RPC I, 2632

 

Image of specimen #9

 

Coin type
Volume I
Number 2632
Province Asia
Subprovince Conventus of Ephesus
Region Ionia
City Ephesus
Reign Nero
Person (obv.) Statilia Messalina (Augusta)
Magistrate Marcus Acilius Aviola (proconsul) ; Aichmokles
Dating AD 65/6
Obverse inscription ΜΕΣΣΑΛΙΝΑΝ
Obverse design draped bust of Statilia Messalina, right
Reverse inscription ΑΙΧΜΟΚΛΗΣ ΕΠ ΑΒΙΟΛΑ, ΡΩΜΗ, ΕΦΕ
Reverse design Roma standing, right, holding sceptre and cult statue of Artemis
Metal copper-based alloy
Average diameter 19 mm
Axis 1, 12
Reference GM 639, 286, Karwiese 87
Specimens 11 (6 in the core collections)
Note 8 may well have Roma in a somewhat different pose on the rev. from normal, but does not seem at all to depict ‘Zeus mit Szepter und Adler’. The figure is surely female and the inscription identifies her as ΡΩΜΗ, as is normal. However the inscription is probably variant, since EΦEΣIΩN clearly appears to the r. of the figure, and it may well be that the coin omits any reference to the proconsul or the local ‘magistrate’, although there may be traces of some additional legend to the r.. 9. Lanz 147, 2 Nov. 2009, lot 281, 6.41. In RPC I, it was guessed that the obv. legend was incomplete, but the Lanz specimen clearly demonstrates that the legend is only ΜΕΣΣΑΛΙΝΑΝ.
Correction Corrected coin-type (post publication)

Specimens of this coin type

Number Number Museum Bibliography
1 1     B: 18247451, B-I
2 2     B: I-B GM 639, 286
3 3     B: 7977
4 4     P: 620 Wa 1620 corr.
5 5     O
6 6     V: GR 31482
7 7     Mabbott 1483
8 8     MM 86, 3–4 June 1998, lot 69
9 9     ✸ J. Clark coll. (ex Lanz 147, 2 Nov. 2009, lot 281 = Artemide Aste XLVIII, 2 Dec. 2017, lot 333)
10 10     Nomos 20, 10 July 2020, lot 305 (ex Pecunem 19, 6 July 2014, lot 383)
11 11     D. Kimel coll.