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Author Topic: Lesbos billon stater, calve's heads  (Read 2108 times)

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kencooke

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Lesbos billon stater, calve's heads
« on: December 04, 2016, 03:45:01 pm »
The first of this type posted to BOT.

This is a Lesbian billon stater which fits into Lazzarini's classification series III in his paper "A contribution to the study of the Archaic billon coinage of Lesbos". (TOP COIN)

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-133239


There is one other of this type in another members gallery but with a significantly greater weight, which would place it into series II and very rare, since Lazzarini says there is only one example known of this type and weight. My coin from series III is common. (BOTTOM COIN)

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-30993

Offline paparoupa

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Re: Lesbos billon stater, calve's heads
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2016, 05:37:25 pm »
And I believe the most complete example I have seen is this one

kencooke

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Re: Lesbos billon stater, calve's heads
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2016, 09:00:39 pm »
And I believe the most complete example I have seen is this one

Indeed it is. The complete tree and all of both ears.

kencooke

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Re: Lesbos billon stater, calve's heads
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2016, 09:14:04 pm »

BTW the provenance for the gorgoneion stater in your gallery is Bollafi see https://www.sixbid.com/browse.html?auction=2398&category=48362&lot=2033482
I was the furious underbidder in that auction. I see the speculator that got it did a good profit.

Thanks for the provenance for my coin. I searched high and low and could not find any previous sales of my coin. Not surprising I did not find the Bollafi sale as there is no mention of Lesbos in the catalogue description!

I did find one other example of this type sold in 2002 and resold in 2003.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=95044

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=136425

Their "seems" to be a reverse die match between my gorgoneion and calves's heads coins. I say "seems" since when you put them side by side there is an obvious difference. The incuse square punch on the gorgoneion is larger but the wedge like devices within the square, I am sure, are the same. Lazzarini does note a reverse die match between these series.

The gorgoneion is on the right.

Offline paparoupa

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Re: Lesbos billon stater, calve's heads
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2016, 07:07:03 am »
Very interesting observation! Indeed the wedges are the same. Maybe the upper side of the gorgoneion punch was recut into a smaller one that was used for the calves later on?

 

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