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Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus
Roman Province - Arabia Petraea
"Camel" The camel was a sacred animal for the Nabataeans and one of the symbols of their most important god, Dushara. For the Romans, the camel became a symbol of the province of Arabia Petraea due to the caravans traversing the desert province to Petra, the holy city and capital of Nabataea.
It might seem surprising that the two-humped Bactrian camel was chosen rather than the native one-humped dromedary, which is depicted, for instance, on the Republican denarius of 58 BCE featuring the Nabataean King Aretas III. However, Diodorus notes that the Arabian desert was also traversed by numerous Bactrians – the two-humped camels.
On the drachm, there is a noticeable stylistic difference between the excellent "Roman" obverse featuring the emperor and the "barbarized" "Arabian" reverse.
Denomination: Drachm, Ag
Obverse: Laureate and cuirassed bust of Trajan, right, with paludamentum, seen from front, ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΩ ΑΡΙϹΤΩ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΔΑΚ (to Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan, the best, Augustus Germanicus Dacicus)
Reverse: Camel standing left, ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞ ΥΠΑΤΟ Ϛ (tribune of the people, consul for the sixth time)
Mint: Arabia, Bostra?, 114-116 A.D.
Weight: 3,25 g
Diameter: 19mm
Provenance: Numismatik Naumann
Riferimento : 13.8 RPC II 4077, Sydenham 204 (Cappadocia, Caesarea)
Collezione : IMPERIUM ROMANUM 03 - Antonine