Help Identifying These Ancients Please | Roman Egypt Tets

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,101
TokenDave Valued Member United States 88 Posts	Posted 08/02/2009 1:16 pm Here are two ancients. They appear to be the same figure and I suspect they are Greek Imperial Coins but I am new to ancients and could be way off. Thank you for looking. Identified - moved to Ancients forum - Sap Report this Post to the Staff

TokenDave Valued Member United States 88 Posts	Posted 08/02/2009 1:24 pm Here are the reverse images: Report this Post to the Staff
Sir Ferrari Pillar of the Community United States 671 Posts	Posted 08/02/2009 2:28 pm These are Roman coins, not Greek. As to exactly who the emperor is, I cannot tell much from the scans, but it appears to be one from the 3rd-4th century AD. If you post larger pictures of the coins, I could probably narrow it down some more. Edited by Sir Ferrari 08/02/2009 8:24 pm Report this Post to the Staff
DVCollector Bedrock of the Community United States 10045 Posts	Posted 08/02/2009 2:57 pm No doubt, one of those "strongman" emperors, from the same period as this Probus Tetradrachm (issued in Alexandria c.276 ad) Edited by DVCollector 08/02/2009 2:58 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16837 Posts	Posted 08/02/2009 6:47 pm Sir Ferrari: "Greek Imperial" is an older term sometimes still used to describe Roman Provincial coins; it derives from the fact that these coins almost always use Greek lettering rather than Latin. The term is not encouraged among numismatists these days precisely because of the confusion the term "Greek" generates. TokenDave: these are indeed "Greek Imperial" coins, specifically, billon (base-silver) tetradrachms from Alexandria, and of much the same time period as the Probus one posted by DVC (late 200's AD). I can't quite make out the inscriptions to identify the emperors properly (slightly larger pics of the obverses may help). The one on the right is from an emperor that reigned for at least six years; "L S" is Egyptian-Greek shorthand for "Year 6". I believe the one on the left is dated "Year 4". 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 Report this Post to the Staff
Sir Ferrari Pillar of the Community United States 671 Posts	Posted 08/02/2009 8:24 pm Quote: Sir Ferrari: "Greek Imperial" is an older term sometimes still used to describe Roman Provincial coins; it derives from the fact that these coins almost always use Greek lettering rather than Latin. The term is not encouraged among numismatists these days precisely because of the confusion the term "Greek" generates. Ah, I didn't know that, thank you for correcting me. Report this Post to the Staff
TokenDave Valued Member United States 88 Posts	Posted 08/03/2009 06:18 am Sir Ferrari, DVCollector, Sap, Thank you for the excellent lead on these coins and for the clarification on terminology. TokenDave Report this Post to the Staff
TokenDave Valued Member United States 88 Posts	Posted 08/03/2009 12:01 pm Sir Ferrari, DVCollector, Sap, With your lead, I was able to determine both coins to be Diocletian (Alexandria billon tetradrachm). The best part of attributing ancients is deciphering a combination of partially missing/distorted Latin and Greek letters -- sometimes for hours you see nothing and then the fog lifts and there it is -- plain as day! Thank you again. TokenDave Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 7 / Views: 2,101

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