Roma, 11.5.2021
Egregio,
riporto di seguito gli elementi significativi
riguardanti la moneta di figura:
AE161,
zecca di
Laodicea ad Lycum2,
133÷80 a. C., BMC
XXV 44 (pag. 286) pl. XXXIV 8
Descrizione sommaria (sono indicate in
rosso le parti della leggenda usurate o comunque
illeggibili):
D. Apollo, testa laureata a destra.
R. ΛAOΔI-KEΩN3,
su due righe verticali, a sinistra e a destra di
un tripode posto al centro4. Bordo
perlinato.
La ricerca nel web di monete della tipologia di
figura ha dato luogo ai seguenti risultati:
- https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7835553
E-Sale 81 385 25.02.2021 Description Greek.
Phrygia, Laodikeia ad Lycum Æ 15mm. Circa 133-80
BC. Laureate head of Apollo to right / ΛAOΔIKEΩN,
tripod. SNG von Aulock 3805. 3.46g, 15mm, 12h.
Very Fine. Acquired from Papillon Numismatic.
- petasoscoins
PHRYGIA, LAODIKEIA; HEAD OF APHRODITE/TRIPOD.
Description: Phrygia, Laodikeia, 2nd century BC.
Head of Aphrodite right, wearing sphendone /
ΛΑΟΔΙ−ΚΕΩΝ; tripod. Diameter: AE14 mm. Weight:
3,14g. Grade: aVF/aVF. Attribution: BMC Phrygia p.
286, 44. Commentary: dark olive patina, obverse
off-center, good reverse. History: Antiochos II
called the city founded by him in honor of his
wife. Article Number: 019-05-05-41652. 30,00€.
- ebay
PHRYGIA, LAODICEIA. AE 15. CIRCA 2nd - 1st CENTURY
BC. APOLLO/TRIPOD. Condition:-- Price: US $25.00
CONDITION AS PICTURED. 15MM. 4.63GRAM. BRONZE.
OBVERSE: LAUREATE HEAD OF APOLLO RIGHT. REVERSE:
GREEK LEGEND (LAODICEIA) ON EITHER SIDE OF TRIPOD.
- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Archaios-Greek-Phyrgia-Laodikeia-ad-Lykos-Apollo-Tripod-AE-/293303419027
Archaios Greek Phyrgia Laodikeia ad Lykos Apollo
Tripod ΛΑΟ∆-ΙΚΕΩ | AE Condition:-- Price: US
$37.50 Description: Autonomous Greek Bronze of
Laodikeia in Phrygia, Asia Minor (modern day
Denizli, Turkey). After 133 B.C. Obverse: Diademed
Head of Aphrodite (or Laodice) right. Reverse:
Tripod lebes with ethnic ΛΑΟ∆-ΙΚΕΩΝ vertically to
right and left. Mint: Laodicea, Phrygia. Size:
14mm. Weight: 1.88g. Ref: SNG von Aulock 3805, BMC
44, Condition: aVF, highlights are worn but still
good details and full legend. As always, Please
use the Pictures as your judge as grading is
subjective. Notes: Laodicea on the Lycus was a
stronghold of Seleucid power and influence founded
by Antiochus II Theos (B.C. 261-246), and named in
honour of his wife Laodice. The territory of
Laodiceia included a great part of the Lycus
valley, and was bounded by the two streams Lykos
and Kapros, often personified on its coins by a
Wolf and a Boar. An older city on the same site
was called Diospolis "City of Zeus" or Rhodas. The
territory of Laodiceia included a great part of
the Lycus valle -- ,Laodicea was approximately 17
kilometres (11 mi) west of Colossae, and 10
kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Hierapolis. It was
approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) east of
Ephesus and, according to Strabo, it was on a
major road. It was in Phrygia, although some
ancient authors place Laodicea in differing
provincial territories – not surprising because
the precise limits of these territories were both
ill-defined and inconstant; for example,
Ptolemy[6] and Philostratus[7] call it a town of
Caria, while Stephanus of Byzantium describes it
as belonging to Lydia. While initally located in
the Hellenistic regions of Caria and Lydia, it
later became the Roman Province of Phrygia
Pacatiana. In 188 B.C., the city passed to the
Kingdom of Pergamon. After 133 B.C. it fell under
Roman control. It suffered greatly during the
Mithridatic Wars but quickly recovered under the
dominion of Rome. Towards the end of the Roman
Republic and under the first emperors, Laodicea,
benefiting from its advantageous position on a
trade route, became one of the most important and
flourishing commercial cities of Asia Minor. It
contained one of the Seven churches of Asia
mentioned in the Book of Revelation. In 2013 the
archaeological site was inscribed in the Tentative
list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey. It
suffered greatly during the Mithridatic Wars but
quickly recovered under the dominion of Rome.
