191, Lot: 127. Estimate $100. Sold for $261. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. |
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PHOENICIA, Aradus. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ 27mm (16.48 g, 1h). Dated CY 476 (AD 217/8). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Cypress tree flanked by zebu and lion with star above head; signa behind each; [SOY] (date) in exergue. SNG Copenhagen -; BMC 383 (same date, but attributed to Elagabalus). Near VF, dark green patina, a little porous.
From the J. S. Wagner Collection.
Many ancient cultures saw the cypress as a symbol of eternal life due to their long life spans. As such, they gained special status among the ancients and their destruction of any kind demanded severe punishment.