Ancient Coinage of Arabia, Petra



Petra ("rock"), Jordan has buildings hewn into the rock. Established in the 6th c. BC as the Nabateans' capital city, it lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of the Wadi Araba valley. The site was unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was discovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

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CITY AND SEMI-AUTONOMOUS COINAGE
Spij 1Petra, Syria. Pseudo-autonomous issues. Early 2nd century AD. AE 11mm, 1.74 g. Veiled and turreted head of Tyche right / Crossed cornucopiae; PM monogram above. Spijkerman 1.TextImage
Spij. 1 varPetra, Arabia, AE13 Pseudo-autonomous, early 2nd Century AD. Draped, veiled and turretted bust of Tyche right / Crossed and filleted cornucopiae. SNG ANS 1359; Spijkerman 1 var (no monogram.Text
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HADRIAN
BMC 12Hadrian, AE24 of Petra, Arabia. AYT dot KAIC TΡA AΔΡI dot CEB, laureate head right / ΠETΡA MHTΡO ΠOΛIC in three lines within laurel wreath. BMC Arabia, 12.TextImage
Spijkerman 2Hadrian AE 28mm of Petra, Arabia. AVTOKΡATΩΡ KAICAΡ TΡAIANOC AΔΡIANOC CEBACTOC, laureate and cuirassed bust right with aegis on breastplate / ΠETΡA MHTΡO ΠOΛIC, Tyche seated left on rock, hand outstretched, holding trophy over shoulder. Rosenberger 2, SNG ANS 1360.TextImage
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MARCUS AURELIUS
Spij. 20Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, AE23 of Petra, Jordan, Arabia. AD 161-169. 7.92 g. AYT ANTωNINOC KAI OYHΡOC CEB, Bare-headed, draped bust of Marcus Aurelius left, facing the bare-headed, deaped of Lucius Verus right / AΔΡI ΠETΡA MHTΡOΠOΛIC, Tyche seated left on rock, holding sceptre and patera. Spijkerman 20; Rosenberger 14; Sofaer 18.TextImage
Spijkerman 21Arabia Petraea, Petra. Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus as Caesar. AE 20mm. Confronted busts / Turreted and veiled head of Tyche right. Rosenberger 15.TextImage
Spij. 22Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, AE17 of Petra, Jordan, Arabia. AD 161-169. 3.15 g. Bare-headed, draped bust of Marcus Aurelius left, facing the bare-headed, draped bust of Lucius Verus right. ΠETΡA-MHTΡO-ΠOΛIC in three lines within wreath. Spijkerman 22.TextImage
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
SNG ANS 1369Septimius Severus AE22 of Petra, Arabia. .. C Λ CEΠ CEOYHΡOC .., laureate bust right / distyle temple with ΠETΡOC MHT... around Tyche, turreted, seated left, holding corn ears (?) and cornucopiae.TextImage
Spijkerman 28vSeptimius Severus AE22 of Petra, Arabia. ..CEOYHΡON.., laureate head right, countermark on shoulder (Howgego 801) Δ in circular punch / (..) MHTΡOΠ.., Tyche seated left, holding trophy in right hand (?).TextImage
Spij. 32Septimius Severus AE25 of Petra, Arabia. 10 g. AD 193-211. ΛOY CEΠ CEOYHΡON ΠEΡ CEB, laureate head right. / METROPOLIC ADRIAN PETRA, Tyche, turreted and veiled, seated left on rock, right hand extended and holding trophy over shoulder. Spijkerman 32; Rosenberger 19.TextImage
Spijk. 33Septimius Severus, AE20 of Petra, Arabia. ..CEΠT CEOYHΡOC CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / AΔΡI-ΠETΡ(A)-MHT to left, beneath and to right of Tyche seated left in distyle temple, holding small stele and a trophy. Spijkerman 33-34.TextImage
Spijkerman 34Septimius Severus AE23 of Petra. Laureate draped bust right / two column temple front, Tyche seated left within holding stele (?) and trophy. SNG ANS 1369.TextImage
JULIA DOMNA
Spij. 39Julia Domna, AE23 of Petra, Arabia. IOYΛIA ΔOMNA CEB, draped bust right. / AΔΡI MHT downwards and upwards on the left and right, ΠETΡA below, Tyche, in usual attire, seated left, holding small stele and trophy, within distyle temple with dot in pediment. Spijkerman 39.Text< /td>Image
CARACALLA
Spij 42vDecapolis, Syria. Petra. Caracalla. AD 198-217. AE (23mm, 9.06 g, 12h). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, holding trophy. Spijkerman 42 var. (obv. legend). TextImage
Spij 44Syria, Decapolis. Petra. Caracalla AE 22mm. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Tyche seated left, holding stele(?) and trophy, within distyle temple. Spijkerman 44; Rosenberger 29; SNG ANS 1372. VF, black patina with earthen highlights. TextImage
Spij. 46Caracalla AE22 of Petra, Arabia. M AYR ANTWNINO.., laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from the back / ADRI-PETRA-MHT around and beneath tetrastyle temple without pediment with Tyche, turreted, seated left on rock within, holding patera and trophy. Spijkerman 46.TextImage
GETA
Spij 48Decapolis. Petra. Geta. As Caesar, AD 198-209. AE (22mm, 7.39 g, 12h). Bare-headed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Tyche seated left on rock outcropping, holding trophy. Spijkerman 48; Rosenberger 32. TextImage
ELAGABALUS
Sofaer 12Elagabalus, AE20 of Petra, Arabia. Bilingual legends. AV M CAI ANTωNINVS or similar, laureate head right. / PETA COΛNIA, Tyche seated left, holding a trophy over her shoulder and with right hand outstretched. SNG Sofaer 12-13 corr. (attributed to Adraa in error).TextImage
Spijkerman 56Elagabalus AE21 of Petra in Province Arabia. IMP M AVR ANTONINVS, laureate draped bust right / PETRA above, COL below, founder plowing right with two oxen. SNGANS 1373.TextImage
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SNG ANS 1374Elagabalus AE21 of Petra, Arabia. IMP M AVR ANTONINVS, laureate draped bust right / PETRA (written PETLA) above, COLON below, founder plowing right with two oxen. SNG ANS 1374.TextImage
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