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Arkadia, Arkadian League, Megalopolis, ca. 300-275 BC, Æ Dichalkon Laureate head of Zeus left.
League monogram APK above syrinx; AP-T[I] across upper field, ME to right, thunderbolt below.
HGC 5, 941; BCD Peloponnesos 1539.4.
Megalopolis mint.
Extremely rare, one of two known with the AP-TI/ME reverse mint controls.
(18 mm, 4.16 g, 12h).
CNG; ex- BCD collection; ex- A. H. Baldwin, May 1970.
n.igma02/11/24 at 04:40n.igma: David - I sold this coin along with around 200 oth...
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Arkadia, Arkadian League, Megalopolis, ca. 300-275 BC, Æ Dichalkon Laureate head of Zeus left.
League monogram APK above syrinx; AP-T[I] across upper field, ME to right, thunderbolt below.
HGC 5, 941; BCD Peloponnesos 1539.4.
Megalopolis mint.
Extremely rare, one of two known with the AP-TI/ME reverse mint controls.
(18 mm, 4.16 g, 12h).
CNG; ex- BCD collection; ex- A. H. Baldwin, May 1970.
n.igma12/07/23 at 10:41David W2: Dear n.igma, is there a way to write you a PM conc...
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temp. STUART, William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1677-1690, AR Medal by George Bower 1688 * GVIL · SANCROFT · ARCHIEPISC · CANTVAR · 1688 Bust of William Sancroft, the Archbishop of Canterbury, wearing camauro and canonical robes, facing right.
Seven medallions of the Bishops committed to the Tower of London: Bishops Henry Compton (middle – London), Francis Turner (upper right, proceeding clockwise – Ely), Thomas Ken (Bath), Sir John Trelawney (Bristol), Thomas White (Peterborough), John Lake (Chichester), and William Lloyd (St. Asaph); twelve stars around; signed GB·F· (George Bower fecit) below.
MI 622/37; Eimer 288b. By G. Bower. Dated 1688.
(51 mm, 53.45 g, 12h).
CNG 85 (15 September 2010) Lot 1562: California Collection of British Historical Medals.
This remarkable medallion portrays no less than eight people directly associated with a historical event that did much to shape the modern secular British democracy. In 1687, King James II enacted unilaterally and against the will of the Parliament the Declaration of Indulgence as the first step in establishing the freedom of religion in England. The ensuing protest concerned the legality of James right to make the dispensation in the absence of the support of Parliament, plus the absence of a guarantee that the Anglican Church would remain as the established church. Many leaders within the clergy refused to read the Declaration in church from the pulpit as instructed by the King in early 1688. This culminated in a petition to the King against the reading of the Declaration. The petition originated from the hand of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft, depicted on the obverse of the medal and was signed by the six other bishops identified around the margin of the reverse of the medallion. Bishop Henry Compton, depicted in the centre of the reverse, was included on the medal due to his earlier dissent to the King’s approach to Catholicism, for which James removed him from office.
The seven bishops who signed the petition were charged with seditious libel and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1688. Brought to trial before the Court of the King’s Bench, the bishops were acquitted. This served as a precursor to James’ deposition shortly thereafter.
This medal was issued following the trial, in commemoration of the action taken by William Sancroft and his fellow bishops in refusing to follow James II’s edict to read the Declaration of Indulgence from the pulpit. The medal connects directly with one of the key events in British history, which lead ultimately to the deposition of James II by his son-in-law and daughter, William III and Mary II of Orange on 5 November 1688. As a direct result of the action of the seven bishops, the right to petition the king was enshrined in the new Bill of Rights in 1689. Simplistically, some people see this medal as a testament to religious intolerance, although the issues of the time that brought it into being were far more complex, involving matters of secular authority, constitutional right, and the very basis of power in the evolving secular democratic British state. This is demonstrated by the decision of Sancfroft and five of the seven bishops that they could not swear allegiance to the new protestant King William III, for to do so would be a repudiation of their prior sworn loyalty to the deposed Catholic King James II. As a result, Sancroft was dismissed from his role in 1690 and died in relative obscurity three years later.
Few coins, or medals, connect so directly with history and in doing so depict so many influential participants. The medal was the work of George Bower (d. 1690) a medallist who worked in London from 1650-1689. He had been appointed to the position of Engraver of the Royal Mint and Embosser in Ordinary in 1664.
n.igma09/17/23 at 03:50Callimachus: Nice. Given my interest in the Stuarts, I'll ...
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Thrace, Odessos, ca. 80-72/1 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Mithradatic Alliance issueHead of Herakles r., with the features of Mithradates VI of Pontos, wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣIΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ, Zeus seated l., legs draped, confronting eagle held on outstretched r. arm and grasping lotus-tipped sceptre, ΛAK before, OΔΗ (Odessos ethnic) in exergue.
Price 1192; de Callataÿ Group 3 (D2/R?). (30 mm, 16.04 g, 1h).
Freeman & Sear.
For this issue, the portrait of Herakles on the Alexandrine coinage of Odessos was adapted to the features of Mithradates VI. The exact reason for this brief experiment is not clear, although it probably reflects veneration for Mithradates when at the zenith of his success he evicted the Romans from Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. This portrayal is found on three emissions (Price 1191-1193) issued by the magistrate ΛAKΩN, struck from six obverse dies. The experiment was short lived and the portrayal of Herakles quickly reverted to the more usual style, which was maintained to the end of the series about a decade later. Mithradates considered himself a descendent of Alexander the Great, so that the adaption of Herakles features to those of Mithradates on Alexandrine coinage links to him to his mythological ancestry.
n.igma01/28/22 at 10:23shanxi: impressive
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Thrace, Odessos, ca. 80-72/1 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Mithradatic Alliance issueHead of Herakles r., with the features of Mithradates VI of Pontos, wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣIΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ, Zeus seated l., legs draped, confronting eagle held on outstretched r. arm and grasping lotus-tipped sceptre, ΛAK before, OΔΗ (Odessos ethnic) in exergue.
Price 1192; de Callataÿ Group 3 (D2/R?). (30 mm, 16.04 g, 1h).
Freeman & Sear.
For this issue, the portrait of Herakles on the Alexandrine coinage of Odessos was adapted to the features of Mithradates VI. The exact reason for this brief experiment is not clear, although it probably reflects veneration for Mithradates when at the zenith of his success he evicted the Romans from Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. This portrayal is found on three emissions (Price 1191-1193) issued by the magistrate ΛAKΩN, struck from six obverse dies. The experiment was short lived and the portrayal of Herakles quickly reverted to the more usual style, which was maintained to the end of the series about a decade later. Mithradates considered himself a descendent of Alexander the Great, so that the adaption of Herakles features to those of Mithradates on Alexandrine coinage links to him to his mythological ancestry.
n.igma01/27/22 at 00:44Jay GT4: Huge flan, great portrait
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Thessaly, Krannon, 400-344 BC, Æ DichalkonLaureate head of Poseidon right.
