Aetolia-Roma: The coins. Problem solved?

From reading of academic papers on the New Style coinage of Athens for the Rome-Pontic times the question arose: are the symbols really what they are said to be?

I have recently purchased 2 coins that are central to oneof the problem areas, the proposed solution of which willgive a firmer foundation to research on New Style coins from the Rome-Pontic times.

Mostly it is from the identification of the coins' symbols that the allocation of Roman or Mithradatic supporter is given.

No more bigger question is the 3rd coin type in a short period in these times by the magistrates who minted

alone, Xenocles and Harmexenos, with the symbol purportedto be ROMA.

This alone effectively identifies them as supporters of the Roman Senate with no other available evidence and thus their 2 other types, Coiled Serpent and Dolphin & Trident, therefore are Roman by association.

However, there is a type of New Style both in tetradrachmand drachm form, with these two magistrates but the form of the symbol is radically different from ROMA. So much so that the doyen of New Styles, the late Margaret Thompson, although safely calling it in the catalogue "Seated figure", wrote it was probably, or based on, AETOLIA.

The goddess Aetolia sits part sideways on Celtic shields brandishing a large bulbous wand or sceptre and the personification as such, seems to date from the 260's BC.She features on the reverse of a Herekles obverted tetradrachm coin of the Aetolian league and Miss Thompsontheorised that Aetolia may have been copied from it for this imitation-even though the coins were at least 100 years old by then!

Thompson put the "seated figure/Aetolia" coins in the imitation category mainly on the style of the Athena on the obverses. Looking at the obverses you can see there are some elements that just do not smack of the Athens mint. 

The single line to the brow of the helm instead of open visor, the scant pegassos, the style of the feathering onthe tri-form helmet and the style of hair protruding fromthe helms' bottom being simple lank strands straight downwith no indication of curls or thickness. 

On the reverse I believe I can also see indications of anun-official minting besides the symbol itself. 

The owl is not small and stubby as on my "Roma" example that is generally typical of this era, but awkward owls do exist. He features strange goggle- like rings around his eyes which are over-emphasized. The feathers seem to be poorly delineated and carelessly cut. It doesn’t have the “look” of an Athenian ave of that era.

The cut of the letters has a slight indication of "Celticisation" and are not typical of official Athenian coins.

The wreath and elongated amphora though look consistent with the official coins.

The Aetolia coin is of good weight, 16.53g and size 29mm and of regular 12 o'clock die orientation. The month markis Alpha. The two tetradrachm Imitations noted by Thompson have different obverses, mine is Thompson imitation 1420. My reverse is different from both published examples, hence 2 obverses, 3 reverses all withmonth letter A and two controls  :AP, ΑΠΟ  , both known in Athenian coins. Sadly I cannot be sure of the control.

If the coins are genuine Athens mint, then it blows the Roman connection for the magistrates and their coins. Thesymbol still could be political but for which side, Rome or Mithradates: or not even political at all? 

I propose this solution to the problem.

I have another imitation New Style “Ares?" of 80/79 BC which I did not know was an imitation until I re-consulted my copy of Thompson, M. “The New Style silver coinage of Athens” ANS 10 New York 1961.

I did originally moot the possibility of “Ares?” being Celtic and an imitation but rejected it.I can now see there are similarities in the styles of Athena on both Aetolia and Ares? Ares? has many “Celticisation" dots to emphasize the horse protomes and pegassos on Athena’s helmet. The renditions of the lank

strands of hair are similar in both coins.

So if it is an imitation who, why and when?

Who? :- Obviously a Celtic tribe somewhere- maybe in Anatolia probably not Mainland Greece, but somewhere familiar with New Style coinage.

Why? :- It reminds me of the ethnic-less "New Styles", both tetradrachms and drachms, commonly believed to have been minted by Marcus, brother of Sulla's general Lucullus, for use in those territories of their allies who demand  familiar negotiable New Style type coinage. Similarly the complex Aesillas coinage according to the analysis of Richard Bauslaugh in "Silver coinage in the name and types of Aesillas, Quaestor" and also the ThasosImitatives.

When? :- Most probably during the 1st Mithradatic war where mocking the Roman power would be a good propagandatool on familiar coins demanded by mercenaries for pay.

The die master/moneyer chooses to replace the original seated figure, now correctly recognised to be identified as Roma, with a less controversial and appropriate symbol: Aetolia. Aetolia is a familiar and maybe anti- Roman figure and a more appropriate badge that mimics, and mocks?, the original symbol.In a non-literate society, the Greek writing of the magistrates names are so much less important than a symbol.

I think it is a Mithradatic produced mercenary coin that also mocks the familiar pro-Roman original and thus must be later than the original Roma coin.

It appears that Miss Thompson had it generally right. Shedid not see the connection with the Mithradatic wars probably because she dated the, now accepted, New Style chronology +32 years, finishing in 87/86 BC.

If what I have proposed is correct, it does confirm the

Roman credentials of Xenocles and Harmexenos; the symbol positively to be identified as Roma, and thus its relationship to the following Roma and Nike coin of Kointos (Quintus) and Kleas.

I think I have thus made a significant and positive contribution to the New Style coinage of the Rome-Pontic times from which we can more confidently build upon.

John Nisbet18th March 2013

Crop and Rotate Edit file information DELETE THIS FILEAthens New Style Tetradrachm 91/0 BC

Obs : Athena Parthenos right in tri-form helmet29.9 mm 16.4 gm Thompson issue (new) 75 Thompson catalogue: Obs1122/Rev1123 NEW

Rev : ΑΘΕ ethnicOwl standing on overturned panathenaic amphoraon which month mark H/Z control ΣTΕ/ΔΑ below

2 magistrates : XENOCLES HARMOXENOS

RF symbol : Roma seatedAll surrounded by an olive wreath

Crop and Rotate Edit file information DELETE THIS FILEAthens New Style Tetradrachm c90/9 BC

Obs : Athena Parthenos right in tri-form helmet29 mm 16.53 gm Thompson issue ( new) 75

Thompson catalogue: IMITATION Obs : 1420 Rev : NEWRev : ΑΘΕ ethnic

Owl standing on overturned panathenaic amphora on which month mark A control ? below2 magistrates : XENOCLES HARMOXENOS

RF symbol : AETOLIA ?All surrounded by an olive wreath