Phoenician coin picture

mads

Phew! Think I attached my jpg. Technofear!
I was unable to attach picture to previous message but I am interested in finding out what the BC stands for on this Phoenician Tetrobol, any help would be much appreciated!!

Thanks, Mads

Shipcoin

Great Ship coin, mads--I like it!

trozau

"Before Christ" Sorry, I couldn't resist it. Welcome to the forum!

dougdann

Hi,
You had also posted that on my website at ACV.

I'm skeptical about the BC. I wouldn't think any official coin would have that.
Are you sure it is real?
They didn't refer to their own time as BC.
May I ask where you bought the coin from?

Doug

mads

mads

Hi Doug, thanks for the response. I got the coin from "Artemission" and have a certificate of authentication. I don't believe for one minute that BC means "Before Christ" but I know it's Latin. If the coin is from 111/110 BC, Asia Minor was thoroughly under Roman rule. Somebody suggested that it may represent a governor or magistrate, which sounds quite likely. I would definately like to find out for certain though, I enjoy problem solving. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

dougdann

These aren't what I know best. Just hadn't seen one with BC. Or at least I ever noticed.


Doug

MPeter

I think when some of the cities would strike their own coins, they would put on their own symbols for their city. Might be something like that!

dougdann

Here is a page of coins from Phoenicia, Arados.

Phoenicia

It's just that the large BC strikes me as strange.


wildwinds phoenicia


Scroll down to Phoenicia.

The greeks minted some beautiful coins.

Doug

CIVITAS

There's nothing wrong with the coin. It's perfectly fine from what I can see. It is a known type with BC above the prow. The letters are actually likely to be Greek rather than Latin. All of the other letter combinations on these types are Greek letters. This is the only one I could find in BMC that had letters found in both Greek and Latin alphabets, otherwise all others were Greek. The 'C' does make its way into the later Greek alphabet, but I don't know exactly when. Since this coin dates to 110/109 B.C.E., I suppose that might be late enough.

I do believe the letters above are a magistrate's inscription, but neither BMC, Historia Nummorum nor SNG Copenhagen offers any explanation. The Phoenecians were direct neighbors of the Seleukid Kings in Syria. They used similar magistrate's symbols on their coins. I see no reason why the Phoenecians wouldn't adopt it as well.

dougdann

Thankyou Josh.



Doug

mads

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I might look into the Seleukid dynasty, see who was around at the time.