Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 396 26 April 2017
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SELEUCIS and PIERIA, Antioch. Macrinus. AD 217-218. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 11.54 g, 12h). VVT K M ΟΠ C-E MAKIIOC CE, laureate head right / ΔHMAPX • • EΞ • VΠATO Δ, eagle standing facing on leg and thigh of animal, head and tail left, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak. McAlee –; McAlee Supp. –; Prieur –. VF, toned. Unpublished.
An unusual coin with several perculiar features which may point to this being an unofficial issue: 1) the blundered obverse legend; 2) the lack of Δ E" in the reverse field, which appears on all other known Antiochene tetradrachms of Macrinus; 3) and the tribunician date, which Macrinus never attained.
Alternatively, the reverse die could be a leftover from the reign of Caracalla, and we should note that the fine style portrait is very similar to official Emesene issues (Emesa being the most prolific mint during the brief reign of Macrinus [McAlee p. 287]). "
An unusual coin with several perculiar features which may point to this being an unofficial issue: 1) the blundered obverse legend; 2) the lack of Δ E" in the reverse field, which appears on all other known Antiochene tetradrachms of Macrinus; 3) and the tribunician date, which Macrinus never attained.
Alternatively, the reverse die could be a leftover from the reign of Caracalla, and we should note that the fine style portrait is very similar to official Emesene issues (Emesa being the most prolific mint during the brief reign of Macrinus [McAlee p. 287]). "