Asia Minor Coins - Photo Gallery

Ancient Greek and Roman coins from Asia Minor


Coin ID #4199

Sardeis (AD 250) AE 41

Mid-3rd cent AD. AE41 - Medallion (25.50g, 12h). Aurelius Rufinus, first archon for the second time. MHTPOΠΟΛIC CAPΔIC ·ACIAC· ΛVΔIAC· EΛΛAΔOC· A·, veiled and draped bust of Tyche right, wearing mural crown / EΠI AVP POV[Φ]EINOV APX T(o) B CAPΔIANΩN B NEΩKOPΩN, ZEVC LVΔIOC across inner fields, Zeus Lydius seated left on high throne, holding Nike in right hand and sceptre in left, surrounded by zodiacal wheel border. Good VF, red and brown patina with green overtones. Very rare.

In Treasures of Ancient Coinage: From the Private Collections of ANS Members, Catharine Lorber catalogued a coin of Maximinus I Thrax from Anchialus in Thrace with a very similar reverse type (see p. 121, no. 110). Lorber summarized the type as "...a symbolic map of the cosmos. Zeus, chief of the gods, is the central figure... Surrounding this scene is a broad band containing the twelve signs of the zodiac. The entire design reflects the common belief of 3rd century Romans that their lives were shaped by higher powers. This schema and variations on it were employed by numerous mints for different emperors from the mid-2nd through the mid-3rd centuries."

File information
Filename:161101.jpg
City/Mint name:Sardeis
Rating (4 votes):11111
Keywords:roman / bronze
References:Simpson 108 = Triton V (1/ 2002), lot 1729 = Sternberg XI (11/1981), lot 304; BMC -; SNG Copenhagen -; SNG von Aulock -; cf. Mionnet IV 788 (no zodiacal wheel)
Valuation:CNG Coin Shop, est. $8,750
Photo courtesy of:Classical Numismatic Group - www.cngcoins.com
Filesize:48 KiB
Date added:Jan 09, 2007
Dimensions:500 x 256 pixels
Displayed:814 times
URL:http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=4199
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