Tiberius, 14-37. Dupondius (Orichalcum, 30 mm, 16.72 g, 12 h), uncertain mint in Commagene (?), circa 19-20. TI•CAESAR•DIVI•AVGVS[TI•F•AVGVST]VS Laureate head of Tiberius to right. Rev. PONT•MAXIM•COS•III•IMP•VII•TR•POT•XXII Winged caduceus between two crossed cornucopiae. BMC 175. RIC 90. RPC I 3869. Struck on a slightly short flan, otherwise, about very fine.


The Kingdom of Commagene was annexed by the Romans in AD 17. Soon, a series of bronzes with Latin legends in two denominations (most likely orichalcum dupondii and copper asses) was minted in the East. Based this on the manufacture of the flans, Cohen was the first to suggest that these coins were struck at a mint in Commagene. This attribution was further discussed and supported by Mowat (RN 1911, pp. 423-426), and maintained in all major references since (BMC, RIC, etc.). However, as pointed out by the authors of RPC I, an attribution of these issues to Antioch in Syria is equally plausible.