Remarkable Allegory Proclaiming the Wealth of Pautalia

331, Lot: 156. Estimate $750. Sold for $2200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla. AD 198-217. Æ (29mm, 15.88 g, 12h). Laureate head right / River-god Strymon reclining left on urn from which water flows, resting hand on rock outcropping and holding grape vine containing grape bunches; five named erotes around: to left, APΓV/POC (silver) advancing left out of cave in rock outcropping; BOTPV (grape bunch) standing right on rock outcropping, supporting grape bunch; to right of waterfall, XPY/COC (gold) seated left; in exergue, CTAXY (grain ear) standing left and holding sickle, harvesting grain ears. Ruzicka 634; Mouchmov 4286; Varbanov 5174; CNG 88, lot 751 (same obv. die). VF, green and brown patina, minor smoothing. Rare and interesting type.

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 limited space.