instead of using the Greek equivalent "Theos," and adds that this transliteration "otherwise on coins, at least genuine ones, never appears." If that is still true, this legend is unique among Roman Provincial coins. He also observes that "The obverse is an exact replica of certain Rome Consecratio denarii, of such kind that face, hair, and beard seem to have been engraved following it stroke by stroke." He cites two known examples of this coin at the time of publication, but I have learned of at least three more examples. This coin, however, may be the best preserved in existence. 

The coin has been cleaned down to bare metal in all but a few small areas and darkened, but there is one area with a scratch and some bare metal showing and there are several very tiny spots where the toning agent didn't reach. These don't show up in the image. Again, a scarce posthumous provincial issue, and near EF as to metal preservation, notwithstanding the cleaning and darkening........................................................................(Image) $845

14. Septimius Severus; 193-211 A.D.; Philippopolis, Thrace; Æ 24. Obv: His laur. bust, r. Rev: Temple on wooded hill. Varbanov___, possibly unique. See Varbanov III, 1378 (Caracalla) for reverse type. VF.............(Image) SOLD

15. Septimius Severus; 193-211 A.D.; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 25. Obv: His laur. bust, r. Rev: Nymphaeum. Varbanov__. But see Varbanov I, 2433 for Caracalla similar type Fair/Fine.....................................................(Image) $125

16. Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.) and Clodius Albinus (195-197 A.D.) Caesar; Pautalia, Thrace;  Æ 25. Obv: ΑΛΒΕΙΝ... to l., ΚΛCCΕΥΗ. Their busts facing, Severus' laur. and Albinus' head bare. Rev: Coiled serpent between tree and altar, as with a coin of Albinus alone struck at Pautalia: Varbanov II, #2971. This remarkable coin depicting Septimius Severus and the doomed Clodius Albinus is apparently unique. Varbanov_.(Image) $925

17. Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ25. Obv: His laur. head r. Rev: Mt. Haimos as a young man sitting left on a rock, with a light gown over his shoulder and knees; his head turned to the right. His right arm is raised over his head and his left hand is resting on the rock or a tree stump. A bear at the base of the rock springs right, toward a deer fleeing right. The legend includes the Roman legate Gallus' name. Nice dark green patina. F/VF. Not in Varbanov for Gallus and with bear springing toward deer, but see Varbanov 2186 for a roughly similar type by Tertullus and 2683 for Macrinus with the same reverse as this coin. Possibly unique.......................................................................................................(Image) $225

18. Julia Domna; wife of Septimius Severus; Isaura, Cilicia; Æ 29. Obv: A charming portrait, facing right. Rev: Athena holding thunderbolt and spear, with aegis draped over her left arm. This is a nice depiction of the aegis, a leathery object, said to be a protective shield, made of a goat-skin and imbued with special powers. SNG Paris 492 (same dies)...........(Image)  $825

19. Caracalla (198-217 A.D.) and Julia Domna; Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 27. Obv: Their busts facing. Rev: Dionysos holding a thrysos and riding on the back of a panther, r.; "E" (5 assaria) in field, l. AMNG I, 670............................................................................................................(Image) SOLD

20. Caracalla; 198-217 A.D.; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 27. Obv: His youthful, laureate bust right. Rev: Nike driving a biga, right, and holding a wreath and palm (symbols of victory) and the reins. Struck under the legate Gallus, whose is named on the reverse. The condition is a strong VF, with a wonderful dark green patina. AMNG 1546 (var)..............................(Image) $425

21. Caracalla; 198-217 A.D.; Prusa ad Olympum, Bithynia; Æ 25. Obv: His bearded and laureate head r. Rev: Ajax, helmeted, killing himself by falling l. on his sword; before him, a pile of rocks; his shield on the ground beneath him. This is a famous scene from the Trojan war, the SOLE depiction of which appears on coins of this city struck by Caracalla and Elagabalus. No other ancient city or emperor struck such a reverse! The mythological event involves Paris killing Achilles (with the help of Apollo)  by shooting a poisoned arrow into his only vulnerable spot, his heel.  Both Odysseus and Ajax, son of Telamon, the two leading Greek warriors at Troy, claimed Achilles' armor. That armor had been given to Achilles by Thetis, who obtained it from none other than Hephaestus, and, hence, was highly prized. Each made a speech before the assembled Greeks, presided over by Athena, pleading their case for the armor. Trojan prisoners testified that Odysseus had inflicted far more damage on them than Ajax, so the armor was awarded to Odysseus. Ajax was so infuriated that he went mad and slew a flock of sheep, thinking, in his deranged state,  that they were his enemies. Upon regaining his sanity, he was so filled with bitterness for not winning the armor and shame for killing the sheep, that he killed himself by falling on his sword. Ironically, the sword was given to him by Hector to honor him for the fighting skills he displayed in a duel with Hector early in the war...which was fought to, essentially, a draw. BMC Bithynia, p. 197, 22. aF. This coin infrequently appears for sale....................................(Image) SOLD

22. Caracalla; 198-217 A.D.; Serdica, Thrace; Æ 29. Obv: Laur. bust l., wearing an ornate aegis over his shoulders - a very rare depiction. Rev: Apollo Iatros standing l., r. hand holding a snake-entwined staff, infant Asklepios at his feet to r. Varbanov___. Possibly unique. Minor smoothing of fields. The coin is better in the hand than in the image, guaranteed. VF+...........................................................................................................(Image) SOLD