Towards the end of the Roman Republic and under
the first emperors, Laodicea, benefiting from its
advantageous position on a trade route, became one
of the most important and flourishing commercial
cities of Asia Minor, in which large money
transactions and an extensive trade in black wool
were carried on. There are still some impressive
ruins here in the modern city of Denizili that
attest to its former greatness. The ruins are well
preserved and are being substantially renovated.
Its many buildings include a stadium, baths,
temples, a gymnasium, theatres, and a bouleuterion
(Senate House). On the eastern side, the line of
the ancient wall may be distinctly traced, with
the remains of the Ephesus gate; there are streets
traversing the town, flanked by colonnades and
numerous pedestals. North of the town, towards the
Lycus, are many sarcophagi, with their covers
lying near them, partly imbedded in the ground,
and all having been long since rifled.
Particularly interesting are the remains of an
aqueduct starting several kilometres away at the
Baspinar spring in Denizli, and possibly having
another more distant source. Unusually, to cross
the valley to the south of Laodicea, instead of
the usual open channel carried above the level of
the city on lofty arches as was the usual practice
of the Romans, an inverted siphon was employed
consisting of a double pressurised pipeline,
descending into the valley and back up to the
city. The low arches supporting the siphon
commence near the summit of a low hill to the
south where the header tank was located, and
thence continue to the first terminal distribution
tank (castellum aquae) at the edge of the hill of
the city, whose remains are visible to the east of
the stadium and South Baths complex. The water was
heavily charged with calcareous matter, as several
of the arches are covered with a thick
incrustation where leaks occurred at later times.
The siphon consisted of large carved stone pipes;
some of these also are much incrusted, and some
completely choked up. The terminal tank has many
clay pipes of various diameters for water
distribution on the north, east and south sides
which, because of the choking by sinter, were
replaced in time. To the west of the terminal is a
small fountain next to the vaulted gate. The
aqueduct appears to have been destroyed by an
earthquake, as the remaining arches lean bodily on
one side, without being much broken. A second
distribution terminal and sedimentation tank is
visible 400 metres (1,300 ft) north of the first,
to which it was connected via another siphon of
travertine blocks, and this one is bigger and
supplied most of the city. Excerpts From Head,
Hist. Numorum, and Wikipedia, the Free
Encyclopedia.
Concludo
osservando che le caratteristiche generali e
di stile della moneta di figura non si
discostano da quelle delle monete d'epoca di
pari tipologia. Mancano le caratteristiche
fisiche, nonostante siano state sollecitate
caldamente e non è possibile un esame
comparativo con le monete autentiche del
periodo. La foto del dritto della moneta,
ruotata a mezzo software per sostanziare
l'ipotesi interpretativa di Apollo come tema
del dritto, è lungi dall'essere soddisfacente.
Pur con questi limiti ritengo verosimile
l'attribuzione del categorico BMC
XXV 44 (pag. 286). Nel
presente stato di conservazione la moneta, se
autentica, potrebbe a mio avviso, valere una
decina di euro.
Un saluto cordiale.
Giulio De Florio
Note:
(1) AE16.
Raccolgo in tabella le caratteristiche fisiche
delle monete della tipologia di figura presenti
nei link sopra indicati:
Link |
Peso (g.)
|
Diametro(mm) |
Asse di
conio (ore) |
Link1 |
3,46 |
15 |
12 |
Link2 |
3,14 |
14 |
- |
Link3 |
4,63 |
15 |
- |
Link4 |
1,88 |
14 |
- |
Non essendo note
le caratteristiche fisiche dell'AE16 di
figura, non sarà possibile effettuare il
confronto con le monete autentiche sopra
tabulate.
(2) Laodicea ad Lycum (v.
link), posta sul lungo sperone di una collina
tra le strette vallate dei piccoli fiumi Asopo e
Capro, che scaricano le loro acque nel Lycus (oggi
Çürüksu), era nel I secolo a.C. un'importante città
della Frigia, vicina al moderno villaggio di
Eskihisar nella provincia di Denizli. Secondo fonti
antiche, la città fu fondata tra gli anni 261-263
a.C. da Antioco II che le dette il nome della moglie
"Laodice". Nel 188 a.C., la città passò al regno di
Pergamo e dopo il 133 a.C. cadde sotto il controllo
romano. Verso la fine della Repubblica e sotto i
primi imperatori, Laodicea, beneficiando di una
posizione favorevole lungo una rotta commerciale,
divenne una delle città più importanti e fiorenti
dell'Asia Minore, nella quale transitavano grandi
flussi di denaro e un vasto commercio della lana
nera. I romani prestarono particolare attenzione a
Laodicea e fecero della città il centro del Kibyra
Conventus. Più tardi la città fu sede vescovile.
(3) ΛAOΔI-KEΩN,
genitivo etnico (..moneta battuta nel nome dei
Laodiceani).
(5) Nelle emissioni di Laodicea,
il tipo del rovescio è il tripode con il serpente
attorcigliato,
attributi di Apollo, il cui culto era
praticato a Laodicea. |