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Æ24 - Antoninus Pius COL BER
| Issuer | Berytus (Syria) |
|---|---|
| Year | 138-161 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Standing nude figure of Neptune (Poseidon), patron deity of the Roman colony of Berytus, depicted facing left with his right foot raised and resting upon a rocky prominence. The god holds a dolphin in his outstretched right hand and grasps a long trident in his left hand, both attributes emblematic of his dominion over the sea. The composition reflects the strong maritime identity of Berytus as a Phoenician coastal city and Roman colonia. The abbreviated colonial legend appears in the field, divided to either side of the central figure. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Berytus — modern Beirut — held an unusual status among Syrian cities: a Roman colonia populated by veterans of the Fifth Macedonian and Third Gallican legions, settled there by Augustus around 15 BC. This gave the city the right to produce colonial bronze coinage using Roman legal and administrative conventions, a privilege most eastern cities simply did not have. The colonists were Roman citizens, and the coins reflect that — struck not for a subject population but for a community that considered itself an extension of Rome itself.
The reference IV.3#6753 places this piece within the RPC IV online corpus, still in its temporary numeration pending final publication.