MESOPOTAMIA. Edessa. Lucilla, Augusta, 164-182. Drachm (Silver, 17 mm, 2.62 g, 6 h), struck under Ma'nu VIII Philoromaios, king of Osrhoene, 167-179. ΛΟΥΚΙΛΛΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ Draped bust of Lucilla to right. Rev. ΒΑϹΙΛЄΥϹ ΜΑΝΝΟϹ ΦΙΛΟΡⲰΜΑ Demeter standing front, head to left, holding patera in her right hand and long torch in her left. Babelon, Mélanges II (1893), p. 235, 8 & pl. III.8. BMC 8 = Walker 3404. CNG E-Auction 526 (2022), 304. RPC IV.3 online 6488. Extremely rare and unusually attractive. Very light porosity, otherwise, good very fine.


Verus' war against the Parthians (163-166) consisted of several campaigns, although in practice, the emperor remained in Antioch, while his generals did the heavy lifting. One of them, Avidius Cassius, invaded Mespotamia with such success that he promptly forced the Parthian king, Vologases III, to sue for peace. One of the consequences of this peace was the restoration of Ma'nu VIII, an ally of Rome, to the throne of Osrhoene and his recognition by Vologases. A notable series of silver drachmai or, rather, denarii with Greek legends, were struck showing the Roman emperors and empresses on the obverse, while the reverse cited Ma'nu. Walker (MRSC II, 1977, pg. 111) tested all the examples of the series then present in the British Museum collection, showing that they have the same metrology as contemporary imperial denarii (about 75% silver). However, the style varies considerably, thus hinting at a more complex background for the issue than Walker assumed.