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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Archaic Origins||View Options:   | | | The coins below are among the first struck by mankind. Coins struck in the later classical and Hellenistic periods, but in archaic or archaized style are also included here. Click here to read "From the Origin of Coins to Croesus." |
| This type was minted in Lydia, Anatolia, while under Persian control, prior to Alexander the Great's conquest. The Persian or Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 - 330 B.C.) was the largest empire in ancient history extending across Asia, Africa and Europe, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and much of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. |  |
Roman Republic and Central Italy, c. 5th - 4th Century B.C., Lot of 7 Aes Rude Fragments
In Italy, as with other nations, early trade used a system of barter. Aes rude (Latin: "rough bronze"), used perhaps as early as the early 8th century B.C., was the earliest metal proto-currency in central Italy. In the 5th century B.C., bronze replaced cattle as the primary measure of value in trade. Aes rude are rough lumpy bronze ingots with no marks or design, some are flat and oblong, others are square, while many are irregular and shapeless. The metal is mostly copper with roughly 5% tin. Weight varies considerably with some exceeding twelve pounds and others under an ounce. Many smaller examples are fragments of broken larger specimens. A balance was necessary to measure value for commercial transactions.LT110958. Bronze Lot, Lot of 7 aes rude fragments, cf. BMCRR I p. 1, Haeberlin pl. 1, Vecchi ICC pl. 1, Thurlow-Vecchi pl. 2, SRCV I 505, weight 33.5g - 64.9g, c. 5th - 4th Century B.C.; no tags or flips, the actual pieces in the photograph, as-is, no returns, 7 pieces; $300.00 (€282.00)
Apollonia Pontika, Thrace, c. 540 - 470 B.C.
Apollonia Pontica was founded as Antheia by Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century B.C. They soon changed its name to Apollonia after building a temple for Apollo. The temple contained a colossal statue of Apollo by Calamis, which was later taken to Rome and placed in the Capitol. The anchor on the coinage is evidence of the importance of its maritime trade. MA114219. Silver hemiobol, SNG Bulgaria II 95; Topalov Apollonia p. 570, 17; SNG Stancomb 32; HGC 3.2 1326 (R1), VF, bumps, scratches, tight flan, weight 0.458 g, maximum diameter 7.0 mm, Apollonia Pontica (Sozopol, Bulgaria) mint, c. 540 - 470 B.C.; obverse anchor flukes up, large flukes, perpendicular crossbar, four pellets below; reverse swastika pattern, bends to right (clockwise), ends forked, two lines parallel to ends in each quarter; rare; $75.00 (€70.50)
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.GA114944. Billon 1/12 stater, SNGvA 7712; SNG Munchen 646; Rosen 542; BMC Troas p. 151, 15; HGC 6 1069 (R2); SNG Cop -, VF, dark toning, rev. encrusted, weight 1.175 g, maximum diameter 9.7 mm, uncertain Koinon of 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, M in one quarter; $100.00 (€94.00)
Aspendos, Pamphylia, c. 465 - 430 B.C.
In 467 B.C. the Athenian statesman and military commander Cimon, and his fleet of 200 ships, destroyed the Persian navy based at the mouth of the river Eurymedon in a surprise attack. In order to crush to Persian land forces, he tricked the Persians by sending his best fighters ashore wearing the garments of the hostages he had seized earlier. When they saw these men, the Persians thought that they were compatriots freed by the enemy and arranged festivities in celebration. Taking advantage of this, Cimon landed and annihilated the Persians. Aspendos then became a member of the Attic-Delos Maritime league.
Roma Numismatics speculated that the undertype of the present coin was the uncertain Cypriot stater of the ram with ankh symbol/laurel branch type. A tantalizing suggestion, but a likelier candidate for the host stater is an issue of neighboring Side with a pomegranate on the obverse and the head of Athena within an incuse square on the reverse. On the warrior side of our Aspendus coin, we see hints of the fruit, including its prominent stem flanked by two leaves. There are also suggestions of Athena’s neck on the reverse.GS114035. Silver stater, SNG Fitzwilliam 5052 (same rev. die); SNG BnF 2 var. (no tortoise; same rev. die); cf. SNGvA 4484 (EΣ only; rev. tortoise; lion btw triskeles), aVF, oval flan struck with worn dies, clean bright surfaces, overstruck with traces of undertype visible on both sides, weight 10.896 g, maximum diameter 24.6 mm, die axis 180o, Aspendos (Serik, Turkey) mint, c. 465 - 430 B.C.; obverse warrior advancing right, wearing crested helmet, nude, couched spear in right hand, round shield on left arm, tortoise between legs; reverse triskeles of human legs clockwise, EΣT high across field, crouching lion lower left behind triskeles, all within an incuse square; interesting overstrike; ex Roma Numismatics e-sale 112 (7 Sep 2023), lot 408; $350.00 (€329.00)
Caria, Uncertain Mint D (?), c. 480 - 450 B.C.
