RPC IV.4, 3432

 

Image of specimen #34

 

Coin type
Volume IV.4
Number 3432
Province Egypt
Region Egypt
City Alexandria
Reign Commodus
Person (obv.) Commodus (Augustus)
Issue Year ΚΔ = 24
Dating AD 183/4
Obverse inscription Μ Α ΚΟ(Μ) ΑΝΤω ϹΕΒ ΕΥϹΕΒ
Obverse design laureate head of Commodus, right
Reverse inscription L ΚΔ
Reverse design to left, bust of Sarapis, right, wearing kalathos, on short column; to right, emperor (Commodus) standing, left, wearing priestly headdress and toga, dropping incense on altar (or thymiaterion)
Metal debased silver
Average diameter 25 mm
Axis 1, 12
Reference D 3846, 3847, pl. VII (rev.) (= DS 3848), DS 9552, 9604–5, Geissen 2212, M 2653
Specimens 42 (19 in the core collections)
Note Some Ʊ forms. The scene on the reverse seems to be a pair with another sacrifice scene introduced in the same year, and which was copied from Roman imperial medallions (see the note on https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/25641). The unusual headdress worn by the emperor is clearly distinguished by size and shape from the kalathos worn by Sarapis. It has ties at the back and may be some kind of ceremonial crown or wreath. There is a superficial similarity with the flat-topped round hats worn by Palmyrene priests, but they are clearly different. Their hats lacked ties at the back and seem to be confined to Palmyra itself (Raja 2022). The profile of the headdress is also somewhat similar to the 'bust crown' associated with games in the East (Rumscheid 2000). The precise nature of the headress is uncertain and it may be that the die-cutters did not fully understand what they were copying. The hem of the toga runs the wrong way on some dies but would have looked right on the die itself. The reverse type was repeated in year 25, and revived for Elagabalus in AD 218/19 but with the scene set the other way around (RPC online VI, temp. no. 10027). In the later version under Elagabalus the emperor is clearly togate and wears a wreath.
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Specimens of this coin type

Number Number Museum Bibliography
1 1     L BMC 1433 with p. 18
2 2     L: G1956,0409.80 BMC Suppl 3120
3 3     P: 2723
4 4     B: 96/1892
5 5     B: 28647
6 6     B: Löbb.
7 7     C: 832-1950
8 8     C
9 9     C: 831-1950
10 10     Cop: 571
11 11     G SNG 4297 = MacDonald III, 484, no. 561
12 12     NY: 1974.26.3890
13 13     NY: 1944.100.61802
14 14     NY: 1944.100.61803
15 15     O: HCR27020 M 2653
16 16     O: HCR27021 M 2654
17 17     O: HCR27022 M 2655
18 18     V: GR 24959
19 19     V: GR 24958
20 20     A: D 2264 / 3411
21 21     Cologne Geissen 2212
22 22     Cologne Geissen 2213
23 23     Frankfurt Förschner 739
24 24     Frankfurt Förschner 740
25 25     Milan SNG 1411
26 26     Milan SNG 1412
27 27     Milan SNG 1413
28 28     Aiello = DS 9604
29 29     Berk Buy or Bid Sale 202, 26 Oct. 2017, lot 308
30 30     CNG EA 148, 20 Sept. 2006, lot 297
31 31     CNG EA 355, 15 July 2015, lot 394
32 32     CNG EA 360, 30 Sept. 2015, lot 337
33 33     CNG EA 377, 29 June 2016, lot 278 = CNG EA 435, 2 Jan. 2019, lot 292
34 34     ✸ CNG EA 407, 11 Oct. 2017, lot 437
35 35     CNG MBS 79, 17 Sept. 2008, lot 722
36 36     D 3846 = Naville Numismatics 37, 28 Jan. 2018, lot 397
37 37     Gorny & Mosch 142, 10 Oct. 2005, lot 2095
38 38     Hirsch 336, 7 Feb. 2018, lot 2524
39 39     Naville Numismatics 80, 2 Apr. 2023, lot 454
40 40     Roma Numismatics 21 May 2013, lot 876
41 41     Savoca Blue 6, 7 Apr. 2018, lot 721
42 42     Stack's Coin Galleries Apr. 2010, 28 Apr. 2010, lot 330