Ariel D.T. Coin Hoard from a Fourth-Century CE Shipwreck off the Carmel Coast. `Atiqot 63 (2010):137–145

‘Atiqot 63, 2010 Coin Hoard from a fourtH-Century Ce SHipwreCk off tHe Carmel CoaSt donald t. ariel More than 240 coins were found in the vicinity of the Roman assemblage located off the southern municipal beach of Haifa (see Galili, Rosen, and Sharvit, this volume). The coins were scattered in an area of c. 50 × 50 m, some 10–30 m east of the Roman assemblage.1 Meshorer, who first examined the coins retrieved from the site, noticed that the majority appeared to be a contemporaneous assemblage dating from Augustus (the earliest coin dates to 20 BCE–14 CE; see Meshorer, this volume: No. 84) to Alexander Severus (222–235 CE). He added to this assemblage some less welldated coins (bronze, No. 159; and lead, Nos. 160–162) and analyzed the resulting group of 162 coins as if they all indeed belonged to one hoard. Almost all of the remainder of the coins are dated to a quite restricted period within the fourth century CE, leaving little doubt that they originally belonged to one hoard.2 The earliest coin dates to 308–309 CE (naming Maximian Herculius; No. 70), while most of the coins date to the period between 313 and 318 CE. The latest coin was minted in 318 CE (naming Crispus; No. 21). Seventy-five coins may be associated with this hoard (Table 1). The latest coin in the assemblage published by Meshorer may be a century earlier than the latest coin in this hoard. In addition to the restricted period—no more than a decade—for the composition of the hoard, the coins are all similar in that they are of the same follis denomination, lacking the bimetallic character of the earlier group. As the hoard may not be complete, little more can be said about its composition. It should be stressed, however, that the distribution of mints in the hoard reflects the circulation of contemporary coins on land. Although over 85% of the hoard derives from western mints—particularly Rome (32 coins, or 43%)—this distribution may be expected for the first quarter of the fourth century CE in the Table 1. Conspectus of Fourth-Century CE Hoard Alexandria 1 2 1 Nicomedia Mint Heraclea Aquileia Ticinum London Lyons Rome Arles Ostia Trier Antioch Ruler Maximian Herculius (286–310 CE) Maxentius (306–312 CE) Constantine I (307–337 CE) Licinius I (308–324 CE) Maximinus II (309–313 CE) Constantine II (317–340 CE) Crispus (317–326 CE) Licinius II (317–324 CE) Total 1 1 2 4 3 1 1 3 2 4 4 11 7 25 3 1 1 1 1 31 3 10 1 3 1 3 2 2 9 1 1 2 1 Total 1 1 52 8 5 1 2 5 75 138 donald t. ariel 2 5 10 11 21 0 1 22 27 34 42 50 53 59 67 68 69 71 74 75 0 1 Fig. 1. Coin Hoard from a fourtH-Century Ce SHipwreCk off tHe Carmel CoaSt 139 southern Levant. Two unpublished hoards from land excavations in the region—at Sepphoris and Qazrin—have the same date for their latest coins.3 The mint distribution is similar in both. While this hoard conforms to the currency inland, there are other underwater hoards that have been found to not contain numismatic material known to circulate on the shore. Examples include a late second-century BCE hoard from Ashqelon (Gitler and Kahanov 2001) and a first-century BCE Ptolemaic silver hoard (Galili and Sharvit 1999:17*; Ariel and Sokolov 2003). There are also coins within the assemblage published by Meshorer that did not circulate locally (see Meshorer, this volume: Nos. 78–81). The ships from which these hoards derived may have received the coins, or intended