Nymphs

To the glory that was Greece
And the grandeur that was Rome

Coins and Antiquities Consignment Shop

Welcome Guest. Please login or register. FORVM Has Evacuated for Hurricane Florence, Shipping Will be Delayed Please do order now but understand we will not be able to ship until at least 17 September. Thanks for supporting FORVM! Welcome Guest. Please login or register. FORVM Has Evacuated for Hurricane Florence, Shipping Will be Delayed Please do order now but understand we will not be able to ship until at least 17 September. Thanks for supporting FORVM!

Catalog Main Menu
Fine Coins Showcase
Antiquities Showcase

Recent Additions
Recent Price Reductions

Show empty categories
Shop Search
Shopping Cart

Contact Us
About Forum
Shopping at Forum
Our Guarantee
Payment Options
Shipping Options & Fees
Privacy & Security
Forum Staff
Selling Your Coins
Identifying Your Coin
FAQs

View Categories

Home ▸ Catalog ▸ Themes & Provenance ▸ Gods, Non-Olympian ▸ NymphsView Options:

| | |

Notify: Off

Nymphs on Ancient Coins

Syracuse, Sicily, Second Democracy, 466 - 405 B.C.

SH86312. Silver tetradrachm, Boehringer Series XIVb, 489 (V258/R351); SNG ANS 156 (same dies); Weber 1583 (same obv. die); BMC Sicily, p. 156, 80; Jameson 762; HGC 2 1312, EF, mint luster in recesses, light tone, obverse die wear, uneven strike, reverse off center, weight 17.391 g, maximum diameter 27.5 mm, die axis 180^o, Syracuse mint, 466 - 460 B.C.; obverse charioteer driving slow quadriga right, holding reigns in both hands, goad in right hand, Nike above flying left crowning driver with wreath, Ketos (sea serpent) right in exergue; reverse ΣYPAKOΣON, head of Arethusa right, wearing pearl or bead necklace and earring with loop and finial pendant, thin band wound once around her head and tying back hair in queue, four dolphins around swimming clockwise; ex CNG auction 102 (18 May 2016), lot 135; ex Colin E. Pitchfork Collection; ex Dr. Neil Geddes (20 Nov 2002); ex Noble auction 54 (22 July 1997), lot 1640; ex Stack�s sale, 6 Dec 1995, lot 65; $2520.00 (�2142.00)

�

Syracuse, Sicily, Hieron, c. 478 - 466 B.C.

From the height of Syracuse preeminence amongst the Sicilian Greeks, shortly after the great victory over the Carthaginian invaders at Himera in 480 B.C.SH86308. Silver tetradrachm, Boehringer Series X, 229 (V102/R155); HGC 2, 1306; Bement 451; Jameson 744; McClean 2611 (all from the same dies)., gVF, well centered, toned, obverse struck with a worn die, some marks and scratches, weight 17.105 g, maximum diameter 24.4 mm, die axis 270^o, Syracuse mint, c. 478 - 475 B.C.; obverse slow quadriga driven right by male charioteer holding goad, Nike above flying right crowning horses; reverse ΣYP-AKO-ΣI-ON (beginning 3:30, 1st Σ reversed), head of Arethusa right, hair turned up behind under diadem of beads, wearing bead necklace, surrounded by four dolphins swimming clockwise; ex Numismatica Ars Classica auction 59 (4 Apr 2011), lot 1571; $1440.00 (�1224.00)

�

Thasos, Thrace, c. 480 - 463 B.C.

Nymphs are nature spirits who appear as beautiful, young nubile maidens. They dwell in mountains, valleys and groves, by springs and rivers, and also in trees and cool grottoes. Nymphs love to dance and sing and are the frequent target of satyrs. Satyrs are male companions of Pan and Dionysus with goat-like features, including a goat-tail, goat-like ears, and sometimes a goat-like phallus. As Dionysiac creatures, Satyrs are lovers of wine and women and ready for every physical pleasure. They are obsessed with nymphs.GA87298. Silver stater, SNG Cop 1013; Svoronos HPM p. 97, 12, pl. X, 21; McClean 4198; Franke-Hirmer 436; BMC Thasos p. 218, 28; HGC 6 331, gVF, well centered and struck, die wear, light tone, weight 8.833 g, maximum diameter 23.1 mm, Thasos mint, c. 480 - 463 B.C.; obverse nude ithyphallic satyr kneeling-running right, carrying in his arms a struggling nymph, raising her right hand in protest, both with long strait hair indicated with lines, she wears a long chiton, her palm is facing, Θ (Thasos) below; reverse quadripartite incuse square; ex Steven Battelle, ex Harlan J. Berk, buy or bid sale 198 (7 Jul 2016), lot 74; rare with Θ; $1200.00 (�1020.00)

�

Thasos, Thrace, c. 412 - 404 B.C.

