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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Numismatics| ▸ |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." |
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. Called aes formatum by Haeberlin, this very rare bronze currency was later than the aes rude and a precursor to the issues of aes grave. Presumably, the molten bronze alloy was poured into a shallow hole in the dirt. This left a disc-shaped metal mound with a flat reverse. This specimen is a fragment of broken from a disk for a smaller transaction or to make change. A scale was necessary to measure value for commercial transactions.AS96269. Cast bronze Aes Formatum, cf. Haeberlin p. 4, pl. 2.7; fragment 172.9g, 61mm, VF, light corrosion, earthen encrustation, 4th century B.C.; obverse convex obverse; reverse flat reverse; $150.00 (€141.00)
Selinous, Sicily, c. 450 - 440 B.C.
Selinus was once one of the most important Greek colonies in Sicily. In 409 B.C., the Carthaginians attacked with a vast army believed to include at least 100,000 men. Selinus, with a population of about 30,000 excluding slaves, was unprepared and an auxiliary force promised by Syracuse, Agrigentum and Gela did not arrive. The Selinuntines defended themselves with courage, and after the walls were breached, continued to fight from house to house. After tens days the city fell. Of the citizens, 16,000 were slain and 5,000 made prisoners, but more than 2,600 escaped to Agrigento.GI112253. Bronze cast tetras, Calciati I p. 236, 7; BMC Sicily p. 143, 50; SNG Munchen 897; HGC 2 1234 (R1); SNG Cop -; SNG ANS -; SNG Morcom -; SNG Tüb -, F, dark green patina, scratches, porosity, weight 9.325 g, maximum diameter 19.8 mm, die axis 270o, Selinus mint, c. 450 - 440 B.C.; obverse horned head of young river god left, hair gathered at back of neck, anepigraphic; reverse wild celery (selinon) leaf, three pellets (mark of value) around, anepigraphic; rare; $150.00 (€141.00)
Iberian Celts, Lot of 5 Hacksilver Fragments, c. 300 - 150 B.C.
Hacksilver or hacksilber, are fragments of cut and bent silver items treated as bullion, either for ease of carrying before melting down for re-use, or simply used as currency by weight. It was common in trade until the first century B.C. and again in the middle ages with the Vikings.CE99421. Hacksilver Lot, cf. Garcia-Bellido 393, Kim and Kroll 66; Van Alfen Hacksilber 85, $125.00 (€117.50)
Selinous, Sicily, c. 450 - 440 B.C.
Selinous was once one of the most important Greek colonies in Sicily. In 409 B.C., the Carthaginians attacked with a vast army believed to include at least 100,000 men. Selinus, with a population of about 30,000 excluding slaves, was unprepared and an auxiliary force promised by Syracuse, Agrigentum and Gela did not arrive. The Selinuntines defended themselves with courage, and after the walls were breached, continued to fight from house to house. After tens days the city fell. Of the citizens, 16,000 were slain and 5,000 made prisoners, but more than 2,600 escaped to Agrigento.GI112252. Bronze cast tetras, Calciati I p. 235, 4; SNG Lloyd 1272; HGC 2 1233 (R1); BMC Sicily -; SNG Cop -; SNG ANS -; SNG Munchen -; SNG Morcom -; SNG Tüb -, F, dark patina, spots of corrosion, scratches, weight 11.855 g, maximum diameter 20.4 mm, die axis 180o, Selinus mint, 450 - 440 B.C.; obverse facing head of Medusa (gorgoneion), anepigraphic; reverse wild celery (selinon) leaf, three pellets (mark of value) around, anepigraphic; rare; $125.00 (€117.50)
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. |  |
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. | |
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)
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)
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. 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)
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