KP-A Rider wearing chlamys and petasos on horse prancing right.
Rogers 179; SNG Copenhagen 39-40; BCD Thessaly 1081.2 (same dies); BCD Thessaly II (Triton XV) 117.7 (this coin).
(17 mm, 5.28 g, 1h).
Barry P. Murphy; ex- BCD Collection: Triton XV, 3 January 2012, 117.7.n.igma06/07/20 at 11:06Anaximander: Very nice example.
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Achaian League, Elis, ca. 50 BC, AR Hemidrachm Laureate head of Zeus right, KA monogram in outer right field.
Wreath surrounding AX monogram in centre; FA monogram to left, Ω above ELIΣ monogram (Elis) in upper field and XE monogram to right, thunderbolt below.
BCD Peloponnesos 685 (this coin); HGC 5, 540 (R2); Clerk 261; SNG Copenhagen 306.
(15 mm, 2.39 g, 6h).
Classical Numismatic Group e-Auction 160, 14 March 2007, 44; ex- BCD collection: LHS Auction 96, 8-9 May 2006, 685; ex- Danish National Museum, Copenhagen (c.f. SNG Cop 306 deaccessioned duplicate).n.igma05/31/20 at 11:45okidoki: very nice 
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Kings of Macedon, Demetrios I Poliorketes, 306-283 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Corinth Head of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress.
BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus Aëtophoros seated left dove left in wreath in left field, H beneath throne.
Price 671 (from the same obverse die as Price 670); Troxell Peloponnesian Alexanders pl. XIX, 6; Noe ANSNS 6, 19. Struck ca. 303-290 BC in Corinth by Demetrios I Poliorketes. Very rare.
(25 mm, 17.2 g, 1h).
Steven Battelle; ex-Gorny & Mosch 212, 5-6 March 2013, 1370.
Only two other examples of Price 671 are known, both from a different obverse die to that of this coin.This coin is from the same obverse die as that which struck the BM example of Price 670. On the latter, the die breaks around the eye of Herakles are more advanced, suggesting that Price 671 more correctly precedes the striking of Price 670 in the sequence of Corinthian Alexanders. n.igma10/18/19 at 10:26Anaximander: Impressive coin. Impressive scholarship.
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR DidrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.; bunch of grapes behind.
Owl standing r., head facing, crescent, olive spray (largely off-flan) and bunch of grapes (mostly off-flan) behind, AΘE to r.
Taylor Birds of a Feather 2.3, 96 (dies a7/p12) ; HGC 12, 4 (Baktria); H. Nicolet-Pierre & M. Amandry, RN 1994, 24-28 (Baktria); SNG ANS 9, 5 (Baktria).
(19 mm, 7.94 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics XVII (28 Mar. 2019), lot 587; ex 'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through to 2019.
n.igma04/22/19 at 12:58Jay GT4: Stunning
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Kings of Macedon, Philip III Arrhidaios, 323-317 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Babylon ca. 317 BC under Seleukos as Satrap Head of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ФIΛIÎ Î OY Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, KY beneath throne, radiate head of Helios in left field.
Price P205 (same dies as P205c); Waggoner Issue VII, 248-256.
Struck during the Satrapy of Seleukos at Babylon Royal Mint (Babylon I) ca 318-316 BC.
(27 mm, 17.13 g, 10h).
Sayles and Lavender, August 2008, on consignment from the Arthur J. Frank Collection; ex-J.Schulman List 205, June 1975, 35.
This coin marks the artistic peak of the Babylonian style. Subsequent issues became less detailed, more stylized and simplified through to the closure of the mint in 305 BC.n.igma04/10/19 at 04:07Jay GT4: Beautiful coin! Just got one myself! Different d...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – SardisHead of Herakles r. wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Zeus Nikephoros seated l., monogram on shield to l., AΣ beneath throne.
SC 3.1; HGC 9, 16a; Miller & Hoover AJN 22 (2010), 8 (this coin) dies A1/P2; WSM 1350 P2 β, A1/P2 (this coin). Seleukos’ military mint at Sardis 282-281 BC.
(25 mm, 17.07 g, 12h).
Naville Sale XV (2 Jul. 1930), lot 1061.
This coin was struck in 282 BC following the fall of the city of Sardis to Seleukos, during the preliminaries of the campaign that delivered the decisive victory over Lysimachos at Korupedion, in the late summer of 281 BC. This coin is from the first obverse and second reverse die used in the series. It is one of two examples from this die set that survives to this day. The series from which it comes was interpreted by Miller and Hoover (The Sardes Mint under Seleucus I Nicator) to have originated from a military mint operation associated with Seleukos army. The obverse bears a striking resemblance to the last die used at Seleukeia in Pieria, to the extent that both dies were almost certainly engraved by the same hand. This led Miller and Hoover to propose that "Stylistic affinities between the first die of Sardes and the last of Seleucia in Pieria raise the possibility that the equipment and personnel of the latter may have been moved to Sardes to serve as a supplemental military mint."n.igma01/17/19 at 07:23Pharsalos: Superb artistic dies matched with a nice provenanc...
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Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides II, ca. 145-140 BC, AR Tetradrachm Diademed bust of Eukratides II r.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ EYKPATIΔOY Apollo standing l., arrow in his r. hand, in l. hand a bow resting on ground, monogram inner l. field.
Bopearachchi Series 3B; Mitchiner 173a (attributed to Eukratides I); SNG ANS 9, 625 (same dies); HGC 12, 162.
(31 mm, 16.62 g, 12h).
Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 164 (Apr. 2009), Lot 251.
n.igma12/26/18 at 07:58quadrans: Great coin  , and details,
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Carrhae Head of Herakles r. wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Zeus Aëtophoros seated l., wreath and monogram to l., ΛY beneath throne.
SC 42.5; HGC 9, 12a (R2-3); WSM 776 dies A16/P30; Commerce ("Seleucus I") Hoard 2005 (CH 10.265) 1254 (this coin); CSE 2, 16 (AHNS 1026).
Carrhae (Karrhai) after 301 BC.
(26 mm, 17.08 g, 3h).
Roma E-Sale 3 (30 Nov. 2013), lot 290; from "a private American Collection"; ex- Holyland Numismatics (2012); ex- Commerce ("Seleucus I") Hoard 2005 (CH 10.265) #1254.
