Leu Numismatik AG
Web Auction 2 3 Dec 2017
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PONTUS. Heracleopolis (as Sebastopolis). Trajan, 98-117. Hemiassarion (Bronze, 17 mm, 5.00 g, 4 h), CY 109 = 106/7 AD. [AYT NEP] TPAIANOC K[AICAP CE ΓE ΔA] Laureate head of Trajan to right. Rev. CEBACTOΠO[ΛITωN] ETOYC ΘP Club and quiver. Amandry&Rémy -. Naumann 53 (2017), 396 and RPC III 6555 (both from the same obverse die, but as uncertain Asia Minor). RPC III online 2919A (upcoming, including this coin). Extremely rare, the third and best known example. Struck on a short flan and with minor cleaning scratches, otherwise, very fine.
The fragmentary legends on the examples in RPC III and Naumann 53 did not allow an attribution of this enigmatic issue to be made. Our example clearly shows, however, that it is a smaller denomination of RPC III 2919 of Sebastopolis in Pontus. The coinage of Sebastopolis dated to 106/7 therefore consisted not two, but three denominations: a large one of 27-28 mm and 17-20 g, naming the Roman governor P. Calvisius Ruso Iulius Frontinus on the reverse, a middle one of 21-22 mm and 8-9 g, with club and lion skin on the reverse, and a small denomination with club and quiver. The close stylistic similarities between the known obverse dies show that all of them were cut by a single artist - which is hardly surprising for a one year emission of small city that only issued coins three times in its history (in 106/7, 205/6 and 263/4 AD).
The fragmentary legends on the examples in RPC III and Naumann 53 did not allow an attribution of this enigmatic issue to be made. Our example clearly shows, however, that it is a smaller denomination of RPC III 2919 of Sebastopolis in Pontus. The coinage of Sebastopolis dated to 106/7 therefore consisted not two, but three denominations: a large one of 27-28 mm and 17-20 g, naming the Roman governor P. Calvisius Ruso Iulius Frontinus on the reverse, a middle one of 21-22 mm and 8-9 g, with club and lion skin on the reverse, and a small denomination with club and quiver. The close stylistic similarities between the known obverse dies show that all of them were cut by a single artist - which is hardly surprising for a one year emission of small city that only issued coins three times in its history (in 106/7, 205/6 and 263/4 AD).