Agora Auctions, LLC
Numismatic Auction 107 27 Sep 2022
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Arabia Petraea(?), Uncertain Arabian or Mesopotamian Mint. Uncertain Antonine emperor; time of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. co-emperors, A.D 161-169. AE 25 (24.6 mm, 9.21 g, 11 h). Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / LEG XV, griffin seated left with wings displayed. Unpublished in the standard references. Fine, green patina with earthen deposits. Extremely rare and unpublished.
Legio XV played a pivotal role in Lucius Verus' war with Parthia. The legion was first deployed to fight the Parthians in A.D. 115 under Trajan, fighting in Mesopotamia, and returned again in 162 to fight on the Armenian front of the Parthian war. Led by Verus, the unit captured and controlled the Armenian capital of Artaxata. Although the sigil of the Legio XV Apollinaris is unknown, the connection between the griffin and Apollo is clear.The portrait on this coin is very similar to a small series of Lucius Verus struck at Edessa but the obverse legend, although difficult to discern on this specimen, does not match. There are no coins recorded in RPC, for any city, commemorating Legio XV.
Legio XV played a pivotal role in Lucius Verus' war with Parthia. The legion was first deployed to fight the Parthians in A.D. 115 under Trajan, fighting in Mesopotamia, and returned again in 162 to fight on the Armenian front of the Parthian war. Led by Verus, the unit captured and controlled the Armenian capital of Artaxata. Although the sigil of the Legio XV Apollinaris is unknown, the connection between the griffin and Apollo is clear.The portrait on this coin is very similar to a small series of Lucius Verus struck at Edessa but the obverse legend, although difficult to discern on this specimen, does not match. There are no coins recorded in RPC, for any city, commemorating Legio XV.