them, for use in more distant locales. Catalogue All the coins are copper folles. The catalogue below is organized by mints with the obverse on the left and the reverse on the right, and dates within those mints. For diameter and weight, the minimum and maximum measurements of each subtype is given. The usual axis is 0 or 6. Photographs of the coins, whose number bears an asterisk, appear in the plates. A key to the legends and types, similar to RIC 6 and RIC 7, follows (Table 2). Catalogue Cat. No. Weight (g) Min. Max. Diam. (mm) Min. Max. Reverse fieldmarks and exergue References IAA No. Date (CE) London 313–317 CE CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B5) 1 2* i 1.90 4.14 20 21×23 Ṣ|F̣ PLṆ Ṭ|F PLN SOLI INVIC–TO COM[ITI] a RIC 7:98, No. 13 Cf. RIC 7:97, No. 5 43464 43448 313–314 313–317 Lyons 313–316 CE IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG (B3, B5) 3 4 5*–6 4.13 3.03 2.60 3.77 22 20 18 S|F PLG T|F PLG TF|* PLG SOLI INVIC–TO COM[ITI] a RIC 7:122, No. 1 RIC 7:123, No. 17 RIC 7:124, No. 32. 92644 92664 43447, 92651 313–314 314–315 315–316 Trier 310–316 CE IMP MAXIMINVS PF AVG (B5) 7 4.00 24 T|F PTR T|F PTR [G]ENIO POP ROM RIC 6:226, No. 844b 92665 310–313 IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG (B5) 8 i SOLI INVIC–TO COMITI a RIC 7:168, No. 40. 43449 313–315 5.30 23 In RIC 7, the letters in the field are not found with this obverse inscription. 140 donald t. ariel Catalogue (cont.) Cat. No. Weight (g) Min. Max. Diam. (mm) Min. Max. Reverse fieldmarks and exergue T|F PTR Ṛ|S TRP References IAA No. Date (CE) CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 9 3.93 22 SOLI INVIC–TO COMITI a Cf. RIC 7:168, No. 41 92661 313–315 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 10* 3.31 21 SOLI INV–I–CTO [COMITI] a RIC 7:170, No. 70 92679 315–316 Arles 313–318 CE IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B5) 11* 3.33 21 A[R]P 21 TF * PARL M|F Q̣ARL M|[F] [ARL-] R|S [- - -] R|S PARL R|S TARL R|[S] TARL C|S PARL SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI Cf. RIC 7:235, No. 9 92636 313 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B3) 12–13 2.44 3.97 19 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI a RIC 7:240, No. 79 92646, 92657 316 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B5) 14 2.98 19 SOLI INVI–CTO COMITI a RIC 7:241, No. 90 43462 316 IMP CONSTAN[TINVS PF AVG] (B4) 15 ii 1.81 18 SOLI INV[–I–CTO COMITI] a Cf. RIC 7:242, No. 96. 92677 316 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 16 ii 2.67 20 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI a Cf. RIC 7:244, No. 108 RIC 7:244, No. 110 92653 316–317 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 17 2.78 19 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI c 92680 316–317 VAL LICINIVS NOB CAES (B4) 18 3.15 20 IOVI CO–NSERVATORI d RIC 7:246, No. 126 92673 317 VAL LICINIVS NOB CAES (B4) 19 2.83 20 IOVI CONSERVATORI b RIC 7:246, No. 128 92666 317 VAL LICINIVS NOB CAES (B4) 20 2.93 20 IOVI CONSE–RVATORI c RIC 7:248, No. 142. 