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AE15, Laodicea, Apollo, tripode
29.4.2021
..da S.P.Q.R Coins - Monete Antiche.
Buon giorno qualcuno sa che moneta è?
Grazie
fig. 1
Cliccare sulle immagini per ingrandire
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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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€.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
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