Carrhae (Karrhai) was Biblical Haran, the home of Abraham, located in southeastern Turkey a few kilometres from the modern-day village of Altınbaşak, on a tributary of the Euphrates River in northern Mesopotamia. A mint was established in the city around 315 BC under Antigonos Monopthalmos, who settled Macedonian veterans in the city. Many of these veterans joined Seleukos when he passed through the city in 311 on his way to reclaim his Babylonian Satrapy, although the city remained under Antigonid authority. After the Battle of Ipsos in 301 BC, the city fell within the Seleukid Empire.
n.igma12/20/18 at 12:45Stkp: Very impressive
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – SardisHead of Herakles r. wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Zeus Nikephoros seated l., monogram on shield to l., AΣ beneath throne.
SC 3.1; HGC 9, 16a; Miller & Hoover AJN 22 (2010), 8 (this coin) dies A1/P2; WSM 1350 P2 β, A1/P2 (this coin). Seleukos’ military mint at Sardis 282-281 BC.
(25 mm, 17.07 g, 12h).
Naville Sale XV (2 Jul. 1930), lot 1061.
This coin was struck in 282 BC following the fall of the city of Sardis to Seleukos, during the preliminaries of the campaign that delivered the decisive victory over Lysimachos at Korupedion, in the late summer of 281 BC. This coin is from the first obverse and second reverse die used in the series. It is one of two examples from this die set that survives to this day. The series from which it comes was interpreted by Miller and Hoover (The Sardes Mint under Seleucus I Nicator) to have originated from a military mint operation associated with Seleukos army. The obverse bears a striking resemblance to the last die used at Seleukeia in Pieria, to the extent that both dies were almost certainly engraved by the same hand. This led Miller and Hoover to propose that "Stylistic affinities between the first die of Sardes and the last of Seleucia in Pieria raise the possibility that the equipment and personnel of the latter may have been moved to Sardes to serve as a supplemental military mint."n.igma12/20/18 at 10:25shanxi: another WOW
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Carrhae Head of Herakles r. wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Zeus Aëtophoros seated l., wreath and monogram to l., ΛY beneath throne.
SC 42.5; HGC 9, 12a (R2-3); WSM 776 dies A16/P30; Commerce ("Seleucus I") Hoard 2005 (CH 10.265) 1254 (this coin); CSE 2, 16 (AHNS 1026).
Carrhae (Karrhai) after 301 BC.
(26 mm, 17.08 g, 3h).
Roma E-Sale 3 (30 Nov. 2013), lot 290; from "a private American Collection"; ex- Holyland Numismatics (2012); ex- Commerce ("Seleucus I") Hoard 2005 (CH 10.265) #1254.
Carrhae (Karrhai) was Biblical Haran, the home of Abraham, located in southeastern Turkey a few kilometres from the modern-day village of Altınbaşak, on a tributary of the Euphrates River in northern Mesopotamia. A mint was established in the city around 315 BC under Antigonos Monopthalmos, who settled Macedonian veterans in the city. Many of these veterans joined Seleukos when he passed through the city in 311 on his way to reclaim his Babylonian Satrapy, although the city remained under Antigonid authority. After the Battle of Ipsos in 301 BC, the city fell within the Seleukid Empire.
n.igma12/20/18 at 10:25shanxi: beautiful
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR DidrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.; monogram behind.
Owl standing r., head facing; galley prow r. above grape vine branch behind, AΘE to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 2.15; HGC 12, 3 (Baktria); H. Nicolet-Pierre & M. Amandry, RN 1994, 49 (Baktria); SNG ANS 9, 4 var. (Baktria).
(18 mm, 8.11 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics E-Live 4 (20 Nov. 2018), lot 440; ex- 'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
This coin like all the Series 2 didrachms has a strongly developed hammered edge fabric giving the edge of the coin a faceted appearance that is much more evident in hand than in the photo.
Although the mint control symbol consisting of a galley prow may seem out of place on a coin struck in Parthia, it should be remembered that the province of Parthia bordered the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water, undoubtedly plied by galleys in ancient times.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019.
n.igma12/18/18 at 05:23quadrans: Nice one
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Hanover, George III, 1760-1820, Cu Halfpenny, Tower (London) mint 1771 GEORGIVS · III · REX · laureate and armoured bust right.
BRITAN NIA · Britannia seated left on globe, holding olive branch and long transverse sceptre, Union shield to lower right, 1771 in exergue.
Peck 898; SCBC 3774.
(28 mm, 9.88 g, 6h).
Classical Numismatic Group; ex- C. W. Pearson Collection.
n.igma12/18/18 at 05:23quadrans: Great piece ..I like it..
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Hanover, George III, 1760-1820, Cu Halfpenny, Tower (London) mint 1771 GEORGIVS · III · REX · laureate and armoured bust right.
BRITAN NIA · Britannia seated left on globe, holding olive branch and long transverse sceptre, Union shield to lower right, 1771 in exergue.
Peck 898; SCBC 3774.
(28 mm, 9.88 g, 6h).
Classical Numismatic Group; ex- C. W. Pearson Collection.
n.igma12/17/18 at 02:06Stkp: very nice
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR DidrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.; monogram behind.
Owl standing r., head facing; galley prow r. above grape vine branch behind, AΘE to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 2.15; HGC 12, 3 (Baktria); H. Nicolet-Pierre & M. Amandry, RN 1994, 49 (Baktria); SNG ANS 9, 4 var. (Baktria).
(18 mm, 8.11 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics E-Live 4 (20 Nov. 2018), lot 440; ex- 'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
This coin like all the Series 2 didrachms has a strongly developed hammered edge fabric giving the edge of the coin a faceted appearance that is much more evident in hand than in the photo.
Although the mint control symbol consisting of a galley prow may seem out of place on a coin struck in Parthia, it should be remembered that the province of Parthia bordered the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water, undoubtedly plied by galleys in ancient times.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019.
n.igma12/16/18 at 08:42shanxi: a beauty
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR DidrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.; monogram behind.
Owl standing r., head facing; galley prow r. above grape vine branch behind, AΘE to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 2.15; HGC 12, 3 (Baktria); H. Nicolet-Pierre & M. Amandry, RN 1994, 49 (Baktria); SNG ANS 9, 4 var. (Baktria).
(18 mm, 8.11 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics E-Live 4 (20 Nov. 2018), lot 440; ex- 'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
This coin like all the Series 2 didrachms has a strongly developed hammered edge fabric giving the edge of the coin a faceted appearance that is much more evident in hand than in the photo.