During the period when this coin was minted there was much chaos on the island. Thasos had revolted against their Athenian aggressors and was subsequently occupied by the Spartans (Lacedaemonians). In the following years Thasos was occupied by one or the other of the two opposing powers and did not regain freedom until the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 B.C. Only drachms were struck in this late and final issue of the satyr and nymph type. Despite the chaos of the time and the archaized punch reverse, the obverse dies were engraved in elegant fine classical style.SH87191. Silver drachm, Le Rider Thasiennes 8; HGC 6 336 (R1); Svoronos HPM -; SNG Cop -, aEF, superb classical style, dark old cabinet toning, some die wear/rust, scattered porosity, light bumps and marks, weight 3.438 g, maximum diameter 16.7 mm, Thasos mint, 5th type, c. 412 - 404 B.C.; obverse nude ithyphallic satyr kneeling-running right, carrying in his arms a struggling nymph, he is balding and is crowned with an ivy wreath, her hair is rolled and she wears a long chiton, her right arm is behind his back; reverse pebbled quadripartite square punch; ex Shanna Schmidt Numismatics; ex Nomos AG, obolos 8 (2 Dec 2017), lot 157; ex W. F. Stoecklin Collection, Amriswil, Switzerland; ex Bank Leu, Zurich (prior to 1975); rare, last satyr and nymph type, final issue struck only as a drachm!; $1180.00 (�1003.00)

�

Neapolis, Campania, Italy, c. 275 - 250 B.C.

Naples is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Bronze Age Greek settlements were established in the second millennium B.C. The city was refounded as Neapolis in the sixth century B.C. and became an important hub of Magna Graecia, playing a key role in the merging of Greek culture into Roman society. Naples remained influential under Rome and more so after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, serving as the capital city of the Kingdom of Naples between 1282 and 1816. Thereafter, it became the capital of the Two Sicilies until the unification of Italy in 1861.SH86580. Silver didrachm, Sambon 523, HN Italy 586, SNG ANS 395 ff. var., SNG BnF 836 ff. var.; SNG M�nchen 250 ff. var., SNG Cop 451 ff. var. (all var., no dolphin control), VF, attractive classical style, well centered and struck, toned, bumps and marks, edge crack, weight 7.118 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 0^o, Neapolis (Naples) mint, 275 - 250 B.C.; obverse diademed head of nymph left, wearing triple-pendant earring, dolphin head down (control symbol) behind; reverse man-faced bull walking right, head turned facing, being crowned by Nike flying right above, IΣ (control or magistrate initials) below, NEOΠOΛITΩN in exergue; $400.00 (�340.00)

�

Sicily, Abakainon, 339 - 317 B.C.

Abakainon was a native Sicel city that adopted Greek culture, but allied with Carthage. In the 5th century B.C., it was powerful and important. In 396, Dionysios I of Syracuse seized part of its territory and founded the city Tyndaris. The Carthaginian general Mago came to their aid but was defeated outside the city walls. Abakainon fell under the hegemony of Syracuse and as Tyndaris grew and prospered, Abakainon diminished to insignificance. It suffered a major earthquake in the 1st century A.D. but survived at least until the 2nd century. Tommaso Fazello (1498 - 1570) described the ruins as indicating a large city which had been destroyed to its foundations. The village of Tripi was founded on the ruins in 1061.GB86300. Bronze tetras, Calciati I 5; SNG ANS 901; HGC 2 34 (S); SNG Cop -, SNG M�nchen -; SNG T�bingen -; SNG Morcom -; SNG Lloyd -, gVF, well centered, dark green patina, bumps and scratches, tiny spots of slight corrosion, obverse center struck a little flat, weight 2.404 g, maximum diameter 13.7 mm, die axis 225^o, Abakainon (Tripi, Sicily) mint, 339 - 317 B.C.; obverse head of a nymph left, hair in ampyx and sphendone, wearing drop earring; reverse ABAKAINI-NΩN, forepart of bull charging left, head turned facing; very rare; $350.00 (�297.50)

�

Trikka, Thessaly, Greece, c. 400 - 344 B.C.

