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Obolos 5

26 June 2016
Webauction
overview

A unique and apparently unknown Bronze of Caracalla from Germanicopolis

Starting Price: 100 CHF
Hammer Price:  360 CHF
Lot 668

PAPHLAGONIA, Germanicopolis. Caracalla, 198-217. Bronze (28mm, 13.96 g 7). ANTΩNINOC CEBA Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to left, holding spear and shield decorated with head of Medusa. Rev. ANTΩNI... CЄBAC ΓЄPMANIKOΠO/ΛITЄ Caracalla on hoseback to right, holding spear. Lindgren -. RG -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG Leypold -. SNG Paris -. SNG von Aulock -. Unique and apparently unknown. Very fine.


Other than it being an unknown type, what makes this coin particularly interesting is that the emperor is named on the reverse. This in itself is already very unusual indeed, the most prominent other example is Tripolis in Lydia: This city issued bronzes with autonomous obverse types but showing Trajan with his full titles on the reverse. Here, however, we have the name and a bust of Caracalla on the obverse, but his name appears again and together with the ethnic on the reverse. While it is possibly that the reverse legend, which unfortunately is incomplete due to some weakness, is to be understood as an otherwise unattested honorary city title of Antoniniana Sebasteia Germanicopolis, this is unlikely considering its combination with the image of Caracalla on a horse. In fact, a recently published coin of Lucius Verus with Marcus Aurelius on the reverse in CNG 94 (2013), 900 revealed another issue from Germanicopolis that puts an emperor’s name in front of the ethnic, this time that of Marcus Aurelius.

Online bidding closes: 26 Jun 2016, 20:34:00 CEST Current Date & Time: 28 Mar 2024, 20:56:53 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:360 CHF by Pscipio (8 bids)
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