Herodian Dynasty, 40 BCE-96 CE. Agrippa I, 37-44. Æ-Medaillon, year 7 or 8=42-44, Caesarea Maritima; 15,90 g BAC AΓΡΙΠΠΑΣ – ΣΕΒ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ – ΒΑΣ ΗΡΩΔΗΣ king Agrippa, standing on the left side, and his brother and son in law, king Herod of Chalkis, standing on the right side, crowning the Roman emperor Claudius with a wreath. Agrippa and Herod are clad in military dresses, Claudius wears a toga and is sacrificing capite velato (with covered head); in exergue [L Z or H] (year 7 or 8)//[OPKIA BAΣ ΜΕ ΑΓΡΙΠΠΑ ΠΡ ΣΕΒ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΑ Κ ΣΥΝΚΛΗΤΟΝ] Κ ΔΗΜΟ ΡΩΜ ΦΙΛΙ Κ ΣΥΜΜΑΧΙ ΑΥ. [ὅρκια βασ(ιλέως) με(γάλου) Ἀγρίππα πρ(ὸς) Σεβ(αστὸν) Καίσαρα κ(αὶ) Σύνκλητον] κ(αὶ) Δῆμ(ον) Ῥωμ(αίων) φιλί(ας) κ(αὶ) συμμαχί(ας) αὐ(τοῦ). (Oaths taken by the Great King Agrippas before the Augustus Caesar and the Senate and Roman People with regard to friendship and alliance) in two concentric circles divided by a wreath; clasped right hands in centre. Hendin no. 1248; A.J.M. Kropp, Crowning the Emperor: an unorthodox image of Claudius, Agrippa I and Herod of Chalkis, Syria 90, 2013, 377-389; Lykke 246 fig. 82; Meshorer, Treasury 100 f. and 232 no. 124; RPC I no. 4982.

Extremely rare and despite the corrosion in above average condition. Partially corroded, otherwise good very fine

Overbeck – Meshorer no. 151.

The authority which issued this medaillon is not mentioned, what is very unusual in the case of circulation coins. It was apparently minted in the last year of Agrippa’s reign, when his brother Herod had already been established as king of Chalkis. Due to the two dates given in the exergue of the medaillons (L Z = 42/3 and L H = 43/4) the background of the scenery depicted on them becomes obvious and seems in no way strange. The coin shows that the two royal brothers Agrippa and Herod had sent golden wreaths (aurum coronarium) to Claudius because of his victory over the British tribes in South and Middle England, perhaps on the occasion of his triumph De Britannis. The rev. of the medaillon seems to underline that Agrippa I as a friend and ally of the Romans had sent some Jewish troops to support the conquest of Britannia.