Leu Numismatik AG
Auction 5 27 Oct 2019
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PHRYGIA. Cadi. Pseudo-autonomous issue. AE (Orichalcum, 18 mm, 4.01 g, 7 h), time of the Severans, 198-235. ΘЄIA ΓЄPOYCIA Diademed head of the Gerousia to right. Rev. KAΔOHNΩN Demeter standing facing, head to left, holding grain ears in her right hand and long torch in her left. Agora E-Auction 84 (2019), 128 corr. (same dies, but misdescribed as reading IЄPA ΓЄPOYCIA). BMC -. Martin, Kadoi 10 corr. (same dies, but misdescribed as reading ΓЄPOYCIA). RPC -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG Leypold -. SNG München -. SNG Righetti -. SNG von Aulock -. Extremely rare, apparently the third known example. Good very fine.
The Gerousia, the Council of Elders of a polis, was very rarely mentioned on Roman Provincial coins: Leschhorn knew of only five cities (six if you count the Gerontes of Sparta), with Cadi not being among them. The legends are always ΓЄPOYCIA or IЄPA ΓЄPOYCIA ('Gerousia' or 'holy Gerousia), whereas the inscription on our coin, ΘЄIA ΓЄPOYCIA, literally translates as 'the divine council of old men' - an obvious adaptation of the much more common inscription ΘЄOC CYNKΛHTOC, honoring the 'divine (Roman) Senate'.
The Gerousia, the Council of Elders of a polis, was very rarely mentioned on Roman Provincial coins: Leschhorn knew of only five cities (six if you count the Gerontes of Sparta), with Cadi not being among them. The legends are always ΓЄPOYCIA or IЄPA ΓЄPOYCIA ('Gerousia' or 'holy Gerousia), whereas the inscription on our coin, ΘЄIA ΓЄPOYCIA, literally translates as 'the divine council of old men' - an obvious adaptation of the much more common inscription ΘЄOC CYNKΛHTOC, honoring the 'divine (Roman) Senate'.