Although the mint control symbol consisting of a galley prow may seem out of place on a coin struck in Parthia, it should be remembered that the province of Parthia bordered the Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water, undoubtedly plied by galleys in ancient times.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019.
n.igma12/16/18 at 02:32Jay GT4: This is great
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temp. STUART, William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1677-1690, AR Medal by George Bower 1688 * GVIL · SANCROFT · ARCHIEPISC · CANTVAR · 1688 Bust of William Sancroft, the Archbishop of Canterbury, wearing camauro and canonical robes, facing right.
Seven medallions of the Bishops committed to the Tower of London: Bishops Henry Compton (middle – London), Francis Turner (upper right, proceeding clockwise – Ely), Thomas Ken (Bath), Sir John Trelawney (Bristol), Thomas White (Peterborough), John Lake (Chichester), and William Lloyd (St. Asaph); twelve stars around; signed GB·F· (George Bower fecit) below.
MI 622/37; Eimer 288b. By G. Bower. Dated 1688.
(51 mm, 53.45 g, 12h).
CNG 85 (15 September 2010) Lot 1562: California Collection of British Historical Medals.
This remarkable medallion portrays no less than eight people directly associated with a historical event that did much to shape the modern secular British democracy. In 1687, King James II enacted unilaterally and against the will of the Parliament the Declaration of Indulgence as the first step in establishing the freedom of religion in England. The ensuing protest concerned the legality of James right to make the dispensation in the absence of the support of Parliament, plus the absence of a guarantee that the Anglican Church would remain as the established church. Many leaders within the clergy refused to read the Declaration in church from the pulpit as instructed by the King in early 1688. This culminated in a petition to the King against the reading of the Declaration. The petition originated from the hand of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft, depicted on the obverse of the medal and was signed by the six other bishops identified around the margin of the reverse of the medallion. Bishop Henry Compton, depicted in the centre of the reverse, was included on the medal due to his earlier dissent to the King’s approach to Catholicism, for which James removed him from office.
The seven bishops who signed the petition were charged with seditious libel and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1688. Brought to trial before the Court of the King’s Bench, the bishops were acquitted. This served as a precursor to James’ deposition shortly thereafter.
This medal was issued following the trial, in commemoration of the action taken by William Sancroft and his fellow bishops in refusing to follow James II’s edict to read the Declaration of Indulgence from the pulpit. The medal connects directly with one of the key events in British history, which lead ultimately to the deposition of James II by his son-in-law and daughter, William III and Mary II of Orange on 5 November 1688. As a direct result of the action of the seven bishops, the right to petition the king was enshrined in the new Bill of Rights in 1689. Simplistically, some people see this medal as a testament to religious intolerance, although the issues of the time that brought it into being were far more complex, involving matters of secular authority, constitutional right, and the very basis of power in the evolving secular democratic British state. This is demonstrated by the decision of Sancfroft and five of the seven bishops that they could not swear allegiance to the new protestant King William III, for to do so would be a repudiation of their prior sworn loyalty to the deposed Catholic King James II. As a result, Sancroft was dismissed from his role in 1690 and died in relative obscurity three years later.
Few coins, or medals, connect so directly with history and in doing so depict so many influential participants. The medal was the work of George Bower (d. 1690) a medallist who worked in London from 1650-1689. He had been appointed to the position of Engraver of the Royal Mint and Embosser in Ordinary in 1664.
n.igma12/15/18 at 09:03quadrans: Nice piece..
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temp. STUART, William Sancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1677-1690, AR Medal by George Bower 1688 * GVIL · SANCROFT · ARCHIEPISC · CANTVAR · 1688 Bust of William Sancroft, the Archbishop of Canterbury, wearing camauro and canonical robes, facing right.
Seven medallions of the Bishops committed to the Tower of London: Bishops Henry Compton (middle – London), Francis Turner (upper right, proceeding clockwise – Ely), Thomas Ken (Bath), Sir John Trelawney (Bristol), Thomas White (Peterborough), John Lake (Chichester), and William Lloyd (St. Asaph); twelve stars around; signed GB·F· (George Bower fecit) below.
MI 622/37; Eimer 288b. By G. Bower. Dated 1688.
(51 mm, 53.45 g, 12h).
CNG 85 (15 September 2010) Lot 1562: California Collection of British Historical Medals.
This remarkable medallion portrays no less than eight people directly associated with a historical event that did much to shape the modern secular British democracy. In 1687, King James II enacted unilaterally and against the will of the Parliament the Declaration of Indulgence as the first step in establishing the freedom of religion in England. The ensuing protest concerned the legality of James right to make the dispensation in the absence of the support of Parliament, plus the absence of a guarantee that the Anglican Church would remain as the established church. Many leaders within the clergy refused to read the Declaration in church from the pulpit as instructed by the King in early 1688. This culminated in a petition to the King against the reading of the Declaration. The petition originated from the hand of the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft, depicted on the obverse of the medal and was signed by the six other bishops identified around the margin of the reverse of the medallion. Bishop Henry Compton, depicted in the centre of the reverse, was included on the medal due to his earlier dissent to the King’s approach to Catholicism, for which James removed him from office.
The seven bishops who signed the petition were charged with seditious libel and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1688. Brought to trial before the Court of the King’s Bench, the bishops were acquitted. This served as a precursor to James’ deposition shortly thereafter.
This medal was issued following the trial, in commemoration of the action taken by William Sancroft and his fellow bishops in refusing to follow James II’s edict to read the Declaration of Indulgence from the pulpit. The medal connects directly with one of the key events in British history, which lead ultimately to the deposition of James II by his son-in-law and daughter, William III and Mary II of Orange on 5 November 1688. As a direct result of the action of the seven bishops, the right to petition the king was enshrined in the new Bill of Rights in 1689. Simplistically, some people see this medal as a testament to religious intolerance, although the issues of the time that brought it into being were far more complex, involving matters of secular authority, constitutional right, and the very basis of power in the evolving secular democratic British state. This is demonstrated by the decision of Sancfroft and five of the seven bishops that they could not swear allegiance to the new protestant King William III, for to do so would be a repudiation of their prior sworn loyalty to the deposed Catholic King James II. As a result, Sancroft was dismissed from his role in 1690 and died in relative obscurity three years later.
Few coins, or medals, connect so directly with history and in doing so depict so many influential participants. The medal was the work of George Bower (d. 1690) a medallist who worked in London from 1650-1689. He had been appointed to the position of Engraver of the Royal Mint and Embosser in Ordinary in 1664.
n.igma12/13/18 at 09:33shanxi: impressive
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR TetradrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.; Î YMH monogram behind in lower l. field.
Owl standing r., head facing; olive-sprig, crescent and grape bunch behind, AΘE to r.
