| Boars, Sows and Piglets on Ancient Coins |  |
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| Persian Empire, Dynasts of Lycia, Uncertain Dynast, c. 520 - 480 B.C. |   | | Minted in Lycia, Anatolia while under Persian control, prior to Alexander the Great's conquest. |
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| SH63914. Silver stater, SNG Cop Supp. 370, SNGvA 4049 - 4050, VF, soft strike, weight 8.701 g, maximum diameter 23.3 mm, die axis 90o, Lycian mint, c. 520 - 480 B.C.; obverse forepart of a boar left; reverse Incuse with square projections entering from three sides, transected by crossed narrow lines; $500.00 (€385.00) |
| Roman Republic, C. Sulpicius C. f. Galba, 106 B.C. |  | In 106 B.C., Sulla captured Jugurtha, the King of Numidia, ending the Jugurthine War. Jugurtha was paraded through the streets in Gaius Marius' Triumph after which his royal robes were removed and his earrings were ripped off. He lost an ear lobe in the process. He was then thrown into the Tullianum where he died of starvation in 104 B.C. |
| RR54742. Silver denarius serratus, RSC I Sulpicia 1, SRCV I 189, Crawford 312/1, Sydenham 572, F/VF, wavy flan, weight 3.120 g, maximum diameter 20.3 mm, die axis 225o, Rome mint, obverse jugate laureate heads of the Dei Penates left, D•P•P before; reverse the Dei Penates standing facing, each holding spear and pointing at sow which lies between them, I above, C SVLPICI C F in ex; ; $130.00 (€100.10) |
| Lesbos, c. 500 - 450 B.C. |  | A most unusual use of illusion on a coin. The two confronting boars' heads can also be viewed as the facing head of a panther. |
| GA62588. Billon 1/10th stater, SGCV II 3488, Rosen 542, aVF, weight 1.083 g, maximum diameter 9.0 mm, Lesbos mint, c. 500 - 450 B.C.; obverse confronting boar heads, creating the illusion of a facing head of a panther; reverse incuse square punch; $125.00 (€96.25) |
| Kyzikos, Mysia, c. 480 - 450 B.C. |  | These very small fractions always weigh less than the theoretical weight for the denomination. They were often struck significantly below the theoretical weight. Wear, corrosion and porosity have usually further reduced the weight over time. They may even weigh less than half their theoretical weight. Assigning the denomination during attribution is often speculative. |
| GA58364. Silver trihemiobol, BMC Mysia p. 35, 121, VF, weight 0.771 g, maximum diameter 8.9 mm, die axis 180o, Kyzikos mint, c. 480 - 450 B.C.; obverse forepart of boar running left; reverse head of roaring lion left, K (reversed) above, all in incuse square; $75.00 (€57.75) |
| Lesbos, c. 500 - 450 B.C. |  | A most unusual use of illusion on a coin. The two confronting boars' heads can also be viewed as the facing head of a panther. |
| GA59008. Billon obol, cf. SGCV II 3488, Rosen 542, SNGvA 7712, Traité 566; SNG München -, SNG Cop -, aVF, weight 1.046 g, maximum diameter 9.2 mm, Lesbos mint, c. 500 - 450 B.C.; obverse confronting boar heads, creating the illusion of a facing head of a panther; reverse tripartite incuse square punch; $70.00 (€53.90) |
| Kyzikos, Mysia, c. 450 - 400 B.C. |  | Cyzicus was one of the great cities of the ancient world. During the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.) Cyzicus was subject to the Athenians and Lacedaemonians alternately. In the naval Battle of Cyzicus in 410, an Athenian fleet completely destroyed a Spartan fleet. At the peace of Antalcidas in 387, like the other Greek cities in Asia, it was made over to Persia. Alexander the Great captured it from the Persians in 334 B.C. |
| GS55274. Silver hemiobol, SNG Kayhan 58, BMC Mysia p. 35, 120, gF, weight 0.373 g, maximum diameter 9.8 mm, die axis 90o, Cyzicus mint, c. 450 - 400 B.C.; obverse forepart of boar running left, tunny fish upwards behind; reverse head of roaring lion left, star of four rays above, all in incuse square; $63.00 (€48.51) |
| Trajan, 25 January 98 - 8 or 9 August 117 A.D. |  | Quadrantes, like quinarii, were issued only occasionally, perhaps exclusively for imperial distributions. Suetonius reported that, from the roof of the Basilica Julia "Caligula threw coins among the people." Perhaps this small coin was thrown to the crowd by Trajan himself at a similar event. |
| RB56909. Copper quadrans, RIC II 702, BMCRE III 1062, gF, weight 2.082 g, maximum diameter 12.5 mm, die axis 0o, Rome mint, 98 - c. 106 A.D.; obverse IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GERM, laureate and draped bust of Hercules right; reverse S C, boar walking right; scarce; $35.00 (€26.95) |
| Castulo, Hispania Ulterior, Late 2nd Century B.C. |  | After a local princess named Himilce married Hannibal, Castulo allied with Carthage. In 213 B.C., Castulo was the site of Hasdrubal Barca's crushing victory over the Roman army with a force of roughly 40,000 Carthaginian troops plus local Iberian mercenaries. Soon after the Romans made a pact with the residents and the city became an foederati (ally) of Rome. |
| GB56674. Bronze quarter unit, Villaronga p. 337, 50; SNG BM Spain 1358, F, weight 2.503 g, maximum diameter 17.1 mm, die axis 0o, Castulo mint, Late 2nd Century B.C.; obverse diademed male head right; reverse boar standing right, Iberian monogram above, "Kastilo" in Iberian script in ex; scarce; $27.00 (€20.79) |
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