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Æ13 - Augustus ΑΒΥΔ
| Issuer | Abydus (Conventus of Adramyteum) |
|---|---|
| Year | 27 BC - 14 AD |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 13 mm |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of the emperor Augustus facing right, rendered in the idealized Hellenistic portrait style characteristic of early Imperial provincial coinage. The effigy occupies the central field of the flan, with the legend ϹΕΒΑϹΤΟΥ (meaning 'of Augustus') inscribed in Greek characters around the portrait. The flan is irregular and the surfaces show significant wear and encrustation consistent with extended circulation. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | An eagle depicted in right profile, standing with wings partially spread, rendered in a compact style typical of provincial bronzes from Asia Minor. The abbreviated civic legend ΑΒΥΔ appears in the field, identifying the issuing city of Abydus. The overall design is characteristic of the civic coinage produced under Augustus in the Troad region, the flan being irregular and the relief heavily worn. |
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| Additional information |
Abydus, the Mysian city controlling the narrowest point of the Hellespont, issued bronze coinage under Augustus as part of the broader reorganization of Greek civic minting that followed Actium. The city's strategic position — where Xerxes famously bridged the strait in 480 BC and where the toll rights alone generated substantial revenue — gave it enough standing to maintain a local mint under the new imperial arrangement. Civic bronzes of this type circulated as small change within the immediate region, rarely traveling far from their point of issue, which explains their tendency to survive in heavily worn condition.