The "Death Workshop" Of Antioch

For a period of a about sixty years, during the 3rd and 4th century, in the mint of Antioch, there was a peculiar way of showing the ninth workshop. This started during the reign of Probus when the mint of Antioch opened nine workshops and continued until around the death of Constantine I; when it ended and Antioch began using theta as a workshop. The 9th workshop was theta (looks like a circle with a line through it). However, the engravers during these years used delta (Greek for 4) and epsilon (Greek for 5) which add up to nine. The reason was probably because theta is the first letter of Greek word Thanatos; who was the personification of death...remember Thanos from the Avengers movie. The picture below shows a mosaic from the Villa Borghese in which dead gladiators have a theta below their names to show that they are deceased.








Probus
A.D. 276-282
AE Antoninianus 21mm 3.8g
IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG; Radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from the rear.
CLEMENTIA TEMP; Carinus standing right, holding scepter, receiving Victory from Jupiter; epsilon delta between.
In ex. XXI
RIC Vii Antioch 922




Diocletian
A.D. 293- 295
AE Antoninianus 22mm 4.3g
IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
CONCORDIA MILITVM; Diocletian standing right receiving Victory from Jupiter standing left with long scepter; epsilon delta in center.
In ex. XXI
RIC VI Antioch 322





Maximianus
A.D. 299-300
AE follis 27x28mm 12.3g
IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; delta epsilon across fields.
In ex. ANT
RIC VI Antioch 52b




Anonymous pagan civic coinage
Christian persecution under Maximinus II
ca. A.D. 312
AE quarter nummus 15x16mm 2.0g
GENIO ANTIOCHENI; Statue of the Tyche of Antioch on rock, below the river god Orontes.
APOLLONI SANCTO; Apollo, stg.l. holding patera and lyre, in right field epsilon over delta
In ex. SMA
Mint of Antioch
Vagi 2954; Van Heesch 3a






Constantine I
A.D. 327- 328
AE nummus 19mm 3.1g
CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; diademed head right.
PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG; campgate, two turrets, no doors, star above; delta epsilon across fields.
In ex. SMANT
RIC VII Antioch 78





VRBS ROMA
A.D. 330- 333
AE nummus 18mm 2.5g
VRBS ROMA; Roma, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak.
Rev. She-wolf left with twins (Romulus and Remus); above, two stars.
In ex. SMANT delta epsilon
RIC VII Antioch -