AN
UNPUBLISHED ALEXANDRIAN COIN OF AUGUSTUS
By
K. Emmett
|
|
Augustus (27
B.C. — 14 A.D.) |
5 drachm denomination |
No
portrait of Augustus |
Æ 10 mm. |
0.86 gm. |
|
Obv:
Crescent with tips facing upwards. |
Rev:
C(Ε)Β(Α)CΤοΥ around
date: (L)Λς |
ex.
Dr. Henry Lindgren Collection* |
|
The
reverse inscription including the date, has the "L",
the first "C",
the top of the "Τ" and the right side of
the "Υ" off the coin flan, while the "Α"
is unreadable in the space between "Β" and
"C",
and the sigma "C"
is square-shaped and the upsilon is "V"
shaped. The crescent is on the beveled side of the coin.
This
coin was issued in the first Alexandrian leap year
of A.D. 6/7,* and
it is the only known coin which is dated in year 36
of any emperor's reign. This coin represents the smallest
bronze denomination struck during the Roman occupation
of Egypt. The denominations and chronology of the Augustan
Alexandrian bronze coins are still not completely known.
Before discussing these issues, a list of the known
specimens of the smallest coins, along with a few related
coins, is provided below.
|
Obverse* |
|
Reverse |
|
|
Reference |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. |
Crescent |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΕ |
|
D49,
RPC1-5033 |
2. |
Crescent |
|
CΕΒΑCΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛς |
|
(This
coin) |
3. |
Crescent |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΗ |
|
FM22,
RPC1-5037 |
4. |
Crescent
and Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΕ |
|
COP27,
RPC1— |
5. |
Crescent
and Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΗ |
|
COP29,
RPC1— |
6. |
Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΚΗ |
|
COP26,
RPC1— |
7. |
Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛ |
|
M24,
RPC1-5031 |
8. |
Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΑ |
|
DS6604,
RPC1— |
9. |
Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΒ |
|
FM20,
RPC1-5032 |
10. |
Star |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ |
Date:
LΛΗ |
|
Berlin,
RPC1-5038 |
11. |
Crescent |
|
Wreath |
Date:
LΚς |
|
DS6600,
RPC1— |
12. |
Crescent |
|
Wreath |
Date:
LΚΗ |
|
F558,
RPC1-5018 |
13. |
Crescent |
|
Wreath |
Date:
LΛΕ |
|
F559,
RPC1— |
14. |
Star |
|
Wreath |
Date:
LΚΗ |
|
RPC1-5017 |
15. |
Star ΚΑΙCΑΡ LΜ |
|
CΕΒΑCΤΟC |
|
|
MS14,* RPC1— |
Related
Undated Issues: |
16. |
Crescent |
|
Star |
|
|
D19,
RPC1-p. 692 |
17. |
Star |
|
CΕΒΑCΤΟC |
|
|
BMC25,
RPC1-5011 |
18. |
Star ΚΑΙΣΑΡ |
|
ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ |
|
|
F548,
RPC1— |
19. |
Lotus
Flower |
|
Star |
|
|
D20,
RPC1— |
20. |
Prow
of Vessel |
|
CΕΒΑCΤΟC |
|
|
D21,
RPC1-5012 |
Similar
Issues with the Portrait of Augustus: |
21. |
Bare
head r. |
|
Star |
|
|
D12,
RPC1-5024 |
22. |
Laureate
hd. r.,
ΚΑΙΣΑΡ
|
|
Crescent
and Star
ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ |
|
|
M9,
RPC1-5021 |
The
mean coin weights for the above coins are 0.88 gm.,
except for 11-14,* which
are 1.53 gm., and 22, which is 2.65 gm.*
The
bronze issues of Augustus can be divided into 5 groups:
1.
Undated coins with Octavian's/Augustus' bare head.
2.
Undated coins with Augustus' laureate head.
3.
Dated coins with Augustus' laureate head.
4.
Undated coins with no portrait of Augustus.
5.
Dated coins with no portrait of Augustus.
Milne* organized
Augustus' coinage into three series of undated coins,
two series of dated coins and one series containing
both dated and undated coins. Milne's scheme was based
upon the weights, sizes and inscriptions on the coins.
On the coins with the portrait of Augustus, the sequence
is: bare head (undated) → laureate
head (undated) → laureate
head (dated) and Milne believed the inscriptions developed
as follows:
No
inscription of CΕΒΑCΤΟC → CΕΒΑCΤΟC → ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ → ΣΕΒΑΣΤοΥ.
Milne
divided the non-portrait coin-type into his second
and fourth series; however, the sizes and weights
of these coins indicate that they are all closely
related to Milne's second undated portrait series,
which was based on the older Ptolemaic denominations.* The
non-portrait series has two value marks on some
coins: Κ=20 and Ι=10 (often described
as a club), while the portrait series has coins
with the value marks: Π=80 and Μ=40.
The 5 drachm denomination did not bear a value
mark.*
The
non-portrait coins of Augustus can be divided into
four denominations, namely, 40, 20, 10 and 5 drachms.
The mean coin weights and sizes are as follows:
Denomination |
Weight (gm.)* |
No.
coins |
Size
(mm.) |
No.
coins |
|
|
|
|
|
40
drachms* |
6.35
+/- 0.70 |
7 |
20.06
+/- 0.9 |
5 |
20
drachms* |
3.21
+/- 0.52 |
36 |
15.6
+/- 0.9 |
29 |
10 drachms* |
1.41
+/- 0.25 |
9 |
14.1
+/- 0.1 |
6 |
5
drachms |
0.88
+/- 0.17 |
41 |
11.3
+/- 1.1 |
30 |
The
Milne second series, which has the bare head of Augustus
on the obverse, consisted of 80, 40 and 5 drachm denominations.
