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Obolos 15

24 May 2020
Webauction
overview
Starting Price: 125 CHF
Hammer Price:  380 CHF
Lot 554

BITHYNIA. Nicaea. Caracalla, 198-217. Triassarion (Bronze, 25 mm, 10.12 g, 12 h), c. 205-209. Μ.ΑΥ.ΑΝΤΩ - ΝΕΙΝΟC• ΑΥ Youthful laureate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right; on the lower right, uncertain countermark within an oval indent. Rev. ΝΙΚΑΙ - ΕΩΝ Hekate striding to right, holding two torches; before her to right, erect serpent to right. Apparently unpublished, but see the coin of Commodus from Nicaea, now in Oxford, with a very similar reverse, RPC IV, 1, 5553 (temporary). Extremely rare. With a dark green and black patina. Some marks and scuffs, otherwise, about extremely fine.



Hekate is not a particularly common goddess to find on Roman Provincial coinage, and when she does appear she is usually in the guise of Hekate Triformis. Here, we have a draped goddess rushing with two torches, an attribute of Hekate, but without the typical crescent moon on her shoulders (as on the cited piece in Oxford); so could she be Artemis? That is unlikely because our goddess is accompanied by serpent moving along with her; a familiar of Hekate, but not of Artemis.

Online bidding closes: 24 May 2020, 19:37:00 CEST Current Date & Time: 19 Apr 2024, 20:34:01 CEST Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:380 CHF by benhur767 (6 bids)
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