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Æ14 - Commodus ] ΑΥΡ Κ Λ[ (retrograde, Α with curved crossbar)
| Issuer | Carrhae (Mesopotamia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 177-192 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A crescent, open upward, encircles a filleted globe upon which a six-pointed star is superimposed; the globe rests upon a raised base or pedestal in the lower field, with a pellet or globule visible beneath. This astral and lunar symbolism is characteristic of the civic coinage of Carrhae, where the crescent and star held particular religious significance associated with the moon-god Sin. The partially preserved retrograde Greek legend surrounds the central type along the rim. |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Carrhae's civic bronze issues under Commodus are poorly documented, and the retrograde legend on this piece — with its non-standard alpha carrying a curved crossbar — points to a local engraver working outside the mainstream die-cutting tradition. Whether the retrograde cutting was error or convention at this particular workshop is unresolved; parallels from the same city show inconsistency across the series. Carrhae itself had been a Roman client city since Trajan's eastern campaigns, though it never shed its reputation as the site of Crassus's catastrophic defeat in 53 BC.