This is the coin
type that started it all:
Thompson #1.
All examples of
Thompson number 1 have no
border of dots on the
obverse . Only one
obverse type of the next
type, "
Kernos & Bakhos" does but all the rest have dots: similarly the case with the unique and perplexing "2 Palms" (
Thompson #5),
type which I wrote up in an earlier article both on
Forum and on academia.edu.
Athena herself is the most beautiful rendition of the goddess on the whole of the
New Style coinage, she is fresh and youthful and the artist has produced a masterpiece. Miss
Thompson favoured what she labelled
obverse number 1 but I think mine,
Thompson obverse 3, is the best!
Athena features an
aegis, a feature of early
catalogue types that intermittently appeared on the goddess
Athena finishing on the "Rudder"
type Thompson #7. ( See my Rudder (less),unique example not only do you get an
aegis but another great un-typical
portrait of
Athena too)
And finally there is another feature this time on Athena's neck-guard: a
biga of horses. In what Margaret
Thompson called
Obverse 1 the
biga is driven by a figure that is presumed to be
Nike, it is clearer on the 2nd
obverse type and has wings, whilst all of
type obverse 3 only a driver-less
biga is discernible.
The
biga is presumed to be a signature of that one die artist and features,again intermittently, on some obverses up to
Thompson #6 "Club" that
Thompson also assigns as
his work..
The
reverse has all the features of a typical early
New Style: No symbol and 2 simple (?)
monograms.
The
monograms are especially clear on my example but the resolution of the first is debatable, whilst the second-
,Ath.... is so common as to be un-resolvable with a known person.
The bonus of my coin is that it is a new
reverse,
Thompson noted only 4 known coins in 1961 with 3
obverse types and 4 reverses.
Obverse 3 was known from 2 distinct reverses only one of which featured in Thompson's plates.
I acquired the second example plates thanks to
Forum member djmacdo, that was published in 1926 in
ZfN, and I was pleased to find it was not that either. ( confirmed by djmacdo).
I designate my coin
Thompson 3c. Thus
Thompson #1
catalogue now consists 5 coins of 3 obverses and 5 reverses. I have found no other examples so far in a
search.
The
owl is a beauty and is clearly rendered. It does not look awkward as common on most early New styles despite its legs being close together and looks to be in no danger of falling over. The
amphora is of a
good size, not small and cramped as others - a
good perch for a nice
owl, and the surrounding
olive wreath is well executed and finished by a simple tie-knot.
The
monograms are well cut and clear and the whole set-up of the
reverse is well executed and balanced.
The coin is somewhat corroded but not enough to account for its low
weight , but i think the coin was originally of a low
weight. The example of
Thompson 3b is desrcibed as oxydised ( but doesn't seem too bad from the
ZfN plates), is 16.2gm
Thompson 3a is over 17gm, my coin is not a
fouree and is obviously an genuine Athenian
mint product. The
die axis is 12 O'clock.
Enjoy,
Cic
