Type 31: Eros with Aphrodite Holding her Clothing with One Hand

Bernhart's next type is of Aphrodite semi-clothed and spreading out her hair with both hands. Note that this is not yet the famous type of Aphrodite Anadyomene—the Anadyomene is naked, whereas this Aphrodite is bare only to the waist. These coins are quite scarce (illustrated here is a little “semi-autonomous” Æ from Apameia in Phrygia).

A rather more frequently occurring motif on provincial coins is that in which Aphrodite holds her hair with only one hand, while using the other one to hold up her garment, as in the coin (right) of Lucilla from Syedra in Cilicia.
The statue (left) is from the Royal Collection in the Łazienki Palace in Warsaw).
On most of these issues Aphrodite is unattended, but there are a few which include an attendant Eros, namely coins from Magydus and Perga in Pamphylia, and Cremna, Sagalassus and Selge in Pisidia; also (with slightly different reverse motifs) Hadrianopolis in Thracia and Trapezopolis in Caria. Coins of Perperene (Mysia) and Mastaura (Lydia) described by Mionnet might also belong to this type.










Hadrianopolis in Thracia, coins of Julia Domna with a variant reverse motif—Aphrodite is holding up her garment with one hand, but holding out an apple with the other, to her right is Eros, to her left a dolphin swimming downwards. Varbanov misreads the dolphin as a “Pitos” (sic), an earthenware storage jar (πιθος).

 


Æ 22, 1 h, 5.80 g. Obv. IOYΛIA ΔOMNA CEB. Draped bust of Julia Domna r. Rev. AΔPIANOΠOΛEITΩN. As described above.




 



There are also scarce coins of Julia Domna without these two accompanying figures (Varbanov 3434).






Magydus in Pamphylia, coins of Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Macrinus, Julia Paula and Julia Mamaea (no illustrations), all very rare.

Perga in Pamphylia, coins, of Lucius Verus (not illustrated), Commodus, Julia Domna (not illustrated) and Maximus, on which Eros rides on a dolphin next to the figure of Aphrodite, who is naked to the waist and holds her r. to her hair and her garment with her l. 

 

 

 

Æ 14, 6 h, 3.22 g. Obv. M AYP[H] KOMO [sic]. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of  Commodus r., seen from behind Rev. ΠEPΓ[AI]ΩN. As described above, with Eros and dolphin to l. 

 

 

 

 

  

Æ 26, 1 h, 11.42 g. Obv. K Γ IOY • OYH MAΞIMON (sic) • EY • CE. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximus Caesar r. Rev. ΠEPΓAIΩN. As described above, with Eros and dolphin to r . 

 

 

* Cremna in Pisidia, a coin of Julia Mamaea.

Æ 20, 6 h, 4.93 g. Obv. IVL MAMEAN AVG. Draped bust of Julia Mamaea r. Rev. VEN COL CRE. Aphrodite standing facing, head r., holding her clothing with her l. and raising her r. to her head; at her feet, Eros, brandishing a whip, on a dolphin l.

 

 

 

 

 

Sagalassus in Pisidia, a coin of Severus Alexander (not illustrated).

Selge in Pisidia, coins of  Commoduis and Aemilian (no illustrations, the reported Aemilian coin has not yet been confirmed by RPC).

Trapezopolis in Caria, coins (not illustrated) with obverse type of Boulé and a variant reverse motif—Aphrodite has one hand to her hair, but with the other is embracing Eros.

Mastaura in Lydia, a coin of Otacilia Severa.

CATALOGUE

Hadrianopolis / Julia Domna
References: Varbanov 3413; Jurukova 229; Moushmov 2597, wrongly described as “Domna standing between two girls (two children), holding globe” 
Rarity: RRR

Magydus / Septimius Severus
Reference: Sold on VCoins, otherwise unpublished?
Rarity: RRR

Magydus / Julia Domna
References: Imhoof-Blumer, Kleinasiatische Münzen, 2; Bernhart, Aphrodite, 207; SNG von Aulock 4540 
Rarity: RRR

Magydus / Macrinus
References: Bernhart, Aphrodite, 208; SNG France 3, 0311
Rarity: RRR

Magydus / Julia Paula
Reference: RPC VI, 6091*
Rarity: RRR

Magydus / Julia Mamaea
Reference: RPC VI, 6095*
Rarity: RRR

Perga / Lucius Verus
References: RPC IV, 3, 4953*; BMC 30
Rarity: RRR 

 

Perga / Commodus
Reference: RPC IV, 3, 25219* (this coin)
Rarity: RRR 

Perga / Julia Domna
References: Bernhart, Aphrodite, 214; SNG Pfalz 318
Rarity: RRR

Perga / Maximus
Reference: RPC VI, 6166*
Rarity: RR

Cremna / Julia Mamaea 
Reference: RPC VI, 5928*
Rarity: RR

Sagalassus / Severus Alexander
References: RPC VI, 5878* (this coin)
Rarity: RRR

Selge / Commodus
Reference: RPC IV, 3, 9732* (this coin)
Rarity: RRR

Selge / Aemilian 
Reported but not yet confirmed
Rarity: RRR

Trapezopolis / Boulé
References: Bernhart, Aphrodite, 222; ANS 1991.54.2 
Rarity: RR

Mastaura / Otacilia Severa

Reference: RPC VIII, 20377*
Rarity: RR