New observations in the chronology of Roman Legion XV countermarks

By Andrew Caldarone – Aegean Numismatics

Use of countermarks on ancient coins

Collectors sometimes see countermarks on modern coins. Ancient coin users also applied countermarks.

An ancient Greek city might countermark its very worn coins. It might also countermark coins from another city to validate them for use. Early Greek and Roman Republic silver and gold issues also carried “chop mark” style banker marks. These marks showed good metal weight and purity.

Politics could also drive countermarking.

Roman Imperial coins, especially during the turbulence of the first century AD, commonly carried political countermarks. Examples include stamps with “TIB AVG” for TIBerius AUGustus, or “GALBA” for the short-lived Roman emperor Galba, who ruled from June 68 to January 69.

Local city issues also circulated within the empire. These local issues appeared most often in the east. The variety of coin types from what today includes the Balkans, Turkey, the Levant, and Egypt seems endless. Ancient coin collectors commonly call these “Provincial” or “Greek Imperial” coins.

Cities also countermarked these coins for political or validation reasons. A non-ancient coin collector might find this surprising. Most countermarked Greek-Imperial coins were bronze issues. Since bronze purity or weight usually created no concern, validation may seem odd to a collector today.

In any case, Roman legions also sometimes countermarked local bronze coinage. These marks indicated approval for use by the legion.

Greek Imperial countermarks by the Roman Legion XV Apollonaris

In 1985, Professor Howgego 1 published the standard reference for countermarks on Greek Imperial coins. He did so through “Greek Imperial Countermarks” (GIC) 2.

As with any study of history, new information comes to light. Scholars gain knowledge, and new theories appear. This document integrates recent discoveries in the use of countermarks by Legion XV Apollinaris into the foundation laid out in GIC.

GIC lists Legion XV countermarks in three groups: 739 to 741.

In summary, these groups are:

• Countermark #739: “LXV” within a rectangle on bronze “As” size host coins. An “As” of the Roman Empire is a bronze coin of roughly 8 to 12 grams in weight and 24mm in diameter. The host coins for #739 came from various cities of the Levant and Southeastern Asia Minor through the reign of Trajan (98-117). GIC dates these countermarks to Trajan’s eastern campaigns of 114-7. They may also continue for a few years after.
• Countermark #740: “LXV” (740i) and “XV” (740ii) countermarks within rectangles on “As” size issues of Cappadocia, in northeast Turkey. The hosts date from the reign of Trajan into the reigns of Marcus Aurelius (161-180) and his co-emperor, Lucius Verus (161-169 AD). Earlier host coins seem quite likely. The dating of these issues, based on the host coins, indicates circa early/mid-second century to at least the time of Lucius Verus’ eastern campaigns in 162-166.
• Countermark #741: “LXVA” within a rectangle. These also appear on “As” size issues of Cappadocia. GIC references only one example on a host coin of Antoninus Pius (138-161). With this limited data, GIC does not date the series.
  Three changes to GIC

This article proposes three changes to GIC. The first concerns the dating of Countermark 741. The second argues that GIC 740ii does not exist. The third proposes a group of “XV” countermarks from the Jewish War of 66-70 AD.

Dating Countermark 741

As noted above, GIC cites only one example of this countermark on a Pius host. During research for this article, eighteen clear examples came to light.

Nine of these examples came on host coins of Marcus Aurelius or Lucius Verus. This implies that the countermark remained in use far into the reign of Marcus Aurelius. It may even have continued into the reign of Commodus.

A logical start date for this countermark would fall upon the legion’s return to Satala after Verus’ eastern campaign in 166. Earlier dating would overlap with Countermark #740. Such overlap remains possible. However, it seems unlikely.

The case that GIC 740ii does not exist

As noted above, GIC catalogs Countermark #740 in two sub-groups. It uses 740i for “LXV” countermarks and 740ii for “XV” countermarks.

