Thrace and the Black Sea Region
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Byzantion, Thracelate 3rd - 2nd century BC
AE 25 (25mm, 11.45g)
O: Veiled head of Demeter right, wreathed in grain.
R: Poseidon seated right on rocks, holding aphlaston in raised right hand and trident over shoulder in left; KAΛXA to left and BYΞAN to right.
SNG COP 530
ex Heritage Auctions; ex Forvm Ancient Coins
An interesting coin commemorating an alliance between Byzantion and Kalchedon, resulting in an unusual issue featuring two ethnics.
Not an uncommon coin, but these elegant dies are not typical of the issue, and the only other specimen I was able to find with such a pretty portrait is probably from these same dies.
I love this coin!
Enodia
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Dionysopolis, Moesia3rd-1st centuries BC
Æ 22 (22mm, 5.8g)
O: Veiled and turreted bust of Demeter right; Herakleides, magistrate.
R: Tyche seated left, holding phiale.
Draganov, Bronze 29; SNG BM Black Sea 217 var. (magistrate); SNG Stancomb 121-5 var. (same).
Rare
ex Praefectus CoinsEnodia
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Pantikapaion, Thrace304-250 BC
AE 20 (20mm, 5.81g)
O: Head of Pan left, wreathed in ivy.
R: Bow and arrow, ΠAN below.
MacDonald 116.1; SNG Poland II; NM Warsaw 178-79
ex Forvm Auctions (Bartosz Awianowicz)
Enodia
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Lysimacheia, Thrace309-220 BC
AE 21 (21mm, 8.14g)
O: Wreathed and veiled head of Demeter right.
R: Nike standing left, holding wreath; ΛYΣIMA[XEΩN] around to left.
SNG Cop 905; Sear 1621; BMC 3, 6
ex Romae Aeternae Numismatics
Enodia
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Mesembria, Thrace250-175 BC
AE19 (19mm, 5.54g)
O: Diademed female head right.
R: Athena Alkidemos advancing left, brandishing spear and holding shield; METAM-BPIANΩN to either side.
SNG Cop 661; Sear 1676; BMC 3, 12
ex Nova Coins
Enodia
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Abdera, Thrace352-323 BC
AE Dichalkon (14.5mm, 4.19g)
O: Griffin lying right on club; [star] above, MENAN (magistrate) below.
R: Laureate head of Apollo right within linear square; AB∆-HPI-TE-[ΩN] around.
SNG Cop 374; AMNG II 221; BMC Thrace 75; 83v (MEN)
ex Forvm Ancient Coins
“Beware of the sharp-beaked hounds of Zeus that do not bark, the Grypes (Griffins) who dwell about the flood of Plouton's stream that flows with gold. Do not approach them.”
~ Aeschylus (Prometheus Bound) Enodia
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Maroneia, Thrace400-350 BC
AE14 (13mm, 3.77g)
O: Horse prancing right; NK monogram below.
R: ΜΑΡ−ΩΝΙ−ΤΩΝ around linear square, vine with four bunches of grapes within; YE below.
SNG Cop 632; Sear 1636; BMC Thrace 129,66
ex Forvm Auctions
"The wine urges me on, the bewitching wine, which sets even a wise man to singing and to laughing gently and rouses him up to dance and brings forth words which were better unspoken."
~ Homer (The Odyssey)
Enodia
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Maroneia, Thraceafter 148 BC
AE27 (27mm, 14.25g)
O: Head of Dionysus right, wearing ivy wreath.
R: Dionysus standing left, holding bunch of grapes; ∆ΙΟΝΙΣΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΜΑΡΩΝΙΤΩΝ, monogram to lower left.
SNG Copenhagen 643v (monogram); Sear 1638
ex Jack H. Beymer
Maroneia was named for Maron, a son of Dionysus.
This region was famous in ancient times for the quality of its wine, which was Maroneia’s leading export.Enodia
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Apollonia Pontica, Thrace350-300 BC
AE12 (Dichalkon?) (12mm, 2.21g)
O: Laureate head of Apollo right.
R: Anchor; A to left, crawfish to right.
BMC Black Sea 178-81
Enodia
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Thasos, Thraceafter 148 BC
AR Tetradrachm (33mm, 16.86g)
O: Head of young Dionysus right, wreathed in ivy and flowers.
R: Herakles standing nude left, holding club and lion's skin; ΣΩTHPOΣ left, HPAKΛOYΣ right, ΘAΣIΩN in ex.
SNG Cop 1040; Sear 1759
Inhabited since prehistoric times, the island of Thasos is said to be the mythological home of the Sirens.
Phoenician traders occupied Thasos by the late ninth century BC, drawn by her prolific gold mines. A hundred years later Greek colonists from Paros settled on the island and prospered from Thasos’ gold and marble production, as well as her fertile vineyards. Thasian wine was renowned throughout the Mediterranean, for which they honored Dionysus on their coinage.
A brush with the Persian army under King Darius at the beginning of the fifth century caused Thasos to increase her production of war ships, and after the defeat of Xerxes in 480 BC Thasos joined the Delian League. However a dispute with Athens over mining interests on the Thracian mainland led Thasos to revolt in 465 BC, only to submit after the Athenians destroyed her ships and razed the city walls.
The island was occupied by Sparta from 404 until 393 BC, when Thasos fell to Athens, who eventually granted her independence. Thasos then came under the control of Phillip II of Macedonia around 340 BC, who immediately seized the gold mines. Thasos remained a part of the Macedonian Empire until falling under Roman rule in 197 BC.Enodia
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Olbia, Sarmatiacirca 5th century BC
AE unit (23.5mm, 0.84g)
Cast bronze dolphin with raised spine and dorsal fin.
Sear 1684v
ex Forvm Ancient CoinsEnodia
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