Taylor Birds of a Feather 2.7, 51 (this coin) dies A5/P8; HGC 12, 2 var.; H. Nicolet-Pierre & M. Amandry, "Un nouveau trésor de monnaies d’argent pseudo-Athéniennes venu d’Afghanistan” RN 1994, 13-15 (attributed to Baktria); Bopearachchi Sophytes 1 (Baktria); Mitchiner 13e (attributed to Babylon).
(22 mm, 16.83 g, 6h).
Coin India; ex- Hakim Hamidi (an Afghan coin dealer).
n.igma12/12/18 at 22:48Jay GT4: Great style
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Parthia, Satrapy of Andragoras, ca. 250-238 BC, AR TetradrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.
Owl standing r., head facing, olive-sprig and crescent behind, AΘ[E] to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 1.1; SNG ANS 9, 1; HGC 12, 1.
(23 mm, 16.73 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics eSale 45 (5 May 2018), Lot 373; ex-'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
The advanced style of the owl and the 6h die adjustment of this coin indicate that it was struck at the end of Series 1 in the transition to Series 2 at which time the die axis adjustment changed from 12h to 6h and the reverse incuse square gave way to a non-incuse reverse. This intermediate fabric is proof that the two series were struck without a time gap between them.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019. n.igma12/05/18 at 18:36quadrans: Great coin , and details,
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Parthia, Satrapy of Andragoras, ca. 250-238 BC, AR TetradrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.
Owl standing r., head facing, olive-sprig and crescent behind, AΘ[E] to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 1.1; SNG ANS 9, 1; HGC 12, 1.
(23 mm, 16.73 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics eSale 45 (5 May 2018), Lot 373; ex-'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
The advanced style of the owl and the 6h die adjustment of this coin indicate that it was struck at the end of Series 1 in the transition to Series 2 at which time the die axis adjustment changed from 12h to 6h and the reverse incuse square gave way to a non-incuse reverse. This intermediate fabric is proof that the two series were struck without a time gap between them.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019. n.igma12/05/18 at 16:29okidoki: Congrats very nice
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Parthia, Satrapy of Andragoras, ca. 250-238 BC, AR TetradrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.
Owl standing r., head facing, olive-sprig and crescent behind, AΘ[E] to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 1.1; SNG ANS 9, 1; HGC 12, 1.
(23 mm, 16.73 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics eSale 45 (5 May 2018), Lot 373; ex-'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
The advanced style of the owl and the 6h die adjustment of this coin indicate that it was struck at the end of Series 1 in the transition to Series 2 at which time the die axis adjustment changed from 12h to 6h and the reverse incuse square gave way to a non-incuse reverse. This intermediate fabric is proof that the two series were struck without a time gap between them.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019. n.igma12/05/18 at 08:13Canaan: very nice!!!!
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Parthia, Satrapy of Andragoras, ca. 250-238 BC, AR TetradrachmHelmeted head of Athena r.
Owl standing r., head facing, olive-sprig and crescent behind, AΘ[E] to r.
Taylor 'Birds of a Feather' 1.1; SNG ANS 9, 1; HGC 12, 1.
(23 mm, 16.73 g, 6h).
Roma Numismatics eSale 45 (5 May 2018), Lot 373; ex-'Andragoras-Sophytes' Hoard.
The advanced style of the owl and the 6h die adjustment of this coin indicate that it was struck at the end of Series 1 in the transition to Series 2 at which time the die axis adjustment changed from 12h to 6h and the reverse incuse square gave way to a non-incuse reverse. This intermediate fabric is proof that the two series were struck without a time gap between them.
The 'Andragoras-Sophytes' hoard came to market from mid-late 2017. It was reputedly found in 2014 and consisted of approximately 600 coins from at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan (Hoard information: Olivier Bordeaux & Osmund Bopearachchi). Around half of these coins were marketed by Roma Numismatics in a succession of auctions commencing in 2017 and continuing through 2019. n.igma12/05/18 at 07:39shanxi: interesting coin
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Kings of Pergamon, Eumenes I, 263-241 BC, AR TetradrachmDiademed head of Philetairos r.
ΦIΛΕΤAIPΟY Athena enthroned l., holding shield; spear behind, ivy leaf to inner l., bow to r., A on throne.
Westermark Group II (V.X/R.1); SNG France 1604; SNG von Aulock 1354; Meydancikkale 3002; Sear 7217.
(28 mm, 16.14 g, 12h).
John Jencek
n.igma07/17/18 at 14:58quadrans: Great coin , and details,
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Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochos IV Epiphanes, 175-164 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Ake PtolemaisDiademed head of the Antiochos IV r., (ΛB) monogram behind (only truncated r. limb of Λ is visible).
BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY ΘEOY EПiΦANOYΣ NIKHΦOPOY (of King Antiochos God Manifest Bearer of Victory) Zeus enthroned l., holding Nike in extended r. hand and scepter in l., palm branch in outer l. field, HP monogram in exergue
SC 1476.1a; Morkholm 6; HGC 9, 620c; Commerce (“Demetrius I”) Hoard, 2003 (CH10.301) #417 (this coin).
Minted in Ake-Ptolemais ca.168-164 BC.
(32 mm, 17.03 g, 12h).
Freeman & Sear Fixed Price List 10 (Spring 2005) Lot 174; from the Commerce (“Demetrius I”) Hoard, 2003 (CH10.301) #417 (this coin).
The Commerce (“Demetrius I”) Hoard, 2003 (CH10.301) from which this coin originated came to market in Europe during 2003. Consisting of 532 coins, including 450 tetradrachms, it was documented by Catherine Lorber in Coin Hoards X. This coin was one of eleven Antiochos IV tetradrachms from the hoard offered in Freeman & Sear’s Fixed Price List 10 in 2005.
n.igma07/17/18 at 14:57quadrans: Nice piece..
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Kings of Pergamon, Eumenes I, 263-241 BC, AR TetradrachmDiademed head of Philetairos r.
ΦIΛΕΤAIPΟY Athena enthroned l., holding shield; spear behind, ivy leaf to inner l., bow to r., A on throne.
Westermark Group II (V.X/R.1); SNG France 1604; SNG von Aulock 1354; Meydancikkale 3002; Sear 7217.
(28 mm, 16.14 g, 12h).
John Jencek
n.igma07/17/18 at 09:53shanxi: Nice example
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III the Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Byblos mint c. 321/0 BCHead of young Herakles r. in lion skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated l., retrograde B to l., H beneath throne.
Price -.
Previously unrecorded type that based on style and mint controls is attributed Byblos (Berytos of Price) and dated to c. 321/0 BC in a mintage associated with the withdrawal of the Macedonian Royal army from Egypt to Triparadeisos.
(26 mm, 16.72 g, 9h).
Solidus Numismatik 29 (12 May 2018), Lot 46.
