Macrinus & Diadumenian AE Pentassarion Marcianopolis Apollo Moesia Inferior
Item Details
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Denomination: Æ Pentassarion (5 Assaria)
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Mint: Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior
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Date: c. AD 217–218
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Weight: 12.99 grams
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Diameter: 25 mm
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Provenance: Ex Locke & England
Description
Obverse: Confronted, face-to-face busts of the co-rulers. On the left, the laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Macrinus facing right; on the right, the bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust of his son, Diadumenian, facing left.
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Legend:
AVT K OΠEΛΛI CEV MAKPEINOC K M OΠEΛΛI ANTΩNEINOC(or similar variant, partially visible/soft on this specimen).
Reverse: Nude Apollo standing facing, head turned left, holding a patera in his extended right hand over a small burning altar, and holding a bow in his left hand. In the right or left field, the Greek letter E () serves as the mark of value, designating it as a 5-assarion denomination.
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Legend:
VΠ ΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN(Under Governor Pontianus, [coinage] of the citizens of Marcianopolis).
References:
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Pick, AMNG I 725 var. / 743 var.
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Varbanov 1154 var. (exact variant depends on the precise layout of the reverse field elements).
Condition & Attribution Note
The coin has a very thick, granular, dark chocolate-brown patina with lighter highlights emphasizing the portraits. While the surfaces show the typical environmental texture/roughness common to provincial bronzes of Moesia, both the confronted portraits and the figure of Apollo remain entirely legible and easily identifiable.
The reverse characteristically shows Apollo in a stance highly reminiscent of classical sculpture, bridging the depiction of the god as both a healer (making a libation over the altar) and an archer.