Other Tertullus Dies: not yet systematised, and some basic notions

 AN ESSAY ON THE COINS OF NICOPOLIS AD ISTRUM SIGNED BY TERTULLUS

V. Other dies and some basic notions

Making comparisons with Rome and other Imperial Mints

Comparison with Laodicea ad Mare denarius, L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX / VICT PAR T HIC AE,  which is dated to the same date-range, AD 198-202, as Tertullus, but neither actually depends on the other.

The Enlightenment of better preserved specimens

In H-JH's splendid Herakles (HrJ 8.14.14.2) we have the same obverse die as for my Herakles and the Nemean Lion (HrJ 8.14.14.19) but with the fine modeling of the brow and cheek, not to mention a splendid Septimian beard, perfectly preserved.  In sorting these bare busts of Septimius, the position of the overlying tie from the laurel relative to the edge of the bust, a very formalized 'from behind', is critical.

The two images of the formal Hera reverse, which has the EP' ISTRÔ termination of the ethnic and also spells out YPA OOYINI, seem to represent the same coin, and again its portrait is significantly better preserved than on mine (HrJ 8.14.3.3).  Perhaps since the same obverse die is used on one with a destroyed reverse (below) the relative placement of the Seated Zeus reverse (HrJ 8.14.1.4, illustrated there by the specimen used in an earlier posting) and the Hera Reverse need to be reconsidered, since ANY tetrassarion for Domna issued by Tertullus must have the same young portrait of her.  Her Hera (HrJ 8.17.3.1) has perhaps the nicest Hera.  It is not a serious problem, because the 'prime' Caracalla portrait, which is so like this one of Septimius, is still datable as the first for him as Augustus here.

Evidently the same die pair as the better preserved coin for HrJ 8.14.1.4, the portrait on this one confirms its identity to the prettier one.

On the other hand, the perfect Herakles with its lovely green patina, above, confirms the combination of lion skin with bow on a severely worn specimen (also HrJ 8.8.14.2)

The two Septimius with a fine eagle on thunderbolt, regardant, with spread wings, are from the same die pair, the upper photo from h-jh, the lower from bpm.  These might be the same die-pair as HrJ 8.14.1.22, but either of them is a better specimen than they had.  Caracalla has an eagle of the same type, with a thunderbolt, which might be part of the same issue, but it is a different die (HrJ 8.18.12.var).

From bpm, again, comes the image of a finer specimen of HrJ 8.14.4.1, which is Pick's AMNG I, 1, no. 1273.

For a truly exceptional and unprecedented coin I owe images to another member of Forvm Ancient Coins, ecoli:

Here we have Victory reclining (for another photo with different lighting, follow the link to Reply #7, where the owner of this rare, probably unique coin cites Boteva (to IG Bulg. II, 659) for the likelihood of its celebrating Septimius's victory at Ctesiphon in Jan. 198.

Finally, here is the reverse for Septimius already mentioned in connection with the stripped one (with the bearded emperor); the young emperor on the second coin seems to be Caracalla.  The two were discussed together in the link made here.  The busts of Septimius are of different types, to be sure, but the military emperor reverses do look like a pair.

These should suffice for one posting.  See also the Picasa album (https://picasaweb.google.com/slokind/TERTULLUSSTUDYGROUP#).  I have in mind to show just a few of the smaller, unsigned coins that I believe belong with these.