The denomination of hemitartemorion for our tiny silver fraction must remain uncertain. Troxell thought the Carian "Uncertain Mint D" series was struck according to the Attic standard, the Persic was supported in SNG Keckman I, and Konuk has favored the Milesian in his work, including SNG Kayhan I and "Coin Legends in Carian," in Ignacio Adiego's The Carian Language (2007). Historia Numorum Online (HNO) also states the coins are on the Milesian standard. If a Milesian stater weighs 14.2 grams, than the theoretical weight of a hemitartemorion would be ~0.15 grams.
Although the faces of both bulls do look a little "man-faced," Prof. Nicholas Molinari, author of ΠOTAMIKON: Sinews of Acheloios, A Comprehensive Catalog of the Bronze Coinage of the Man-Faced Bull, with Essays on Origin and Identity (2016), has expressed doubts on this hypothesis, although he was careful not to say it contained a bunch of bull.
For more information on another, more certain, "Uncertain Mint D" issue, search for GA113198 in the FORVM Shop catalog.GA113197. Silver hemitartemorion, cf. HNO T2613 (larger denomination, different style), Troxwell Carians -, SNG Keckman I -, SNG Kayhan I -, Konuk Carian -, gF, well-defined bulls, grainy surfaces, rev. off-centered in an incuse circle, weight 0.174 g, maximum diameter 5.3 mm, die axis 180o, uncertain Carian mint, c. 480 - 450 B.C.; obverse forepart of an anthropomorphized(?) bull right with both forelegs; reverse forepart of an anthropomorphized(?) bull left with both forelegs; from the Michael Arslan Collection, possibly an unpublished hemitartemorion issue; extremely rare; $170.00 (€159.80)
Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Darius II - Artaxerxes II, c. 420 - 375 B.C.
| This type was minted in Lydia, Anatolia, while under Persian control, prior to Alexander the Great's conquest. The Persian or Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 - 330 B.C.) was the largest empire in ancient history extending across Asia, Africa and Europe, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and much of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. | |
Mytilene, Lesbos, 521 - 478 B.C., Ancient Counterfeit
Counterfeiting began almost immediately after the first coinage was introduced. The official Mytilene coin was solid electrum, a mixture of gold and silver. This coin is plated with electrum over a base core, struck by a criminal counterfeiter in ancient times, intended for circulation as the official prototype. The low weight identifies this as is a plated coin.GA114610. Fouree electrum plated hekte, cf. Bodenstedt 9.1, HGC 6 933 (official Mytilene mint prototype, solid electrum), VF, rough spots, weight 2.086 g, maximum diameter 10.3 mm, die axis 180o, unofficial criminal mint, 521 - 478 B.C.; obverse forepart of winged lion left; reverse incuse head of cock left, rectangular punch to right; $250.00 (€235.00)
Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Darius II - Artaxerxes II, c. 420 - 375 B.C.
| This type was minted in Lydia, Anatolia, while under Persian control, prior to Alexander the Great's conquest. The Persian or Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 - 330 B.C.) was the largest empire in ancient history extending across Asia, Africa and Europe, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of Central Asia, Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine and Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and much of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya. | |
Apollonia Pontika, Thrace, c. 540 - 470 B.C.
Apollonia Pontica was founded as Antheia by Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century B.C. They soon changed its name to Apollonia after building a temple for Apollo. The temple contained a colossal statue of Apollo by Calamis, which was later taken to Rome and placed in the Capitol. The anchor on the coinage is evidence of the importance of its maritime trade. GA113849. Silver hemiobol, SNG Bulgaria II 95; Topalov Apollonia p. 570, 17; SNG Stancomb 32; HGC 3.2 1326 (R1), VF, tight flan, weight 0.412 g, maximum diameter 6.8 mm, Apollonia Pontica (Sozopol, Bulgaria) mint, c. 540 - 470 B.C.; obverse anchor flukes up, large flukes, perpendicular crossbar, four pellets below; reverse swastika pattern, bends to right (clockwise), ends forked, two lines parallel to ends in each quarter; rare; $90.00 (€84.60)
REFERENCES
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