Remarkable Allegory Proclaiming the Wealth of Pautalia

312, Lot: 148. Estimate $750. Sold for $2000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Pautalia. Julia Domna. Augusta, AD 193-217. Æ (22mm, 6.31 g, 1h). Draped bust right / ΠAVTAΛ–IΩTΩN, river-god Strymon reclining left against rocky outcropping, leaning left arm on overturned urn from which water flows; above, eros with BOTPY (bunch of grapes) behind him moving right, picking grape bunch from vine; in left field, APΓY/POΣ (silver) above eros emerging from rocky outcropping, carrying sack over his shoulder; in right field, eros with XP[Y]/COC (gold) behind him seated left, extending hands toward water flowing from urn; in exergue, eros with CTAXY (grain ear) behind him moving to left, harvesting grain. Ruzicka 473; Varbanov 4922 (R7 at €1,000). VF, dark green patina.

The reverse on this coin proclaims the mineral and agricultural wealth of Pautalia. Now known as Kyustendil and located in the Oblast Kyustendil province of Bulgaria, Pautalia was conveniently situated along the Strymon River within a mountain range rich with mineral resources. Each eros represents one of those sources of wealth and is duly named so as to leave no doubt: that representing silver comes out of the rocks from which the actual silver must have been mined; that representing gold is seated close to the urn, since gold (and electrum) was collected from the Strymon river as it flowed through the mountains; and those representing grapes and grain reflect the abundant produce resulting from the fertile soil around the city. It is a fascinating composition expressing a wealth of information in a very limited space.