Macrinus, Medallion, 217-218
Thyatira - Bronze - EF(40-45) - SNG-vonAulock:3230
PLEASE NOTE: this collector's item is unique. We therefore cannot guarantee its availability over time and recommend that you do not delay too long in completing your purchase if you are interested.
Bust of Macrinus, laureate, draped and cuirassed, right.
Tyche, turreted, draped, standing left, raising her veil with her left hand and holding a statuette of Apollo Tyrimnos with his right, holding a laurel branch in his right hand and a labrys in his left.
Magistrate: Mr Aur. Diadochos Hippikos. Medallion of the highest rarity, only another specimen was seen in sales over the last twenty years. Very well struck, from the city of Thyateira, it depicts a superb scene including Tyche, a divinity very common in Asia Minor. She is holding a statuette of Helios Pythios Tyrimnaios Apollo (first known as Apollo Tyrimnos), the city's 'propatôr' deity, or divine ancestor. This Apollo is a syncretism between the Greek god, one of whose attributes, the laurel branch, is accompanied by an attribute indigenous to Asia Minor, the labrys. The legendary Macedonian king Tyrimnas, brought to the city by the Macedonian colonists and initially venerated in the city, was first assimilated with Apollo, before this Apollo Tyrimnos, attested under Trajan, was gradually assimilated with Helios and Pythios (epiclesis of Apollo) later on, perhaps under Hadrian or Antoninus Pius. Thus, about fifty years later, we find the main divinity of the city of Thyateira, having served to create an ancient identity for itself despite its relatively recent foundation, with the aim of winning imperial favours during the 1st and 2nd centuries, represented on the coinage of an emperor who reigned for only about 15 months, having succeeded Caracalla in 217, before being defeated by a revolt in favour of Heliogabalus the following year.
AVT KM OΠEΛ CEBHP MAKPEINOC CEB
EΠI CTP M AVP Δ-IAΔOXOV IΠΠIKOV / ΘVA - TEI / PH - NΩ / N
30.48 gr
Bronze
Bronze (not to be confused with brass, although usage of the two terms varied in times of yore) is an extremely ancient alloy with origins going back to the period around 2,000 BC. Also known...wait for it...as the Bronze Age (who would have guessed?). Back in ancient times, a proportion of 10% tin was added to copper. It was used in particular for luxurious objects such as swords, helmets, hairpins, and even chariot ornaments.
That is by no means insignificant though, as when putting on a bronze helmet you would already find yourself with an extra 3 kilos or so on your head. Add to that your sword and armor…let’s see you advance quickly now!
The heavyweight of alloys one might say*.
The first Western bronze coins probably date back to the end of the 4th century BC and Greece.
Although the coins may be ancient, it is more difficult to date the appearance of a specific word for this alloy. The earliest record is a Venetian manuscript in Greek dating from the 11th century, but it is not impossible that it was in use earlier.
Nowadays, the bronze used in coinage is an alloy of copper (majority) and tin (minority) along with other metals such as zinc, for example, which improves the castability, or nickel, which produces a harder alloy. Its main qualities are undeniably its great resistance to corrosion and mechanical wear as well as...its aesthetic aspect.
The patina of bronze can vary, ranging from verdigris to brown through to black.
*Actually, puns aside, copper and cupronickel have a greater density, for example.
An “EF(40-45)” quality
As in numismatics it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
Extremely Fine
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has circulated well from hand to hand and pocket to pocket but the impact on its wear remains limited: the coins retains much of its mint luster, sharp detailing and little sign of being circulated. Closer examination with the naked eye reveals minor scratches or nicks.