Lot 2670

Description

Macedon, Thessalonica, Divus Julius Caesar and Octavian, (28-27 B.C.), AE 25, (11.12 g), obv. wreathed head of Julius Caesar right, countermarked ligate NK in circle, around **QEOS*, rev. bare head of Octavian to right, **D* below, around **QESSA [LON]IKEWN*, (S.-, Sear Imperators 675, Touratsoglou, Thessaloniki, Em. 1, 27, RPC I 1554, BMC [Macedonia] 58 [p.115], SNG ANS 824, for c/m see Howgego 625). Fine, countermark very fine, slightly off centred, very rare.

Ex Dr Adrian Carr Collection and purchased from Guy Clark in 2006, previously from Noble Numismatics Sale 114 (lot 4107).^ ^The **D* has been interpreted as either a denomination mark (four assaria) or, more likely, a date ie. a year four of the Actian era (28-27 B.C.). The ligate NK monogram has been generally accepted as a reference to Nero (Ner**w*n Kai**s*ar). This is problematic considering that Thessalonica had abundant coinages issued under Claudius and Nero, such that countermarking these quite older coins would be unlikely. Touratsoglou (p.105) follows Kraay's suggestion that the NK is an abbreviation for Nike, and was applied to the coins during celebrations of the city's 50th anniversary of its grant of liberty by the Romans. All but two of the known specimens of this countermark occur on the coins of this first issue of Thessalonica, and the wear on the countermarks is nearly identical to that of the coins, suggesting that the countermarks could not have been applied very long after the coins entered circulation.