RPC I, 627

 

Image of specimen #10

 

Coin type
Volume I
Number 627
Province Sicily
Region Sicily
City Agrigentum
Reign Augustus
Person (obv.) Augustus
Magistrate Publius Cotta Ba— (duovir) ; Lucius Statius Flaccus (duovir) ; Lucius Mussidius Longus (proconsul)
Obverse inscription AVGVSTVS ACRAG[ ]
Edition Augustus Acrag[---]
Translation Augustus, Agrigentum [---]
Obverse design bare head of Augustus, right
Reverse inscription L STATI P COTTA IIV[IR], L MVSSIDI PR COS
Edition L(ucio) Stati(o) P(ublio) Cotta IIvir(is) L(ucio) Mussidi(o) pr(o) co(n)s(ule)
Translation with Lucius Statius and Publius Cotta duumvirs, under Lucius Mussidius as proconsul
Reverse design inscription in wreath
Metal copper-based alloy
Average diameter 20 mm
Average weight 8.25 g
Axis 9
Reference Gabrici 63–4, Holm 755 corr., Cop 1100, FITA 237
Specimens 10 (3 in the core collections)
Note New comment (2024), with thanks to P. Villemur: these coins were formerly attributed to Tyndaris in RPC, following P. Pitotto, ‘Un esemplare di Mussidio Longo per Augusto e la questione della zecca di Tindari’, Annotazioni Numismatiche 22, Giugno 1996, p. 494) and others, but the new coin no 10 in the PV collection has a clear ethnic and shows that they must be given to Agrigentum (P. Villemur, 'Les émissions augustéennes frappées à Agrigente au nom des proconsuls de Sicile L. Mussidius et Sisenna', BCEN 61.2 (2024), p. 6-16). Since other specimens offer a legend running around the wreath on the reverse (3, 8 and 9) including the names of the duovirs L. STA(tius) and P. COTTA which also appear on the coins of Sisenna procos. (RPC I, 668), the latter group must also be attributed to this municipium in spite of Martini's reservations (p. 71 n. 51). R. J. A. Wilson advises us that Cotta is probably a Latinized version of a Greek name (and a Κoτης appears at second century Agrigentum and Malta), while a Κoτας is attested from the same period in Camarina (P.M. Fraser and E. Matthews, A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names vol. III.A (Oxford, 1997), p. 256). And BA on 668 (see below) might be the beginning of a Greek name and there are plenty of candidates (see Lexicon).  The original numbering of specimens has been changed: delete 627/5 (Cop 1100), 627/6 = 627/5, 627/7 = 627/6, 627/8 = 627/7 , 627/8 is a new specimen and 627/9 = 627/1. See the article by Villemur for a very full discussion and a die study.
Correction Corrected coin-type (post publication)

Specimens of this coin type

Number Number Museum Bibliography
1 1     L: 1936,0220.13 ex T.O. Mabbott, ex Froehner (Ratto 1909), lot 1267
2 2     P: 2189
3 3     Palermo = Gabrici 63
4 4     Palermo = Gabrici 64
5 5     Turin FITA 237 n. 1
6 6     Turin FITA 237 n. 1
7 7     Bern: R2916
8 8     L: 1999,0508.1 ex RBW
9 9     PV Coll., ex Naumann 63, 4 Mar. 2018, lot 692
10 10     ✸ PV Coll., ex Artemide Kunstauktionen e-Live 27, 1–2 Apr. 2023, lot 450