Nomos 5

Mysia. Pergamon. Caracalla, 198-217. 8 Assaria (Bronze, 43 mm, 46.14 g, 4 h), under the magistracy of M. Kairellius Attalos, 214. ΑΥΤΚΡΑΤ Κ ΜΑΡΚΟC ΑΥΡ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC Laureate bust of Caracalla to right, wearing cuirass ornamented with the head of Medusa. Rev. ΕΠΙ CΤΡ Μ ΚΑΙΡΕΛ ΑΤΤΑΛΟΥ / ΠΕΡΓΑΜΗΝΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΩΝ Γ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ On the right, temple of Asklepios to left, with the god seated left within the central intercolumniation; before it to left, ax-wielding priest about to sacrifice a humped bull, standing left before Caracalla standing right, togate and pouring a libation over the bull’s head. BMC 324. SNG Paris 2230 (same dies). Very rare. An impressive ‘medallion’ with a fine brownish-red patina. Some smoothing in the fields, otherwise. Extremely fine.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 54, 24 March 2010, 504 and Tkalec September 2008, lot 357.

This coin forms part of an extensive series of impressively large coins that were struck at Pergamon to celebrate Caracalla’s visit to the city in 214. They bear a wide variety of reverses, showing his arrival, visits to temples, games and, in the following lot, struck from same obverse die as this one, the emperor’s respect for the city’s gods. The importance of this coinage is shown by the fact that it needed three magistrates to strike it (these magistrates were surely expected to finance the coins out of their own wealth). This piece was signed by M. Kairellius Attalos; the others were Julius Anthimos (on the following lot) and M. Aurelius Alexander).