This type is unrecorded in Price. The style together with the retrograde B mint control associate it with the small series of Alexander issues attributed to Berytos by Price, now reattributed to Byblos. It appears that this coinage was struck to help meet the arrears in army pay that resulted from the abortive campaign led by Perdikkas against Ptolemy in Egypt. Perdikkas was assassinated and as the Macedonian Royal army withdrew to Triparadeisos the matter of arrears in pay became a festering issue with the infantry. In an effort to placate the troops it appears that a mint at Byblos was established to coin available silver for at least a token payment to the army.
n.igma07/15/18 at 12:46Stkp: a beauty
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III the Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Byblos mint c. 321/0 BCHead of young Herakles r. in lion skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated l., retrograde B to l., H beneath throne.
Price -.
Previously unrecorded type that based on style and mint controls is attributed Byblos (Berytos of Price) and dated to c. 321/0 BC in a mintage associated with the withdrawal of the Macedonian Royal army from Egypt to Triparadeisos.
(26 mm, 16.72 g, 9h).
Solidus Numismatik 29 (12 May 2018), Lot 46.
This type is unrecorded in Price. The style together with the retrograde B mint control associate it with the small series of Alexander issues attributed to Berytos by Price, now reattributed to Byblos. It appears that this coinage was struck to help meet the arrears in army pay that resulted from the abortive campaign led by Perdikkas against Ptolemy in Egypt. Perdikkas was assassinated and as the Macedonian Royal army withdrew to Triparadeisos the matter of arrears in pay became a festering issue with the infantry. In an effort to placate the troops it appears that a mint at Byblos was established to coin available silver for at least a token payment to the army.
n.igma07/15/18 at 06:24quadrans: Nice and Interesting coin ...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Drachm - Susa Helmeted head of Seleukos right, frontal facial features carved from the coin, apparently in an act of damnation.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Nike standing right, holding in both hands a wreath that she places on trophy to right; monogram to lower left, ΔI in lower middle field.
Marest-Caffety AJN 28, Victory Coinage 198 (this coin), dies A4/P4, Pl. 14 198 (this coin); SC 174.4 var. (left field monogram); HGC 9, 34; CSE 1024 var.; ESM 414 var.
Susa mint 300-295 BC.
(16 mm, 3.63 g, 8h).
DAMNATION: The defacement of Seleukos’ image on this coin may be one of the earliest acts of damnation recorded on coinage. A broad deep cut to the coin was made to remove the facial features on the obverse. Unlike a test cut, silver has been carved from the coin, rather than being displaced by a chisel blow. This removal of silver contributes to the current low weight of the coin (0.6 g less than the Attic weight standard). The defacement of the image of Seleukos may have been the result of Persid animosity to Macedonian occupation.n.igma06/27/18 at 01:16Nemonater: Fantastic!
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Mesopotamia, Mazakes 330-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm Helmeted head of Athena right.
Owl standing left, olive spray and crescent behind, Aramaic legend [MZ]DK to right.
Le Rider, Alexander p. 214-219, pl. 7,15; Van Alfen, Owls Group IV(Babylon); Mitchiner 12(d) (Babylon).
(20 mm, 16.6 g, 10h)
Naville Numismatics 38 (12 March 2018), Lot 144.
The Persian satrap Mazakes voluntarily surrendered Egypt to Alexander the Great in November 332 BC. Based on the numismatic evidence it is believed he was rewarded for this action with a satrapy in Mesopotamia (northern Iraq) accompanied by the right to strike coinage in the form of imitative Athenian 'owls' for local use.
n.igma06/27/18 at 01:15Nemonater: Very nice, I would love to add one to my own colle...
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1. Thrace, Byzantion, 340-320 BC, AR SiglosHeifer standing left above dolphin, VΠΥ above.
Incuse square of mill-sail pattern.
SNG BM Black Sea 21; SNG Copenhagen 476; Sear GCV 1579.
(17 mm, 5.36 g)
Classical Numismatic Group electronic Auction 146, 23 August 2006, 34.
Standing on the European side of the Bosporos, Byzantion with its twin city Kalchedon on the Asia Minor side of the Bosporos was the ancient gateway between the two continents, a role that continues to the present.
The symbolism of the bull and the heifer on the obverse of the coins of twin cities of Kalchedon (Asia Minor) and Byzantion (Europe) respectively is striking and points to a shared identity. They stood astride the southern entrance to the Bosporus. Both were 7th century BC foundations of Megara and jointly they controlled the vital grain trade from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean.
The grain ear upon which the bull of Kalchedon stands alludes to this fact. That of the dolphin beneath the Heifer of Byzantion is a reflection of the maritime orientation of the city and the bountiful pods of dolphins that even to this day frolic in swift flowing waters of the Bosporus beneath the old city walls of Constantinople which succeded Byzantion and was in turn succeded by Istanbul. n.igma03/07/18 at 16:30Jay GT4: Nice one
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Kings of Macedon, Philip II, 359-336 BC, Æ16Head of Apollo right.
ФIΛIΠΠOY Youth on horseback right; below, dolphin above AP monogram.
Hersh 1999, p.163, 31; SNG Alpha Bank 405; SNG ANS 909; SNG Munchen 188-189; Mionnet vol. I, 752.
Uncertain Macedonian mint.
(16 mm, 6.44 g, 1h)
Coin India; found in Pakistann.igma10/29/17 at 01:10peterpil19: beautiful coin
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III the Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Amphipolis Mint under AntipaterHead of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; janiform head vase in left field. Graffiti in upper left field - Aramaic kaph (k) and sadhe (s).
Price 6; Troxell, Studies, Issue A3; SNG Cop 660; Muller 853.
Struck at Amphipolis in the period 332-329 BC.
(29 mm, 17.15 g, 2h)
This is one of the first emissions of Alexander’s coinage struck in his homeland, albeit about three years after he departed for Asia Minor. Recent scholarship places the start of Alexander’s distinctive coinage in 333/2 BC at Tarsos, in eastern Asia Minor, shortly after which the design was transferred to Macedonia where Alexander’s coinage was struck under the authority of his regent in Greece, Antipater. Die studies indicate that this coin was from the fourth tetradrachm emission of a mint in Macedonia, most probably Amphipolis. It was most probably struck in the period 332-329 BC. The Aramaic graffiti on the reverse, plus the obverse reverse rim test cut are pointers to the likelihood that this coin travelled beyond its location of issue in Macedonia, into the eastern Mediterranean where Aramaic was the main spoken language.n.igma03/18/17 at 14:11orfew: Wonderful coin!
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Babylonia, Uncertain Mint 6A Head of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛEΩΣ ФIΛIÎ Î OY Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, star symbol beneath throne, Î recut over an earlier mint control in left field.
