Watch List notes:

SYRIA, Cyrrhestica. Cyrrhus. Caracalla. AD 198-217. AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 13.49 g, 12h). Struck AD 215-217. Radiate and cuirassed bust left, holding spear in right hand, shield over left shoulder / ΔHMAPX Є-Ξ VΠATO Δ, laureate head of Caracalla right, being supported by eagle standing facing on filleted thyrsus, head and tail right, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak. Unpublished, but see CNG 96, 651 for the closest parallel (with different obv. bust type, eagle not holding wreath). From the same obverse die as the following lot. VF, granular surfaces. Extremely rare double portrait type.


Numerous mints, including Edessa, Heliopolis, Damascus, Aradus, Byblus, Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem) and Neapolis, issued double portrait tetradrachms under Caracalla, with the reverse portrait supported by or suspended over an eagle standing facing or to right. This appears to be only the second such coin known for Cyrrhus.