Macrinus & Diadumenian AE Pentassarion Marcianopolis Apollo Moesia Inferior

Item Details

• Denomination: Æ Pentassarion (5 Assaria)

• Mint: Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior

• Date: c. AD 217–218

• Weight: 12.99 grams

• Diameter: 25 mm

• 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.

• 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 ($\text{E}$) serves as the mark of value, designating it as a 5-assarion denomination.

• Legend: VΠ ΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN (Under Governor Pontianus, [coinage] of the citizens of Marcianopolis).

References:

• Pick, AMNG I 725 var. / 743 var.

• 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.