Naville Numismatics Ltd.
Auction 71 13 Feb 2022
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Arabia, Philippopolis Divus Julius Marinus. Died circa 246/7. Bronze circa 247-249, Æ 23.00 mm., 8.09 g.
ΘЄΩ MAPINΩ Bare-headed bust r. supported by eagle. Rev. ΦIΛIΠΠOΠOΛIT-ΩN KOΛΩNIAC S – C Helmeted Roma standing l., holding patera and long spear at foot which, oval shield. BMC p. 42, 2. A. Spijkermann, The Coins of the Decapolis and the Provincia Arabia, 2 and pl. 58, 2. Hendin 987a.
Rare. Nice green patina, About Very Fine.
In addition to promoting his immediate family (see lot 614), Philip I also lavished honours upon his deceased father, Julius Marinus, whom he deified. Philip's family hailed from a somewhat obscure town in Arabia Trachonitis (the modern village of Shahba, Syria) situated about 60 miles east of the Sea of Galilee and 25 miles north of Bostra, the capital of Roman Arabia. Philip took full advantage of his new position as emperor to honour his hometown, which he elevated to a Roman colonia, and renamed Philippopolis. Beyond these honorary upgrades, Philip made capital improvements in his hometown. He built a temple for the worship of his now-deified father, and had numerous mosaics, a theatre, baths and temples constructed. The ruins of these survive today, and it is likely that most – if not all – were completed under Philip's watch. Since the town was not on a major road or trade route, its prosperity and fame eventually faded. The coinage of Philippopolis was an isolated event, as no coins had been struck there before Philip's reign, and none were produced afterward. Since no die links between this city's coinage and any other was documented in Konrad Kraft's monumental 1972 study of provincial die links, it is possible the coins were actually produced in Philippopolis, rather than at a larger regional mint. The coinage was struck only in the name of Philip I, his wife, his son and deified father, and was limited to two base metal denominations. A further peculiarity is that even though Philippopolis was a Roman colonia, its coin inscriptions (except the formulaic SC) are rendered in Greek The reverses depict a seated goddess and a standing goddess. Though the standing goddess still merits her identification as Roma, the seated goddess is perhaps better identified as Allat based upon her similarity to statues found at Palmyra and Suweida. Allat was a remarkably old fertility/mother goddess representing the earth. Her worship was important to agriculture, and she belonged to the trinity of desert goddesses, the other two being Al-Uzza, the morning-star goddess, and Menat, the goddess of fate and time.
ΘЄΩ MAPINΩ Bare-headed bust r. supported by eagle. Rev. ΦIΛIΠΠOΠOΛIT-ΩN KOΛΩNIAC S – C Helmeted Roma standing l., holding patera and long spear at foot which, oval shield. BMC p. 42, 2. A. Spijkermann, The Coins of the Decapolis and the Provincia Arabia, 2 and pl. 58, 2. Hendin 987a.
Rare. Nice green patina, About Very Fine.
In addition to promoting his immediate family (see lot 614), Philip I also lavished honours upon his deceased father, Julius Marinus, whom he deified. Philip's family hailed from a somewhat obscure town in Arabia Trachonitis (the modern village of Shahba, Syria) situated about 60 miles east of the Sea of Galilee and 25 miles north of Bostra, the capital of Roman Arabia. Philip took full advantage of his new position as emperor to honour his hometown, which he elevated to a Roman colonia, and renamed Philippopolis. Beyond these honorary upgrades, Philip made capital improvements in his hometown. He built a temple for the worship of his now-deified father, and had numerous mosaics, a theatre, baths and temples constructed. The ruins of these survive today, and it is likely that most – if not all – were completed under Philip's watch. Since the town was not on a major road or trade route, its prosperity and fame eventually faded. The coinage of Philippopolis was an isolated event, as no coins had been struck there before Philip's reign, and none were produced afterward. Since no die links between this city's coinage and any other was documented in Konrad Kraft's monumental 1972 study of provincial die links, it is possible the coins were actually produced in Philippopolis, rather than at a larger regional mint. The coinage was struck only in the name of Philip I, his wife, his son and deified father, and was limited to two base metal denominations. A further peculiarity is that even though Philippopolis was a Roman colonia, its coin inscriptions (except the formulaic SC) are rendered in Greek The reverses depict a seated goddess and a standing goddess. Though the standing goddess still merits her identification as Roma, the seated goddess is perhaps better identified as Allat based upon her similarity to statues found at Palmyra and Suweida. Allat was a remarkably old fertility/mother goddess representing the earth. Her worship was important to agriculture, and she belonged to the trinity of desert goddesses, the other two being Al-Uzza, the morning-star goddess, and Menat, the goddess of fate and time.