92654 317–318 CRISPVS NOB CAES (B4) 21* 2.91 19 Q%A PRINCIPIA IV–VENTVTIS a RIC 7:250, No. 162 92676 318 Rome 312–318 CE IMP MAXIMINVS PF AVG (B4) 22* 4.23 19×21 RQ GENIO POP[VLI R]OMANI RIC 6:387, No. 295b 43440 312–313 ii Identification of mint uncertain. Coin Hoard from a fourtH-Century Ce SHipwreCk off tHe Carmel CoaSt 141 Catalogue (cont.) Cat. No. Weight (g) Min. Max. Diam. (mm) Min. Max. Reverse fieldmarks and exergue R|F R*P R|F R*S 19 R|FX |_ RP RF X ṚT RF X [RT] S|F RS S|F RQ S|F RQ S|F RS *| ﬞ R[S] *| ﬞ RP 23 20 References IAA No. Date (CE) IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B3) 23–26 27* 2.90 2.6 3.43 20 21 22 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI a RIC 7:298, No. 18 RIC 7:298, No. 21 43456, 92643, 92647–48 92670 314 314 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4, B5) 28–30 2.19 3.66 17 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI a RIC 7:299, No. 27 92660, 92672, 92667 43450 314–315 31 3.12 22 RIC 7:299, No. 28 314–315 [IMP] LICINIVS PF AVG (B5) 32 2.19 19×23 SOLI IN–VI–CTO [COMITI] a RIC 7:299, No. 30 43467 314–315 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4, B5) 33 34* 35 3.44 3.21 3.12 18 19 19 SOLI INVICTO COMITI (various breaks) a RIC 7:299, No. 33 Cf. RIC 7:299, No. 33 RIC 7:299, No. 34 92650 92681 43453 315 315–317 315 [IMP LI]CINIVS PF AVG 36 2.30 18 SOLI IN–VI–CTO COMITI a RIC 7:299, Nos. 35, 36 RIC 7:301, No. 45 92675 315 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 37 3.61 20 SOLI IN–VI–CTO COMITI a 92662 316 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 38 3.37 19 SOLI IN–VI–CTO COM DN RIC 7:302, No. 49 43452 316 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B4) 39–42* 43–46 2.63 2.68 3.41 3.96 18 18 RP A| RT A| RQ 22 6| RP SOLI INVICTO COMITI (various breaks) a RIC 7:303, No. 58 RIC 7:307, No. 78. 43454–55, 92655, 92669 43451, 43460, 92663, 92640 43466 316–317 317 CRISPVS NOBIL CAES (B5) 47 3.51 19 PRINCIPIA IV–V–ENTVTIS b RIC 7:308, No. 87 317 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B3) 48–49 iii iii SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI a RIC 7:309, No. 97 43457, 92674 317–318 2.88 3.16 19 Identification of No. 49 mint uncertain. 142 donald t. ariel Catalogue (cont.) Cat. No. Weight (g) Min. Max. Diam. (mm) Min. Max. Reverse fieldmarks and exergue 6| RP 19 Ostia 309–313 CE IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG (B1) 53* 54–55 5.68 3.37 4.03 24 22 22 MOSTS MOSTS AET–ERNITAS A–VG N RIC 6:404, No. 35 RIC 6:409, No. 83 43444 43445–46 309–312 312–313 References IAA No. Date (CE) LICINIVS IVN NOB CAES (B4) 50* 2.72 20 IOVI CONSE–RVATORI c RIC 7:309, No. 101 92678 317–318 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B5) 51–52 iv 4.25 4.46 18 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI a 43463, 92652 313–318 Ticinum 313–318 CE IMP LICINIVS PF AVG (B1) 56 3.11 17 *| T[T] 20 *| PT• +|* [PT] 22 19 PT P| PT SOLI INVI–C̣–TO COMITI a RIC 7:361, No. 9 43470 313–314 IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG (B3, B4, B5) 57–59 60* 61–62 63–65 2.77 3.27 2.73 3.27 3.05 3.95 3.82 18 18 18 18 SOLI INVI–C–TO COMITI a RIC 7:361, Nos. 15–17 RIC 7:366, No. 43 RIC 7:370, Nos. 62–63 RIC 7:371, Nos. 67–68 Aquileia 317 CE 43461, 43469, 92671 92641 92638, 92645 43458–59, 92659 314 316 317 317–318 IMP LICINIVS PF AVG (B5) 66 2.70 20 AQS IOVI CONSE–RVATORI c RIC 7:393, No. 7 43468 317 LICINIVS IVN NOB CAES (B4) 67* 2.68 18 AQS CONCOR–D–IA AVGGNN RIC 7:394, No. 12 92642 317 CONSTANTINVS IVN NB C (B3) 68* 4.27 20 AQT CLARITAS–R–EIPVBLICAE RIC 7:394, No. 17. 