23. Caracalla; 198-217 A.D.; Ilium, Troas; Æ 30. Obv: His laur. and draped bust, r. Rev: ΕΚΤΟΡ  to left, ΙΛΙΕΩΝ to r. Hector, helmeted, holding shield in l. arm and preparing to throw  torch/firebrand at two Greek ships to his r. SGI 2537. Rough green/black patina. F/VF......................................(Image) n/a

24. Plautilla, wife of Caracalla; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 25. Her marriage to Caracalla was demanded by his father, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, since Plautilla's father, Plautianus, was an old friend of Septimius Severus (who had appointed him as his praetorian prefect). Her father fell out of favor in 205 A.D., whereupon she was banished to the Lipari islands. She was murdered by Caracalla's order in 211 A.D. Obv: Her bust, right. Rev: Aphrodite standing nude, facing, and modestly covering herself with her hands. AMNG (Pick)___, BMC___ (a single example for Plautilla), SNG Copenhagen___ (NO examples for Plautilla!). Scrape on Plautilla's face and small area of obverse field roughness. Excellent reverse condition . Overall condition: VF+, with fine, dark green patina.......................................................................................................(Image) $ 775

25. Another excellent bronze of Plautilla; Nicopolis, Moesia inferior; Æ 25. Obv: Her bust, right. Rev: Athena standing facing, head right, and holding spear and shield, the latter on a small base.  Again, AMNG (Pick)___, BMC___ (a single example for Plautilla), SNG Copenhagen___ (NO examples for Plautilla!). Superb dark green patina. The condition is about EF..............................................................................................................(Image) $ 525 

26. Geta; 209-212 A.D.; Odessos, Thrace; Æ 27. Obv: His laur. and dr. bust, r. Rev: The "Great God" standing facing, wearing kalathos, holding cornucopia in l. arm and patera in r. hand; garlanded alter at his feet, to l. AMNG I/II, 2289. A wonderful coin with great surfaces and green patina. EF...............................................................................................................(Image) $645

27. Geta, as caesar; 198-209 A.D.; Sebaste, Phrygia; Æ 25. Obv: His bare bust, draped, r. Rev: Mên standing facing, hd. r., wearing Phrygian cap and holding a pine-cone in l. hand, r. hand holding spear, l. foot resting on bucranium; behind shoulders, crescent. SNG Cop 682, This far superior! EF...............................................................................................................(Image) $625

28. Geta, as caesar; 198-209 A.D.; Eumenia, Phrygia; Æ 25. Obv:  His bare bust, draped, r. Rev: Uncertain figure: Apollo Tyrimnos or the Native Anatolian god Sozon ("the savior"), here identified with Helios with the radiate crown, holding double-axe in l. hand and patera in r. hand over a garlanded and flaming altar. The legend reads ΕΥΜΕΝΙΩΝ ΑΧΑΙΩΝ, the latter signifying that some local influential family (which may have paid for the coinage) claimed Achaean ancestry. BMC___,  Aulock___, SNG Cop___. Very rare and in superb condition.....................................(Image) $725

29. Geta; 209-212 A.D.; Philippopolis, Thrace; Æ 29. Obv: His laur. and draped bust, r. Rev: Orpheus seated r., playing lyre, surrounded by enraptured animals: on left, goose, wolf, jackal, stork and bear; on right, ibex, lion and bull. Varnanov III, 1422. See also Lanz 106, #579 for valuation. VF. Magnificent dark green patina. Rare and desirable mythological depiction.................................................................................................(Image) SOLD

30. Geta, as caesar; 198-209 A.D.; Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 16. Obv: His bare head r. Rev: Eros stg. l., holding downward-pointing torch. AMNG__, Varbanov__. Possibly unique............................................................ (Image) $325

31. Geta; 209-212 A.D.; Philippopolis, Thrace; Æ 28. Obv: His laur., dr., and cuir. bust right. Rev: Geta (Sep Sev ?) stg. facing, hd. l., to right of a statue on a column, pouring libation over a tripod altar; victimarius to l., bringing bull to r. for sacrifice. Varbanov III, 1412. RARE!...........................(Image) $1245

32. Macrinus and Diadumenian; 217-28 A.D.;  Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 28. Obv: Their heads face-to-face; Rev: City gate with four statues on pedestals atop: Macrinus and Diadumenian flanked by two Nikes; mark of value "E" (5 assaria) to left. AMNG__; Varbanov Vol I, p.94, 929.............................................................................................................(Image) $675

33. Macrinus; 217-218 A.D. Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior; Æ 28. Obv: His laureate and draped bust, right. Rev: A marvelous depiction of the emperor, with Nike standing behind him,  in a quadriga being lead by Athena, who holds a vexillum. Two soldiers sit atop horses in front of the emperor. In the field above, is a trophy, with two bound captives at its base. The coin has an excellent dark green patina. The obverse is weakly struck, but the important reverse is excellent. The local Roman legate, Agrippa, is named on the reverse. AMNG (Pick) 1713....................................................(Image) $275