COINAGE OF VABALATHUS, PRINCE OF PALMYRA.
A great boon would be conferred on numismatists if some of your correspondents would endeavour to elucidate the puzzling legend sometimes found on coins of this prince.
Vabalathus, or Vhabalathus, Athenodorus (which Mionnet and Akerman make to be the Greek translation of Vabalathus), was the son of the celebrated Zenobia, by an Arab prince, and was raised to the imperial dignity by his mother. His sway extended over some parts of Syria and Egypt, A.D. 266-273.
Aurelian gave to Vabalathus a petty province of Armenia, of which he made him king, though perhaps this arose from the mistake of Occo and Salmasius (in Vopisc. p. 380.) in reading ΑΡΜΕΝΙΑϹ for ΑΥΓ . ΕΡΜΙΑϹ on his Egyptian coins (Vide infra).
His portrait appears on the reverse of coins of Aurelian, with the legend VABALATHVS . VCRIMDR. Frölich and Corsini have unsuccessfully attempted the interpretation of this word. Père Hardouin, considering, VCRIMOR as the correct reading, divides it V. C. R. IM. OR., i.e. Vice Cæsaris Rector Imperii Orientis; but, as Banduri rightly observes, the existence of this legend is extremely doubtful, VCRIMDR being the authorised one, and is undoubtedly so in a specimen in my cabinet; and though the worthy Jesuit remarks, "Barbaram vocem aliquam arbitrari sub hisce Notis Latinis latere, frigidum genus exceptionis est, ac desperantium," I am inclined to think that the true interpretation is to be sought in the Syriac, or some of the Oriental languages.
I have two others in my collection, of the rude third brass of the Egyptian mint: Obv. AURELIAN, &c.
Rev. ΟΥΑΒΑΛΛΑΘΟϹ . ΑΘΗΝΟΥ . ΑΥΓ . ΕΡΜΙΑϹ Ι . ΑΥ . ΟΥΑΒΑΛΛΑΘΟϹ . ΑΘΗΝΥ . Α . ΕΡ
The first and three final letters of this last legend are very indistinct, and I should much like a correct reading of it, as it is, I believe, inedited. Other legends are given by Banduri: VABALATHVS . alii REX. VCRIM. P.P.—VABALATVS. VCRIMOR.—VABALATHVS . ITER. IMP. R.—IM. C. VHABALATHVS. AVG.—Α . ΕΡΜΙΑϹ . ΟΥΑΒΑΛΛΑΘΟϹ . ΑΘΗΝΥ .—ΑΥ . Κ . ΕΡΜΙΑϹ . ΟΥΑΒΑΛΛΑΘΟϹ . ΑΘΗΝΟΥ . ΟΥΑΒΑΛΑΘΟϹ . ΑΘΗΝΟΥ . ΑΥΓ . ΕΡΜΙΑϹ.
E. S. TAYLOR.