No Roman Imperial Bronze Was Found at Paphos II, but the Dig at the Nearby Odeion Found Four Sestertii from 222-249 AD and No Other Roman Imperial Coins
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
101 / 140 THE COINAGE SYSTEM OF CLEOPATRA VII, MARC ANTONY AND AUGUSTUS IN CYPRUS No Roman Imperial bronze was found at Paphos II, but the dig at the nearby Odeion found four sestertii from 222-249 AD and no other Roman Imperial coins. At Curium and the Odeion, many small Ptolemaic coins were found. Roman Imperial sestertii were valued as drachms. The lack of ases in relation to sestertii supports the idea that the as (equal to a rather clumsy 1.5 obols) did not fit well into the Cypriot denominational system of six obols per sestertius / drachm. The lack of other small change suggests the ongoing use of antique Ptolemaic and Augustan small change, perhaps at least as late as the reign of Gallienus. Amandry summarizes this later coinage on Cyprus: In the second century, Roman coins form the largest group, dominating the Cypriot bronzes. The same is true for the third and fourth century. Apart from occasional eastern provincial coin, Roman currency is predominant. Most of the coins come from the nearest mints, Antioch, Cyzicus and Hercaclea in the third century, Antioch, Constantinopolis, Alexandria, Cyzicus, Nicomedia in the fourth. At that time, Cyprus had been fully absorbed into the Roman imperial monetary system. Bronzes of Cleopatra circulated as money in Dark Age Cyprus. Cox described a jumble of “over 400 miscellaneous small pieces, mostly illegible” found in the sewers of Curium. Some are Ptolemaic. Cox writes: From their distribution it seems that these unrelated coins and bits of metal all circulated together. J. G. Milne’s remarks on the exchange media of fifth- century Egypt (“The Currency of Egypt in the Fifth Century,“ NC, 1926, p. 62) perhaps hold true for Cyprus also in the early sixth century: ‘that any piece of metal would serve for the purpose of a unit – virtually a counter – and that no guarantee of value by the government was attached to any of these pieces.’ Examination of other well-dated and documented Cypriot hoards containing Ptolemaic small change would be useful. On Cyprus, the plentiful little portraits of Cleopatra VII, Queen of Kings, and the last Queen of Egypt and Cyprus, gradually wore away in circulation as very small change in the hands of her rivals the Romans. (1.73, 1.47g) “The Coinage System of Cleopatra VII, Marc Antony, and Augustus in Cyprus” included several denominations. Each was struck in a political and economic context. Each reflected earlier and contemporary issues of Cyprus and her trading partners. 102 / 140 THE COINAGE SYSTEM OF CLEOPATRA VII, MARC ANTONY AND AUGUSTUS IN CYPRUS Table of Suggested Attribution Changes This is not a complete listing of coins from Cyprus. Rather, it is a listing of coins not attributed to Cyprus in the major references, or with other significant changes in attribution. (Cross-listings with Price; Svoronos; Sear, Greek; BMC; RIC; Sear, Roman; Crawford; Vagi and RPC I, Supplement and II). Changes and unpublished varieties are in italics. Conventional Attribution, metal, denomination, (typical weight of uncorroded examples with little wear, not photographed example) Mint, Obverse legend. Obverse type. / Reverse legend. Reverse type. Reference(s). Suggested Change(s) in ruler, mint, and / or denomination. Other comments. Paphos, Æ16, (4.4g) Head of Aphrodite left, wearing ornate headdress. / Rose. CCC92, otherwise Unpublished. BMC 49 var (double denomination). Lotus instead of rose. c. 330 BC. Alexander III, gold stater, (8.6g) Alexandria or Memphis Mint, Helmeted head of Athena right. / Nike standing, EY or ∆I symbol, often with rose. Issued with varying symbols from several mints on Cyprus and numerous mints throughout the Kingdom of Alexander. EY for Salamis or Paphos Mint. Athena or Alexander as warrior? Lotus instead of rose. Alexander III, gold stater, (8.6g) Helmeted head of Athena right. / Nike standing, ∏AI monogram. Price-; Muller-. Unpublished. Paphos Mint? Two examples In CNG catalogs. Athena or Alexander as warrior? Alexander III, silver tetr. (17.2g) Salamis Mint, Head of Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress knotted at base of neck. / Zeus seated left, mint symbols before Zeus and below throne. Issued from several other mints on Cyprus and numerous mints throughout the Kingdom of Alexander. Alexander’s facial features as Hercules. 