43465 317 Heraclea 308–309 CE IMP GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS PF AVG (B1) 69* iv GENIO IMP–E–RATORIS •HTE• RIC 6:535, No. 37a 92658 308–309 5.36 25 Identification of mint uncertain. Coin Hoard from a fourtH-Century Ce SHipwreCk off tHe Carmel CoaSt 143 Catalogue (cont.) Cat. No. Weight (g) Min. Max. Diam. (mm) Min. Max. Reverse fieldmarks and exergue References IAA No. Date (CE) Nicomedia 310–324 CE IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG (B1) 70 6.36 24 SMNA |B SMN X II @ SM[- - -] *|H ANT *|Δ ANT GENIO AV–GVSTI CMH RIC 6:565, No. 66c 43441 310–311 IMP C VAL LICINIVS PF AVG (B1) 71* 4.12 22 IOVI CONS–ERVATORI e RIC 7:601, No. 13 43471 313–317 IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVG (G51) 72 v IOVI CONSERVATORI f Cf. RIC 7:608, No. 49 92682 321–324 3.53 18 IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG (B1) 73 4.55 23 GENIO AV–GVSTI RIC 6:643, No. 164b 43443 312 IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG (B1) 74* 5.10 21 IOVI CONS–ERVATORI a RIC 6:643, No. 166b 43442 312 Alexandria 316–317 CE IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVG (B1) 75* 3.22 20 KR X A ALE IOVI CONSER–VATORI AVGG RIC 7:701, No. 18 92637 316–317 v Identification of mint uncertain. Table 2. Key to Legends and Types Obverse Legends: Legend CONSTANTINVS IVN NB C CONSTANTINVS PF AVG CRISPVS NOB CAES CRISPVS NOBIL CAES IMP C CONSTANTINVS PF AVG IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVG IMP C VAL LICINIVS PF AVG IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG IMP GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS PF AVG Ruler Constantine II (317–340 CE) Constantine I (307–337 CE) Crispus (317–326 CE) Crispus (317–326 CE) Constantine I (307–337 CE) Maximinus II (309–313 CE) Maxentius (306–312 CE) Licinius I (308–324 CE) Licinius I (308–324 CE) Constantine I (307–337 CE) Constantine I (307–337 CE) Maximian Herculius (286–310 CE) 144 donald t. ariel Table 2. (cont.) IMP LICINIVS PF AVG IMP MAXIMINVS PF AVG LICINIVS IVN NOB CAES VAL LICINIVS NOB CAES Obverse types Type B1 B3 B4 B5 G5l Reverse Legends and Types Legend AET–ERNITAS A–VG N Description Castor and Pollux, each with star above cap, naked but for chlamys hanging from shoulders, stg. facing each other, each leaning on scepter with outer arm and holding bridled horse with inner arm Sol radiate advancing l., raising r. hand, whip in l. hand, chlamys flying Concordia draped stg. l., holding caduceus, cornucopias Genius stg. l., modius on head, naked but for chlamys over l. shoulder, r. holding patera (from which liquor flows), l. cornucopias Genius stg. l., modius on head, naked but for chlamys over l. shoulder, holding head of Sol, l. cornucopias Genius stg. l., modius on head, naked but for chlamys over l. shoulder, r. holding patera (from which liquor flows), l. cornucopias Genius stg. l., head lowered, loins draped, r. holding patera, l. cornucopias Genius stg. l., modius on head, naked but for chlamys over l. shoulder, r. holding patera, l. cornucopias Jupiter stg. l., cloak spread behind, r. holding Victoriola on globe, l. leaning on scepter Jupiter running r., chlamys flowing, throwing thunderbolt Jupiter stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on scepter, thunderbolt in r. hand Jupiter stg. l., cloak spread behind, r. holding thunderbolt, l. leaning on scepter Jupiter stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on scepter, Victory on globe in r. hand; eagle holding wreath to l Jupiter stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, r. holding Victory on globe, l. leaning on eagle-tipped scepter; eagle with wreath to l. on ground; to r., captive Jupiter stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on scepter, Victory on globe in r. hand; eagle holding wreath to l Mars stg. l., in military