Roman Bronze/Copper Alloy 1 Assarion? of Sardis

Date
140 AD - 161 AD, Roman
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
1980.C80.0385
Material
Bronze/Copper Alloy
Object Type
Coin
Coin Denomination
1 Assarion?
Coin Mint
Sardis
Issuers
Marcus Aurelius, Nikomachos
Officina
Has Mint Mark
no
Has Control Mark
no
Has Monogram
no
Has Countermark
no
Hoard
Monograph 13 Catalog No.
178
Site
Sardis
Sector
HoB
Trench
HoB 80.6
B-Grid Coordinates
W2.2 / S65.75 *100.58
Description
This coin type: Obverse: Bust of young Aurelius r. bare; Reverse: Winged caduceus ЄΠΙ ΝЄΙΚΟΜΑΧOV CΑΡΔΙΑΝΩΝ.
Condition
Worn
Dimensions
Weight: 3.29g; Diameter: 20mm.
Comments
These coins show the Sardis mint style nicely: dies are slightly small for the flan, which is large and thin. The engravers tend to leave negative space, the legends have large letters pushed to the edge of the die, and often the reverses simply read CAPΔΙΑΝΩΝ. The style begins in the late Flavian period (see BMC Lydia p. 246 no. 73, for which see section 3.3.) and can be seen in one traveling engraver who made dies for a variety of cities, including Sardis, Smyrna, Hierapolis, Ancyra, and Tripolis (Johnston 1983, p. 60). By the 3rd century, the style is rarer, as legends become longer and more elements are placed on the reverses.
See Also
Bibliography
BMC Lydia p. 258 nos. 143-144
Author
JDE