Trikka, modern Tikala, is located in the fertile plain of Thessaly in central Greece. Trikka was the birthplace of three of the Argonauts and also claimed to be the birthplace of Asklepios. Epidaurus also claimed to be the birthplace of Asklepios and that city was the site of his main temple in antiquity.GB86191. Bronze trichalkon, BCD Thessaly II 788; SNG Cop 266; BMC Thessaly p. 52, 17; Liampi Trikka 7; Rogers 556; Moustaka 181, gVF, attractive style,, weight 7.245 g, maximum diameter 20.9 mm, die axis 180^o, Thessaly, Trikka (Tikala, Greece) mint, c. 400 - 344 B.C.; obverse head of the Nymph Trikka right, wearing triple-drop pendant earring; reverse Asklepios seated right on a stool, bearded, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, transverse staff on far side leaning on left arm, feeding bird held in his right hand to snake coiled and rising up before him; rare; $340.00 (�289.00)

�

Syracuse, Sicily, Dionysios I, c. 405 - 367 B.C.

Dionysius I was tyrant of Syracuse. He conquered several cities in Sicily and southern Italy, opposed Carthage's influence in Sicily and made Syracuse the most powerful of the Western Greek colonies. He was regarded by the ancients as an example of the worst kind of despot - cruel, suspicious and vindictive.GS86597. Silver hemilitron, SNG ANS 301; SNG Cop 669; SNG Lloyd 1379; BMC Sicily p. 182, 237; Boehringer M�nzpr�gungen pl. II, 19; HGC 2 1392 (R2) , VF, dark toning, light marks and corrosion, tiny edge cracks, weight 0.434 g, maximum diameter 10.1 mm, die axis 0^o, Syracuse mint, c. 405 - 395 B.C.; obverse head of nymph Arethusa left, wearing drop earring, hair bound in ampyx and sphendone, no control symbol or signature; reverse four-spoked wheel, SY-PA in upper quarters, two dolphins heads downward nose to nose in lower quarters; very rare; $340.00 (�289.00)

�

Larissa, Thessaly, Greece, c. 405 - 370 B.C.

The obverse of most of the coins of Larissa depicted the nymph of the local spring, Larissa, for whom the town was named. The choice was probably inspired by the famous coins of Kimon depicting the Syracusan nymph Arethusa. The reverse usually depicted a horse in various poses. The horse was an appropriate symbol of Thessaly, a land of plains, which was well known for its horses. On other coins, there is a male figure, probably the eponymous hero of the Thessalians, Thessalos.GS79835. Silver drachm, Lorber Early 89.1 (same dies), BCD Thessaly I 1148, BCD Thessaly II 215 var. (facing slightly right), VF, toned, area of corrosion, reverse double struck, uneven strike, weight 5.835 g, maximum diameter 19.7 mm, die axis 270^o, Larissa mint, c. 405 - 370 B.C.; obverse head of nymph Larissa facing slightly left, wearing ampyx, earring, and wire necklace; reverse horse grazing right, legs straight, ΛAPIΣ above; ex Amphora Coins; $280.00 (�238.00)

�

Abakainon, Sicily, c. 410 - 396 B.C.

Even today, Sicilian farmers allow their indigenous Sicilian Black Swine to forage for acorns in the oak forests of the Nebrodi Mountains near ancient Abakainon. Physically resembling and often mistaken for wild boar, they stand about 70 centimeters high and have a prominent ridge of spinal bristles running from its large head to about midway along its back. There are fewer than 2000 of these swine today. Their meat, especially Nebrodi ham, is highly prized as the pig's wild woodlands diet enhances the flavor.GS86588. Silver litra, SNG Lloyd 779; SNG Cop 6; BMC Sicily p. 1, 6 (R2); Weber 1170; HGC 2 21 (R2); SNG ANS -; SNG M�nchen -; SNG T�bingen -, aEF, finest style for the type, toned, reverse off center, scratches, lightly etched surfaces, weight 0.521 g, maximum diameter 11.8 mm, die axis 180^o, Abakainon (Tripi, Sicily) mint, c. 410 - 396 B.C.; obverse head of water nymph facing slightly left; reverse sow and piglet walking left, piglet before her, below her head, double exergue line, ABA above, linear boarder, within round incuse; a tiny gem, quite beautiful in-hand viewed at actual size; very rare; $260.00 (�221.00)

�

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY - FORVM's PRIOR SALES

REFERENCES

Imhoof-Blumer, F. �Nymphen und Chariten auf griechischen M�nzen� in JIAN 11 (1908).

Catalog current as of Thursday, September 20, 2018.
Page created in 3.902 seconds.

Nymphs