Taylor, Triparadeisos to Ipsos, Series IV, 189 (this coin), Plate 12, 189 (this coin), dies A50/P1; HGC 9, 11a (same dies); SC 68 (same dies); WSM 1241 (same dies); Price P167 (same dies).
Uncertain Mint 6A in Babylonia, 303-302 BC.
Struck under Seleukos utilising a reverse die from an earlier lifetime Philip issue (Price P160) with the left field mint control recut. Obverse die linked to examples of SC 67 (Alexander), SC 69 (Seleukos) and SC 50.1 (Alexander Uncertain Mint 1) .
One of four examples known and the only one outside the ANS (Newell) collection.
(26 mm, 17.0 g, 3h).
This very late posthumous issue in the name of Philip III is a unique numismatic circumstance. It was struck from a Philip III lifetime reverse die used about twelve years previously, paired to an obverse die that was also used to strike coins in the name of Alexander and Seleukos. This was not a matter of happenstance, but rather a deliberate pairing of dies that symbolically linked the name of Seleukos to the preceding Argead kings in a ritual numismatic statement of legitimacy. This occurred in Uncertain Mint 6A, which by this time was a mobile military mint, attached to the army of Seleukos on the campaign to Ipsos. This ritual symbolic numismatic acclamation of kingship paralleled the acclamation of Seleukos as king by the assembled army in a long-standing Macedonian tradition.
Reference: Taylor, L. W. H. 2015. From Triparadeisos to Ipsos: Seleukos I Nikator’s Uncertain Mint 6A in Babylonia. AJN Second Series 27: 41-97.n.igma02/25/17 at 19:11Canaan: Great, so informative and big history behind a sma...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Babylonia, Uncertain Mint 6A Head of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛEΩΣ ФIΛIÎ Î OY Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, star symbol beneath throne, Î recut over an earlier mint control in left field.
Taylor, Triparadeisos to Ipsos, Series IV, 189 (this coin), Plate 12, 189 (this coin), dies A50/P1; HGC 9, 11a (same dies); SC 68 (same dies); WSM 1241 (same dies); Price P167 (same dies).
Uncertain Mint 6A in Babylonia, 303-302 BC.
Struck under Seleukos utilising a reverse die from an earlier lifetime Philip issue (Price P160) with the left field mint control recut. Obverse die linked to examples of SC 67 (Alexander), SC 69 (Seleukos) and SC 50.1 (Alexander Uncertain Mint 1) .
One of four examples known and the only one outside the ANS (Newell) collection.
(26 mm, 17.0 g, 3h).
This very late posthumous issue in the name of Philip III is a unique numismatic circumstance. It was struck from a Philip III lifetime reverse die used about twelve years previously, paired to an obverse die that was also used to strike coins in the name of Alexander and Seleukos. This was not a matter of happenstance, but rather a deliberate pairing of dies that symbolically linked the name of Seleukos to the preceding Argead kings in a ritual numismatic statement of legitimacy. This occurred in Uncertain Mint 6A, which by this time was a mobile military mint, attached to the army of Seleukos on the campaign to Ipsos. This ritual symbolic numismatic acclamation of kingship paralleled the acclamation of Seleukos as king by the assembled army in a long-standing Macedonian tradition.
Reference: Taylor, L. W. H. 2015. From Triparadeisos to Ipsos: Seleukos I Nikator’s Uncertain Mint 6A in Babylonia. AJN Second Series 27: 41-97.n.igma02/19/17 at 14:16Molinari: Awesome!
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Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochos I Soter, 281-261 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Seleukeia on Tigris Diademed head of the mature Antiochos right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY (of King Antiochos) Apollo seated left on omphalos, examining arrow held in right hand and resting left on bow, monograms in outer left (ПA) and outer right (HP) fields
SC 379.1; ESM 143; Sear GCV 6866 var.; HGC 9, 128g. Seleukeia on the Tigris mint.
(32 mm, 16.91 g, 1h).
Freeman & Sear.
Antiochos I, the son of Seleukos I came to the throne at age 44, having already been ruler of the Eastern satrapies from ca. 294 BC. Little is known of the detail of Antiochos’ reign other than the fact that he was victorious over Galatian invaders of Asia Minor in 273 BC, which earned him the title of “Soter“(Saviour). He was the first of his line to place his own portrait on his coinage. He also introduced the Apollo on omphalos reverse that became the most recognizable symbol of the Seleukid dynasty. n.igma02/09/17 at 05:20Randygeki(h2): Awesome coin
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Kings of Macedon, Philip III Arrhidaios, 323-317 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Babylon II under Seleukos as Satrap Head of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ФIΛIÎ Î OYZeus Aëtophoros seated left, ancient Greek Zeta beneath throne, ΛY above prow of galley in left field.
SC Ad43.15; Price P158 (Arados); Duryat (Arados) Group V, Series 11.
Struck in Babylonia 317/16 BC under Seleukos as Satrap 320-316 BC.
(27 mm, 17.01 g, 2h).
Ship ahoy ... on the Euphrates River in Babylon!
Diminutive but thought provoking is the galley prow mint control of this coin ... some of Alexander's fleet constructed in India even found its way here after the eastern anabasis. Perhaps easy to see why these types were incorrectly attributed to Arados by Price and earlier workers. The concept of ships in the desert is unusual to say the least, but proven in the written historical record and evidenced on a few of the coins of Babylon!
n.igma01/15/17 at 21:06Enodia: great coin!
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Corinthia, Corinth, 415-387 BC, AR StaterPegasos with curled wings facing left; koppa beneath.
Head of Athena wearing Corinthian helmet right; rose behind, dolphin above.
Sear 2628.
(21 mm, 8h).
Spink & Son Ltd, December 1987.n.igma01/15/17 at 20:43Enodia: beautiful
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III The Great, 326/5 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Babylon 326/5 BC under Mazaios as SatrapHead of Herakles right in lion-skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, Φ above M beneath throne.
Taylor, Babylon, Group 1.1.1, 1 (this coin), Pl. 1, 1 (this coin), dies A1/P1: Price 3579; Waggoner Issue I, 9b-d; Newell Reattribution 189 pl. 25, 11 (same obverse die).
Babylon Royal Mint 330-328 BC.
(25 mm, 16.68 g, 12h).
Hess-Divo Auction 320, 26 October 2011, 112.
Reference Taylor, L. W. H. "The Earliest Alexander III Tetradrachm Coinage of Babylon: Iconographic Development and Chronology." AJN Second Series 30 (2018): 1-44.
