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Search Advanced Search Search By Coin ID     Home ANCIENT/BYZANTINE Ancient Spain (872) Byzantine (753) MEDIEVAL/EARLY WORLD Germany (30) MODERN WORLD COUNTERFEITS AND IMITATIONS   Submit New Coin(s)   Sponsors page Terms of Service Contact Us About Us FAQ Page Coin Detail Click here to see enlarged image. ID:     79000598      [UNVERIFIED] Type:     Roman Provincial Region:     IONIA City:     Phocaea Issuer:     Philip I (Cl. Scribonianus, strategus) Date Ruled:     A.D. 244-249 Metal:     Bronze Denomination:     Medallion Struck / Cast:     struck Date Struck:     AD 244-249 Weight:     29.67 g Die Axis:     6 h Obverse Legend:     •A•K•MAP•IOV•-•ΦIΛIΠΠOC• Obverse Description:     Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind Reverse Legend:     •EΠ • CT KΛ • CKPEI / •BΩNIA/NOY• / •ΦΩKAIEΩN• Reverse Description:     Dog standing right, biting into a captured dolphin left with tail upturned. Primary Reference:     SNG MÜnchen - Reference2:     SNG Cop - Reference3:     SNG VA - Reference4:     BMC 160 Photograph Credit:     Classical Numismatic Group Source:     http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=127109 Grade:     Good VF, brown patina Notes:     Sale: CNG 79, Lot: 598 Extremely rare, one of two known (the other is in the BM). The enigmatic reverse type of this coin has defied any substantially conclusive explanation. Phocaea’s extant foundation mythology does not include this topos, and the civic badge was the seal, rather than the dolphin. To date, Head’s suggestion (HN, p. 590) seems the only explanatory attempt: the dog is a personification of the local river, the Smardos, rushing down to the sea, personified by the dolphin. Otherwise, the meaning of this scene is unknown.

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