103 / 140 THE COINAGE SYSTEM OF CLEOPATRA VII, MARC ANTONY AND AUGUSTUS IN CYPRUS Alexander III, silver tetradrachm, (17.2g) Paphos Mint, similar, with the name NIKOKΛE∑ hidden in the lion-skin, behind the ear. / ∏AI monogram before Zeus. Several varieties. Price 3119 with rose below throne. Lotus instead of rose. Alexander III, silver tetradrachm, Memphis Mint, Lifetime of Alexander, 323 or before, similar, with crossed legs, different symbols. All Salamis or Paphos Mint, after 323 BC. Alexander III, silver drachm, (4.3g) Salamis Mint, similar. / ∏A before Zeus, Γ below throne. Price 3183. A stater and tetradrachm have the same symbols. Paphos? Is the name NIKOKΛE∑ hidden? Alexander III, Æ17 (7.1g), Cyprus Mint, Similar obverse. / AΛEXAN∆POY or BA Club, bow, and bow-case, mint symbol below. Issued from several other mints on Cyprus and numerous mints throughout the Kingdom of Alexander. Attic hemiobol. Alexander’s facial features as Hercules. Marium Mint also struck. Alexander III, Æ17, Paphos, similar. NIKOKΛE∑ hidden in the lion-skin, behind the ear. Alexander III, Æ10 (1.8g), Cyprus Mint, Similar types. Issued from several other mints on Cyprus. Alexander’s facial features as Hercules Attic 1/8th obol. Alexander III, Æ10, Paphos, similar. NIKOKΛE∑ hidden in the lion-skin, behind the ear. Alexander III, gold stater, (8.56g) Memphis. Similar obverse. / Prow right. Svor. 25. Cyprus, probably Salamis. Alexander III, tetr. (17.1g) Memphis Mint, Head of Alexander the Great, wearing elephant skin. / Zeus seated left, legs crossed, various symbols including rose. Cyprus Mint(s). Double lotus? Alexander III, tetr. Attic weight standard tetradrachm, (17.1g) Memphis or Alexandria Mint, Head of Alexander the Great, wearing elephant skin, some with delta at top of aegis. / AΛEXAN∆POY Athena advancing right, bearing raised spear and shield. Cyprus Mints. Delta not an engraver’s signature. EY for Soloi, mint for some. Alexander III, Attic weight standard drachm, (4.3g) EY symbol. Svor. 43. Same. EY for Eunostos of Soloi, son-in-law of Ptolemy I. 104 / 140 THE COINAGE SYSTEM OF CLEOPATRA VII, MARC ANTONY AND AUGUSTUS IN CYPRUS Attic tetradrachm. Cut to 22 obols at right of name Alexander. Alexander III, tetr. 22-obol weight standard. (15.7g) Head of Alexander the Great, wearing elephant skin, small delta at top of aegis. / AΛEXAN∆POY Athena advancing right, bearing raised spear and shield. Often overstruck on older Attic tetradrachms, reduced in weight. Emergency issue, struck in Cyprus c. 306 BC, Delta not an engraver’s signature. Alexander III, tetr. (15.7g) Similar. ∏TOΛEMAIOY Caduceus symbol. Svor. 96. Emergency issue, struck in Cyprus c. 306 BC, Delta not an engraver’s signature. Salamis Mint, the last city to fall to the invaders. Alexander III, AR drachm, 22-obol weight standard, (3.7g) Similar. Svor. 34. All 22-obol standard except ∆O and EY. Similar, but base core. (Possible official issue?) Alexander III, AR drachm, Attic? weight standard, (3.7g) Corinth, Ptolemaic Occupation, c. 306 BC, Similar. ∆O symbol. Svor. -; S 2640; Kraay plate 14, #255. Found only near Corinth, ∆O symbol shared with Corinthian staters and drachms. (cf. Ravel 1091) Alexander III, AR 22-obol standard hemidrachm (1.75g) Similar, ∆I. Svor. 35 Cyprus. Ptolemy I, Æ17 1/16th drachm (4.2g) Paphos Mint. struck c. 306 BC, Similar. / AΛE Eagle standing left, wings open, EY and ∏A monogram at sides. Svor. 46. Ptolemy I, Æ20 1/8th drachm (8.5g) Paphos Mint. struck c. 305 BC, Head of Aphrodite right, wearing stephanos, lotus behind. / ∏TOΛEMAIOY Eagle standing left on thunderbolt. Svor. 74. 1/4 obol Svor. 80. 1/8 obol Svor. 82. Ptolemy I, gold reduced stater, (7.1g) Kyrene, c. 305-283 BC, Diademed bust of Ptolemy I, aegis at neck, delta behind ear. / ∏TOΛEMAIOY BA∑IΛEΩ∑ Alexander the Great in quadriga of elephants, monogram below. Svoronos 102. Ptolemy I as Zeus. 105 / 140 THE COINAGE SYSTEM OF CLEOPATRA VII, MARC ANTONY AND AUGUSTUS IN CYPRUS Ptolemy II, gold pentadrachm (trichrysa), (17.8g) Alexandria, Diademed bust of Ptolemy I, aegis at neck, delta behind ear. / ∏TOΛEMAIOY BA∑IΛEΩ∑ Eagle standing left, on thunderbolt, ∑T and ∏A monogram before. Svor. 367. Ptolemy I as Zeus. The second reverse monogram is ∏A for Paphos. ∆ is probably not a signature. After the 294 BC re-conquest of the island by Ptolemy. Worth 50 drachms of silver, and not a trichrysa. Ptolemy I, AR 21-obol tetradrachm (14.8g) Alexandria, Diademed bust of Ptolemy I, aegis at neck. / ∏TOΛEMAIOY BA∑IΛEΩ∑ Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, monogram before. 294-290 BC. Ptolemy I, gold hemidrachm, (1.78g) Alexandria, Diademed bust of Ptolemy I, aegis at neck. / ∏TOΛEMAIOY BA∑IΛEΩ∑ Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings open, monogram before. SNG Cop. 45 Ptolemy I as Zeus. After the 294 BC re-conquest of the island by Ptolemy. Ptolemy I, AE8, (0.87g) Cyprus Mint, Diademed bust of Alexander the Great right. / Eagle standing left, wings open. Cf. Svor 216 for 1.55g double denom. 1/16th obol. Ptolemy I, AR tetradrachm, (14.2g) Alexandria Mint, After 305 BC, Similar types. ∑T and ∏A monograms. Svor. 368. Ptolemy I as Zeus. The second reverse monogram is for Paphos. ∆ is probably not a signature. After the 294 BC re-conquest of the island by Ptolemy, and after the 290 BC introduction of this 14.2g denomination. Ptolemy I, AR tetradrachm, similar, ∑T KI and AX monograms before eagle. Svor. 366. Similar. Kition Mint. Ptolemy I, AR tetradrachm, similar, ∆I and AX monograms before eagle.