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Obverse. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Reverse. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
Roman Bronze/Copper Alloy 1 Assarion? of Sardis
- Date
- 140 AD - 161 AD, Roman
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- 1982.C82.0163
- Material
- Bronze/Copper Alloy
- Object Type
- Coin
- Coin Denomination
- 1 Assarion?
- Coin Mint
- Sardis
- Issuers
- Marcus Aurelius, Nikomachos
- Officina
- Has Mint Mark
- no
- Has Control Mark
- no
- Has Monogram
- no
- Has Countermark
- no
- Hoard
- Monograph 13 Catalog No.
- 178
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- Wadi B
- Trench
- Wadi B 82.12
- B-Grid Coordinates
- ca. E719.86 / S229.04
- Description
- This coin type: Obverse: Bust of young Aurelius r. bare; Reverse: Winged caduceus ЄΠΙ ΝЄΙΚΟΜΑΧOV CΑΡΔΙΑΝΩΝ.
- Condition
- Worn
- Dimensions
- Weight: 3.12g; Diameter: 22mm.
- Comments
- These coins show the Sardis mint style nicely: dies are slightly small for the flan, which is large and thin. The engravers tend to leave negative space, the legends have large letters pushed to the edge of the die, and often the reverses simply read CAPΔΙΑΝΩΝ. The style begins in the late Flavian period (see BMC Lydia p. 246 no. 73, for which see section 3.3.) and can be seen in one traveling engraver who made dies for a variety of cities, including Sardis, Smyrna, Hierapolis, Ancyra, and Tripolis (Johnston 1983, p. 60). By the 3rd century, the style is rarer, as legends become longer and more elements are placed on the reverses. See discussion in Evans, Sardis M13 section 2.3.2.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- BMC Lydia p. 258 nos. 143-144
- Author
- JDE