GIC cites four examples, plus a questionable fifth, with one of these countermarks. However, GIC does not note the specific countermark, 740i or 740ii, for the cited examples.

A review of the source documents shows that all cited examples carry “LXV” (GIC 740i), with one exception. That exception is #2070a from Bellinger’s catalog of the Dura excavations 3.

Bellinger describes 2070a as an issue of Hadrian from Caesarea, Cappadocia, with an “XV” countermark. Unfortunately, the book’s plates do not feature this coin.

During research for this article, an image of this coin came to light. Yale University participated in the initial excavations and still holds many of the artifacts. The Yale Art Gallery website shows images and data for many Dura artifacts.

Yale 9 confirmed that one of the coins on the website is Dura 2070a. The countermark clearly reads “LXVA” rather than “XV”. This makes it an example of Countermark #741.

Two additional examples 4 of 740i with “LXV” have also come to light. These bring the total number of confirmed GIC 740i examples to five.

Ultimately, Countermark #740ii rests on an inaccurate description from the Dura excavations. No documented example of an “XV” countermark on a second-century coin has come to light.

Therefore, current data does not support the existence of 740ii. This may seem minor. However, it matters for dating actual “XV” countermarks that have emerged since the publication of GIC.

The case for countermarks issued during the Jewish War of 66-70 AD

In recent years, four “XV” countermarks have come to light. They do not fit the description of 740ii or any other GIC category.

The specific details of each individual coin follow.

XV Example 1

1. Host coin: 1/8 Shekel of year 4 of the Jewish War dated 69AD 5.

• Hendin, “Guide to Biblical Coins”, 6th edition #6649. Hendin notes it as “unique”.
• From the image, the countermark appears to read “XVI”. However, per David Hendin, the left side of the apparent “I” is the edge of the rectangular countermark punch.
• Unfortunately, the contributors involved in this research do not know the coin’s current location.
• Typical weight of this type is 4.5 to 6g and 18 to 20mm in diameter.

XV Example 2

2. Example 2, close-up & rotated Image by the author

• Host coin: Judaean Prutah of the Roman Procurator Porcius Festus struck 58/9 AD.
• Host coin: Hendin, “Guide to Biblical Coins” 6th edition #6380.
• 3.0g, 16mm in diameter.

XV Example 3

3. Host coin: Issue of Philomelium, Phrygia, from the reign of Tiberius: 14-37 AD.

• RPC #3244, SNG Von Aulock 3918.
• 4.5g, 18mm in diameter.
• Also countermarked Howgego 343.

Legion X countermark applied at Neapolis Samaria circa 85AD.

XV Example 4

4. Host coin: Issue of Tarsus Cilicia circa 164-27 BC.

• SNG France 1310 type (?).
• 5.7g, 21mm in diameter.
• How the four “XV” coins differ from GIC groups

Several characteristics of this group differ from the three established GIC groups.

First, the host coins all date from the first century BC to 69 AD. This creates some timeline overlap with the known host coins of GIC 739. Four of the eleven examples of #739 located for this article came on host coins issued before 69AD.

GIC 740 and 741 show a different pattern. Examples struck on host coins before the reign of Trajan (98-117) appear quite uncommon. This implies that the “XV” countermarks were applied before 70AD.

The coins also differ in weight. All four weigh between 3 and 6 grams. This is roughly half the weight of the “As” hosts of the second-century countermarks 739-741.

This small size matches numerous coins countermarked by Legion X in the latter half of the first century at the legion’s base of Neapolis, Samaria 6.

Legion X countermark (GIC 343)

One of the four coins with an “XV” countermark also carries a Legion X countermark (GIC 343) circa 85 AD. We cannot determine with certainty which countermark came first. Still, it confirms that the host coin from Phrygia circulated in the Judaea area in the second half of the first century.

GIC 740 and 741 also appear only on issues of Cappadocia. None of the four “XV” coins come from Cappadocia. Instead, the group of four “XV” host coins comes from Southern Asia Minor to Judaea.

