Posted 02/15/2009 01:51 am
Both are "Roman Provincial" coins - coins issued by cities and regions under Roman control, for local use.
#1 is from the city of Mesembria, a city on the shores of the Black Sea, in what is now Bulgaria. The obverse (the side with two portraits face-to-face) shows Philip II, caesar and son of emperor Philip I, facing the god Serapis (the guy with the pot on his head). Philip II's name is around the portraits: MAR IOULIOS PhILIPPOS, with CAESAR beneath. The coi is based upon a very similar coin of his parents, which shows his mother instead of Serapis. On the reverse is the city's name, MESAMBRIANWN, around the figure of the god Apollo, standing with his lyre. Example on COnArchives in better condition; probably a $20 to $30 coin.
#2 is a base-silver tetradrachm from Roman Egypt. The emperor on the obverse is Diocletian (A K G OVA DIOKLETIANOS SEB). On the reverse appears to be Aequitas holding scales and cornucopia, with letters L B to left and right. "L" is the Egyptian symbol for "year", "B" is the Greek number 2 - so this is from the second year of his reign, corresponding to 285-286 AD. These Egyptian coins of Diocletian are among the last of the Roman Provincial system; beginning in 294 AD, Diocletian abolished such local coinages, instituting a uniform empire-wide coinage for the first time. This one on Wildwinds is unpriced; these late tetradrachms normally are quite cheap (around $20, fully identified).
#1 is from the city of Mesembria, a city on the shores of the Black Sea, in what is now Bulgaria. The obverse (the side with two portraits face-to-face) shows Philip II, caesar and son of emperor Philip I, facing the god Serapis (the guy with the pot on his head). Philip II's name is around the portraits: MAR IOULIOS PhILIPPOS, with CAESAR beneath. The coi is based upon a very similar coin of his parents, which shows his mother instead of Serapis. On the reverse is the city's name, MESAMBRIANWN, around the figure of the god Apollo, standing with his lyre. Example on COnArchives in better condition; probably a $20 to $30 coin.
#2 is a base-silver tetradrachm from Roman Egypt. The emperor on the obverse is Diocletian (A K G OVA DIOKLETIANOS SEB). On the reverse appears to be Aequitas holding scales and cornucopia, with letters L B to left and right. "L" is the Egyptian symbol for "year", "B" is the Greek number 2 - so this is from the second year of his reign, corresponding to 285-286 AD. These Egyptian coins of Diocletian are among the last of the Roman Provincial system; beginning in 294 AD, Diocletian abolished such local coinages, instituting a uniform empire-wide coinage for the first time. This one on Wildwinds is unpriced; these late tetradrachms normally are quite cheap (around $20, fully identified).
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