dress, chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on shield, holding vertical spear reversed Prince helmeted, in military dress, advancing r., chlamys flying, spear pointing forward in r. hand, shield on l. arm Sol stg. l., chlamys over l. shoulder, globe in l. hand, r. hand raised Sol stg. l., chlamys hanging behind, globe in l. hand close to body, r. hand raised Description Head r., laureate Bust r., laureate, draped, cuirassed, seen from back Bust r., laureate, draped, cuirassed Bust r., laureate, cuirassed Bust l., cuirassed, spear across r. shoulder, shield on l. arm Licinius I (308–324 CE) Maximinus II (309–313 CE) Licinius II (317–324 CE) Licinius II (317–324 CE) CLARITAS–R–EIPVBLICAE CONCOR–D–IA AVGGNN GENIO IMP–E–RATORIS GENIO AV–GVSTI GENIO AV–GVSTI CMH GENIO POP ROM GENIO POPVLI ROMANI IOVI CONS–ERVATORI a IOVI CONSERVATORI b IOVI CONSE–RVATORI c IOVI CO–NSERVATORI d IOVI CONS–ERVATORI e IOVI CONSERVATORI f IOVI CONSER–VATORI AVGG PRINCIPIA IV–VENTVTIS a PRINCIPIA IV–V–ENTVTIS b SOLI INVICTO COMITI (various breaks) a SOLI IN–VI–CTO COMITI b Coin Hoard from a fourtH-Century Ce SHipwreCk off tHe Carmel CoaSt 145 SOLI INV–I–CTO COMITI c SOLI IN–VI–CTO COM DN SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI Sol stg. r., looking l., chlamys over l. shoulder, globe in l. hand, r. hand raised Sol stg. l., chlamys over l. shoulder, Victory on globe in l. hand, r. hand raised Three standards surmounted by hand, eagle and wreath, respectively; middle standard with drapery noteS 1 The coins were cleaned in the laboratories of the IAA by Ella Altmark and photographed in the IAA photography studio by Sandu Mendrea and Clara Amit. Catalogue Nos. 5 and 22 were photographed by Z. Radovan. 2 The fourth-century CE coins were uncovered in two dives, and arrived as two separate groups to the IAA coin department. Gabriela Bijovsky registered one of these groups. Some coins were found in the same underwater context. There follows a list of those of the above-mentioned coins (N = 6), which were relatively close in date, but nevertheless rejected from this hoard: IAA No. 43472 43473 92649 92656 92668 92683 Ruler Constantius II Constantius II - Mint Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria - Date (CE) 351–354 351–361 351–361 4th c. 395–408 395–408 3 Our thanks to E.M. Meyers and E. Netzer (Sepphoris; IAA 82044–82297; see Meyers, Netzer and Meyers 1988:92), and A. Killebrew (Qazrin; IAA 29804–30151) for permission to note these finds. referenCeS Ariel D.T. and Sokolov H. 2003. A Hoard of Silver Tetradrachms. International Numismatic Newsletter 39:16. Galili E., Rosen B., and Sharvit Y. This volume. Artifact Assemblages from Two Roman Shipwrecks off the Carmel Coast. Galili E. and Sharvit Y. 1999. Haifa, Underwater Surveys. HA–ESI 110:15*–20*. Gitler H. and Kahanov Y. 2001. The Ascalon 1988 Hoard (CH 9, 548). A Periplus to Ascalon in the Late Hellenistic Period? Coin Hoards IX: Greek Hoards (Royal Numismatic Society Special Publication 35). London. Pp. 259–268. Meshorer Y. This volume. Coin Hoard from a ThirdCentury CE Shipwreck off the Carmel Coast. Meyers E.M., Netzer E. and Meyers C.L. 1988. A Mansion in the Sepphoris Acropolis and Its Splendid Mosaic. Qadmoniot 21:87–92 (Hebrew). RIC 6: C.H.V. Sutherland. The Roman Imperial Coinage VI: From Diocletian’s Reform (A.D. 294) to the Death of Maximinus (D. 313). London 1967. RIC 7: P.M. Bruun. The Roman Imperial Coinage VII: Constantine and Licinius A.D. 313–337. London 1966.