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Description
During Lucius Verus’ Parthian War (AD 164-7), a certain mint (or mints) in Osrhoene produced a series of denarii to pay Roman troops. The identity of these mint cities has been a matter of speculation, with some such as Hill (1922) attributing them to “uncertain mints”, while Babelon (1893) assigned one group with the reverse legend “ΒACIΛEYC MANNOC ΦIΛOPWMAIOC” to Edessa and those with the reverse legend “YΠEP NIKHC PΩMAIΩN” to Carrhae. Now more than 180 specimens are known, which is an opportunity for a more systematic reassessment. In this paper I provide the current state of my research with an overview of our evidence and a summary of the different types and their distribution. I relate die and production patterns, and conclude with metallurgical analysis. Laying out this evidence, we can more conclusively understand the purpose of the coins and perhaps identify their mints.
