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Coin of the Month

August 2024: A Posthumous Lysimachos Tetradrachm with the Countermark CL CAES

The Coin of this Month is presented by Jan O. Peuckert


This special example of a posthumous Lysimachos tetradrachm from Byzantion comes from the collection of the Berlin Coin Cabinet (IKMK 18310085; RPC I 1782). It dates between 90 and 81 BC and is thus one of the last issues of this coin type. The Coin of the Month is presented by Jan O. Peuckert, who has been working at the Coin Cabinet Berlin since 2020 in the CHANGE and NFDI4Objects projects.

In the second decade of the first century BC, Byzantion was under the rule of the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator. He probably had the city mint these coins to finance the Thracian mercenaries in his army, with whom he went to war against Rome.

The specimen shows clear signs of use, which attest to its long circulation period and explain the low weight of only 11.73 g for a tetradrachm. Its surface is worn, causing the contours to blur. The legend on the reverse with the name of Lysimachus is barely legible to the left and right of Athena Nikephoros: "BAΣIΛ[EΩ]Σ / ΛYΣI[MAXOY]". The coin has a rectangular perforation and its edge is damaged in one place. Nevertheless, the specimen can still be securely attributed to the mint of Byzantion. Below the throne of Athena, a "BY" for Byzantion is discernible, and in the section below it are the traces of a trident decorated with dolphins – a typical symbol of that polis on Lysimachus tetradrachms. A monogram in the left field under Athena's hand is only partially legible here, but resembles known monograms of the city. Unusual is the subsequently scratched graffito "Δ" between the head of Athena and Nike. One could consider whether this delta stood as a Greek numeral for the number four and thus meant the value of four drachmas.

Particularly interesting is the rectangular countermark "CL CAES" (GIC 838), which is located on the obverse at the back of Alexander the Great’s head. The countermark is attested on several specimens of Byzantion (e.g. in London [Inv. No. G0590] and Paris [Inv. No. F6949]) and is attributed to the Roman Emperor Claudius. According to this, it is associated with the establishment of the province of Thrace in 46 AD. The Lysimachos tetradrachms of Byzantion still in circulation were validated with this countermark by the new Roman governor.

Striking is the unusually abbreviated titulature of the emperor "CL(audius) CAES(ar)". It thus forms an exception to the usual form "TI(berius) CL(audius) CAES(ar)". However, there are also parallel examples on coins from the province of Mauretania with "CLAVD CAESAR" and Suetonius also writes of Claudius Caesar. Tiberius Plautius Silvanus Aelianus, a confidant of the emperor on his Britain campaign and later the governor in the province of Asia, also speaks of "Claud[ii] Caesaris" in an inscription (CIL XIV 3608). Robert K. Mowat therefore suspected in 1909 that it could have been this confidant of Claudius who had the countermarks struck on the coins.

A more recent thesis argues against the attribution to Claudius. According to this, the Lysimachus tetradrachms were withdrawn from circulation shortly after the Romans’ victory over Mithridates. This is justified by the fact that coins of this type are no longer found in hoards after 65 BC. This would be hard to imagine if the coins had been in circulation until Claudian times. Rather, the countermark "CL CAES" would refer to a magistrate named Caesar, who was possibly in office around 70 BC in the province of Macedonia. This would explain the unusual titulature, which does not fit the emperor.

However, considering the probably small number of coins with this countermark, they do not necessarily have to be found in hoards. Also, the limited space available on countermarks makes an abbreviated titulature seem quite sensible. This is evidenced by comparative finds in the same region. From Perinthos, we know countermarks of Galba with "ΓΑΛ ΚΑΙ" (GIC 527) or "GALBA" (GIC 591). That the abbreviated titulature of Claudius was also regularly used on coins is further shown by specimens from Istros with "ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΥ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ" (RPC I 1841 A).

Whatever the case may be, it can be stated that after the death of Lysimachos, coins of his type continued to be used for many generations. They bear witness to the numerous events of a turbulent era.

For more details, see: J. O. Peuckert, Von Lysimachos bis in römische Zeit: Eine Tetradrachme mit dem Gegenstempel CL CAES, in: Numismatisches Nachrichtenblatt 73, 2024, pp. 285-286.



Literature:

F. de Callataÿ, L'histoire des guerres mithridatiques vue par les monnaies (Louvain-la-Neuve 1997) 125. 131–138.

C. J. Howgego, Greek Imperial Countermarks (London 1985)

R. K. Mowat, Les Tétradrachmes de Lysimaque contremarqués par Claude I, Numismatische Zeitschrift 44, 1911, 237–242

R. K. Mowat, The Countermarks of Claudius I, Numismatic Chronicle 9, 1909, 10–18

H. Seyrig, Monnaies hellénistiques de Byzance et de Calcédoine, in: C. M. Kraay - G. K. Jenkins (Hrsg.), Essays in Greek Coinage presented to Stanley Robinson (Oxford 1968) 197–200




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