I would have passed this coin for 2 reasons. First, the condition of obverse is pretty worn. Second, I possess 2 similar coins of much better condition. But in fact, I was struck by the clear image of Centaur above Tyche's head on reverse. Centaur is a mythological creature having the head of a man and the body of a horse. He holds a bow and an arrow. Struck at Singara in Mesopotamia, the coin would reveal Centaur as a sign of the Zodiac: SAGITTARIUS. The obverse shows Gordian facing his wife Tranquillina. It weighs 22.87 g. Please post your opinion on the zodiac in ancient coins, if you have any.
I like these dual-portrait coins. Here's my example: Gordian III and Tranquillina, AD 241-244. Roman provincial Æ 31.3 mm, 20.16 g, 12 h. Mesopotamia, Singara. Obv: AVTOK K M ANT ΓOPΔIANON CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CЄB, confronted busts of Gordian, laureate, draped and cuirassed on left, and Tranquillina, draped and wearing stephane on right. Rev: AVP CЄΠ KOΛ CINΓAPA, Tyche seated left on rock, holding branch; the centaur Sagittarius above to left, discharging arrow, river god swimming left below. Refs: BMC 8-12; SNG Copenhagen 256; Lindgren 2627, Sear 3804.
ANTONINUS PIUS (10 Jul 138 - 7 Mar 161 CE ) ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT Year 08 (144/145 CE) AE Drachma, 'Zodiac Series' Size: 35 mm (max) Weight: 19.7 g Axis: 00:00 OBV: Antoninus Pius laureate, draped and cuirassed bust facing right. Legend: [AVTKTAIΛAΔP]ANTω[NINOCCEBEVC]. Dotted border not visible. REV: Zodiac Series: Zodiac wheel. Three concentric circles: the outermost consists of the Zodiac wheel with Aries at the top. The second consists of the eponymous gods of the days of the week, the planets, in counterclockwise order: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. The innermost circle has a bust of Sarapis facing left. Dotted border not visible Refs: Emmett-1708.08; Geissen-UNLISTED; Dattari-2983; BMC-1078; SAN vol 4, no 3 (1972/73); Staffieri "Alexandria In Nummis" #145. Provenance: This coin is ex @PeteB (thanks!) from a NY coin show in 1994. Note: Several sections chisiled away in antiquity, possibly to make a medal out of the inner circle of zodiacal symbols with diameter ~20 mm? In his persuasive article "Sirius Rising: Commemorating the Anniversary of the Sothic Cycle" (SAN, Vol. XIX, No. 1, 1995, pp. 15-18), Dr. Michael Molnar argued that: "the drachmas depicting the zodiacal signs may have been inspired by the Sothic anniversary through the astrological metaphor of the Thema Mundi; however, there is no firm evidence connecting these coins to the event. It seems more plausible that the drachmas were struck because astrology was important to the people of Alexandria who had in their midst at this time a great astrologer and astronomer, Claudius Ptolemy." Keep in mind that Pius' regnal Year 8 was in 144/145 CE while the commencement of a new "Sothic Cycle" occurred in 139 CE. The first coin type of the series features a Zodiac Wheel which portrays the Moon and Sun, and the five known planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Each is coupled with their house constellations. Dattari identified three different Zodiac Wheel types in his collection and Carl Carlson published a fourth type. I would love to see a die study of this series. - Broucheion
