Edessa in Mesopotamia, 222-235 AD., Severus Alexander, Æ17.

Edessa in Mesopotamia, Severus Alexander, 222-235 AD.,
Æ17 (16-17 mm / 2.65 g),
Obv.: AYT K M [A?] AΛЄΞANΔPOC , laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander right, seen from behind.
Rev.: [M] K ЄΔЄC - CHNWN , Tyche seated left on rock, holding small temple, river god swimming left below, altar before.
BMC 28, 109, 113 var. .

Thanks to "tacrolimus" / Luigi for the attribution support.

Gert Boersema 25/01/2010: "As far as I know, this coin is unpublished but for Babelon's 1893 article on the coinage of Edessa (Pl. VII, 6), quoted in the BM catalogue Plate 50. It has since turned up in a few auctions. It is .... the smallest denomination of the time period."

Edessa, in Osrhoëne, the chief city in Mesopotamia, was situate near the source of a mountain stream (the Seirtus) which flows from Mount Masius southwards towards the Euphrates. It was built probably by Seleucus, and named after the ancient Macedonian town Edessa or Aegae. In 166/7 AD. the Romans, having defeated Volagases, placed Mannus VIII on the throne of the kingdom of Osrhoëne in Edessa. Caracalla made Edessa a colony about A.D. 216. Colonial coins were struck to the reign of Trajan Decius.