Geographically, this resembles the host coins of GIC 739. As with #739 and the Legion X countermark noted above, this also implies that the legion stood in the Syria-Judaea area when the coins received their countermarks.

Legion XV in the Levant and Syria

A review of the history of Legion XV 7 narrows the possible time frames for this countermark. The legion stood in the Levant and Syria area during three periods in the first and second centuries.

In the first century AD, the legion had its base in Carnuntum, near Vienna, Austria. In 63, at the end of Corbulo’s second war in Armenia, the legion moved to shore up his forces 8. Then it moved to Alexandria, Egypt, in 63.

Corbulo’s route and battles lay far north and east of Syria and Judaea. Egypt lay far to the south.

With the outbreak of the Jewish War in 66, the legion deployed to Ptolemais-Ake, Judaea, in 67. After the Jewish War ended in 70AD, Legion XV regrouped at Alexandria, Egypt. It then returned to Carnuntum.

The legion next joined Trajan’s eastern campaigns of 114-7 against the Parthians. These campaigns launched from Syria.

Sometime in the early second century, the legion’s base moved to Satala, Cappadocia. Scholars debate the exact year 7.

The legion did not participate in the Bar Kochba revolt in Judaea of 132-6. It remained in Cappadocia and fought the Alans in 134/5 AD.

The legion returned to the East and Levant area for Lucius Verus’ eastern campaigns of 161-166. After this, the history of Legion XV largely fades from the record. The legion almost certainly took part in additional eastern conflicts.

However, the issue dates of the “XV” countermark host coins push any later war far beyond the plausible time frame for these coins.

In summary, the legion stood in the Levant area from 67-70 AD for the Jewish War, from 115 to around 120AD for Trajan’s eastern campaigns, and from 161-166AD for Lucius Verus’ eastern campaigns.

What the coin condition suggests

The condition of the coins also matters. It gives some insight into how long the coins circulated.

Of course, we do not know how much wear each coin received before or after countermarking. So this evidence cannot provide an absolute answer.

However, older host coins for GIC 739 usually show extreme wear. Numerous hosts were originally struck during the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius. Legion XV countermarked them roughly one hundred years later at the end of Trajan’s reign.

An example of 739 appears below. This host coin came from Antioch circa 20AD under Augustus. Legion XV countermarked it circa 115AD.

Interestingly, the “LXV” countermark sits over countermark GIC 503. Countermark 503 is the swirling curved shape under the “LXV”. GIC places countermark 503 in the late first century in Edessa or Dura.

The coin also has a bull head countermark (GIC 295). This countermark appears on this host type and dates to around 25AD in Antioch.

In total, the coin circulated for approximately one hundred years.

The worn Dura coin GIC 741, noted above, circulated for approximately sixty years. It dates from 120AD to approximately 180 before countermarking. Hadrian’s profile and faint traces of the reverse design identify it.

Why 66-70 AD best fits the “XV” group

The two Judaean examples of “XV” shown above have higher grades, around Good Fine. This implies that the coins were struck, countermarked, and lost from circulation over a relatively short time frame. That time frame likely spans no more than about twenty to thirty years.

For Trajan’s campaign of 115-7, the Judaean coins would have been forty-five years old. Both Judaean coins could have left circulation for decades and then returned for countermarking. However, this seems unlikely.

When considered together, wear and the other evidence point to the strongest theory for the origin of the “XV” countermark. The “XV” countermark group can be dated to the Jewish War of 66-70 AD.

To insert this into GIC’s numbering, 738a would fit any future edition.

Of course, new discoveries regarding this countermark could appear. This theory may someday prove wrong. For example, an “XV” countermark on a host coin of a later emperor could shift the dating of this series to Trajan’s eastern campaigns, along with GIC 739.

However, 66-70AD dating best fits the current data.

References & Footnotes