The
Naples* general
collection (#9511) lists the following unpublished
coin of Augustus:*
Obverse:
Teste nuda di Augusto a dr.
Reverse:
LΚΗ in corona di alloro (br. 23)
There
is a parallel non-portrait issue which is also dated
in year 28.* If
the sequence of bare head → laureate
head is correct, then the laureate head-type must have
been issued after B.C. 3/2, or very close to that time.
The Naples specimen is also important as it is the
earliest dated coin with a portrait of Augustus.
Historically,
it been assumed that once dating appeared on Augustus' coins,
no coins were issued without dates, however, there is no
reason to believe that this is true. In face, the opposite
is the case, since his coins with the ΠΑΤΗΡ
ΠΑΤΡΙΟΔΟΣ have
a laureate head on the obverse, and they are related to
the Roman issue which was minted in 2 B.C., and these coins
do not bear a regnal date; therefore, non-portrait coins
which bear no regnal date could have been issued either
before or after Augustus' 28th regnal year.
In
year 39, the regular series of diobols, obols and dichalkons* were
issued. There are no coins with a laureate head of
Augustus issued after year 28 which are of the same
weights and sizes as his non-portrait 10 and 5 drachm
coins.
The
question as to when the older Ptolemaic denominations became
replaced with the obol-based denominations is difficult
to determine. Milne's third and fourth series may have been
a reduced-weight series of 80 drachms*
(10.11 gm.), 40 drachms (5.14 gms.) and 20 drachms (2.66
gms.), or they may have been a new equating series of a
diobol, obol and half obol,*
which had been reduced, again, as evidenced in Milne's fifth
and sixth series.
Concerning
the role of the coin-types without the portrait of Augustus,
these coins provided the necessary smaller denominations
of 40, 20, 10, and 5 drachms. The fact that they lack the
portrait of Augustus makes them easy to distinguish from
the later obol-based denominations. This indicates that
the older Ptolemaic denominations lasted in Alexandria at
least until year 38 of Augustus. It may well be that a dual
value system for the coins was utilized for the Augustan
bronze pieces:— one based on an equivalence to silver
and the other one based on obol denominations.*
Reprinted
with permission from
THE
CELATOR
Vol. 17, No. 8 August 2003
References
cited:
Berlin |
Coins
in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin as cited by Vogt. |
BMC |
Poole,
Reginald Stuart: Catalogue of the coins of
Alexandria and the Nomes. London 1892. |
COP |
Christiansen,
Erik and Kromann, Anne: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum.
The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals. Danish
National Museum. Part 41: Alexandria - Cyrenaica. Copenagen
1974. |
D |
Dattari,
Giovanni: Monete Imperiali greche. Numi Augg.
Alexandrini. Catalogo della Collezione G. Dattari.
Compliato dal Propietario. Cairo 1901. |
DS |
Bernardi,
Guilio (ed.): Catalogo Completo della Collezione
Dattari, Numi Augg. Alexandrini. 323 Tavole con
l'aggiunta di oltre 7000 monete rispetto al catalogo
del 1901. Gulio Bernardi. Trieste 1999. |
F |
Feuardent,
F(elix): Collections Giovanni di Demetrio.
Numismatique. Égypte ancienne.
II. Domination romaine. Paris 1872. |
FM |
Förschner,
Gisela: Die Münzen der Römischen Kaiser in
Alexandrien. Historisches Museum Frankfurt am Main. Germany
(1987) |
M |
Milne,
Joseph Grafton: Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins. University
of Oxford, Ashmolean Museum. Oxford 1933, Oxford
1971 (with supplement by Colin M. Kraay). |
MS |
Mionnet,
T.E.: Déscription de médailles antiques, grecques
et romaines. Suppl. Volume IX. Paris 1837. |
Naples |
Fiorelli,
Guiseppe: Catalogo del Museo Nazionale di
Napoli. Medagliere I. Monete Greche. Napoli
1870. |
RPC1 |
Burnett,
Andrew and Amandry, Michel and Ripollès, Pere Paul: Roman
Provincial coinage. Volume I. From the death of
Caesar to the death of Vitellius (44 B.C. - A.D.
69). Part I: Introduction and catalogue.
Part II: Indices and Plates. London and Paris.
1992. |
RPC2 |
Burnett,
Andrew and Amandry, Michel and Ripollès,
Pere Paul: Roman Provincial coinage. Volume
II. From Vespasian to Domitian (A.D.
69-96). Part
I: Introduction and catalogue. Part II: Indices
and Plates. London
and Paris. 1999. |
Vogt |
Vogt,
Joseph: Die Alexandrinischen Münzen. Stuttgart
1924. |
Bibliography
Dattari,
Giovanni |
"Appunti
di Numismatica Alessandrina: Le date sulle monete
d'Agusto e l'introduzione del nuove Calendario", Revista
Italiana di Numismatica e Scienze Affina XIII.
1900, pp. 275-280 |
Dattari,
Giovanni |
"Appunti
di Numismatica Alessandrina: La monetazione
da Ottavio a Claudio I", Revista
Italiana di Numismatica e Scienze Affina XV.
1902, pp. 412-431 |
Dattari,
Giovanni |
"Esame
critico circa una nuova teoria sulla monetazione
Alessandrina di Augusto", Revista
Italiana di Numismatica e Scienze Affina XVII.
1904, pp. 153-168 |
Maresch,
Klaus |
Bronze
und Silber: Papyrologische Beiträge zur Geschichte
der Währung im ptolemäischen und römischen
Ägypten bis zum 2.Jahrhundert n. Chr., Opladen
1996 |
Milne,
J.G. |
"The
Alexandrian Coinage of Augustus", Journal
of Egyptian Archeology XIII. 1927, pp. 135-140
+ plate XXXI. |
|