This is the only known Babylon mint Alexander on which Zeus is portrayed with an open facing palm, on which rests his eagle. All other examples exhibit the upward hand in profile style that displaced the open facing palm style on coinage in the east by 325 BC. This iconography of this coin served to date the start of the Imperial Mint at Babylon to 326/5 BC.n.igma12/22/16 at 08:30Nemonater: Wonderful coin!
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Baktrian Kingdom, Antimachos I, ca. 175-165 BC, AR DrachmDiademed head of Antimachos right wearing kausia.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΘEOY ANTIMAXOY (of King Antimachos a God) Poseidon standing facing, holding trident and palm branch, KP monogram in lower right field.
Bopearachchi Series 2A; SNG ANS 9, 279; Mitchiner 124b; HGC 12; 109; Sear GCV 7545.
(19 mm, 4.2 g, 12h).
Freeman & Sear Mail Bid Auction 13, Aug. 2006, 278; from the F. Martin Post Collection.
n.igma05/26/16 at 02:23Pharsalos: Stunning portrait strike.
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Baktrian Kingdom, Pantaleon I, ca. 185-180 BC, Æ Square Unit Female Hindu deity Laksmi advancing left holding lotus, Rajane Patalevasa in Kharoshthi script.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠANTAΛEONT[OYΣ] Lioness standing right
SNG ANS 9, 265; Mitchiner 161; HGC 12, 105; Sear GCV 7564. Pushkalavati mint.
(22 x19 mm, 11.25 g, 12h).
Numismatic Fine Arts Dec. 1982, 254; ex-Superior Jun. 1978, 2387; ex- Bolender, Oct. 1946.
Pantaleon is inferred to have been a brother of Euthydemos II and Agathokles. Based on the numismatic evidence, he appears to have reigned for a brief period in co-regency with his other brother Agathokles and possibly his uncle Antimachos, following the death of Euthydemos II. His coinage is the rarest of the of the Euthydemid rulers, suggesting that he was quickly dispatched by the usurper Eukratides.n.igma05/26/16 at 02:18Pharsalos: Beautiful coin and pedigree.
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Baktrian Kingdom, Apollodotos I, ca. 175-165 BC Æ Quadruple UnitΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ AΠΟΛΛΟΔΟΤΟY ΣΩΤHPOΣ (of King Apollodotos Savior) Apollo standing facing holding bow and arrow.
Tripod on stand in dotted square border outside which Maharajas Apaladasta Iradasa (of King Apollodotos Savior) in Kharoshthi script (reverse image in photo above is inverted).
Mitchiner 209a; Bopearachchi 6A; SNG ANS 9, 346; HGC 12, 41; Sear GCV 7594.
(22 x 21 mm, 12h).
CNG e-Auction 162, 11 Apr. 2007, 134.
Apollodotos was a contemporary of the later Euthydemid rulers, Agathokles, Pantaleon and Antimachos. His Greek coinage is rare with only less than a dozen portrait tetradrachm specimens known. Almost all of his coinage adhered to south Indian traditions, with bi-lingual Greek and Kharoshthi legends and non-portrait types struck on square flans, either elephant and bull on his silver, or Apollo and tripod on the bronze. From this coinage, which comprises the only evidence for his reign, it appears that Apollodotos administered his territories south of the Hindu Kush. The imagery on Apollodotos’ coins breaks with the tradition of the Euthydemid dynasty, portraying seated Athena on the tetradrachms (in the style of the reverse of Lysimachos coinage) and a standing Apollo on AE issues, reminiscent of the Seleukid coinage. Eukratides may have retained him as a provincial ruler through the struggle for power.n.igma05/08/16 at 12:42Pharsalos: Beautifully engraved Apollo!
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Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I, ca. 171-145 BC, AR Tetradrachm Diademed bust of a youthful Eukratides right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ EYKPATIΔOY (of King Eukratides) Dioskouroi on horseback charging right, carrying spears and palm branches, PK monogram to lower right.
Bopearachchi Series1B; SNG ANS 9, 431; Mitchiner 168(f); Qunduz 108-114; HGC 12, 130; Sear GCV 7568.
(32 mm, 16.75 g, 12h).
From LWHT Col.; CNG 73, 13 Sep. 2006, 535.
Eukratides I came to power in a revolt against the Euthydemid dynasty commencing around 171 BC and continuing for a decade. He extended his dominion to include all of Baktria and its realms both north and south of the Hindu Kush. Around 145 BC, Eukratides was murdered by his one of his own sons, probably Plato. By this time Baktria was weakened by the protracted struggle for power. The demise of Eukratides provided a catalyst for Scythian nomads to cross the Oxus, eventually to overrun Baktria. The city of Ai Khanoum appears to have been amongst the first to fall to invaders. This is evidenced by the fact that no coins later than those of Eukratides have been found in the excavations at Ai Khanoum. Within a decade Baktria had fragmented, overrun by Scythian nomads from the north, with the possible exception of a small Greek enclave in the eastern foothills of the Hindu Kush and the associated valley passes that led to the south and the Kabul Valley. A small remnant Greek civilization remained for another century to the south of the Hindu Kush before being overrun.
n.igma05/01/16 at 19:58n.igma: It appears that Eukratides didn't do anything ...
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Egypt, Memphis or Aswan (?), Satrap Sabakes, 335-333 BC, AR TetradrachmHead of Athena right with punch mark X on cheek.
Owl standing right, head facing, crescent and olive spray to left, crescent above a stylized thunderbolt (Sabakes symbol) and Aramaic legend SWYN (Aswan) to right, punch mark X on owl.
Nicolet-Pierre 6, D4/R-; SNG Copenhagen 3; Van Alfen Type I, O4/R-; Mitchiner 10a; Sear GCV 6232. Van Alfen (AJN 14 2002) countermark 3 on obv. & rev.
(24 mm, 16.91 g, 9h).
From LWHT Col.; HJB 166, 15 October 2009, 176.
Sabakes, to whom the issue of this coin type is attributed, was the penultimate Persian Satrap of Egypt. In 333 BC he led a contingent from Egypt to join the Persian army facing Alexander the Great at Issos, where he perished in battle. It is likely that this coin was struck under his governorship, perhaps for use as payment in preparations for the expeditionary force in support of Darius III. Counter marks are commonly present on these coins and most of the surviving examples are worn, indicating an extended period of circulation. This is consistent with the fact that the next coinage to be struck in Egypt was almost a decade later, shortly after the death of Alexander the Great.
n.igma05/01/16 at 19:55n.igma: Yes, metrological study by Van Alfen indicates the...
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Egypt, Memphis or Aswan (?), Satrap Sabakes, 335-333 BC, AR TetradrachmHead of Athena right with punch mark X on cheek.
Owl standing right, head facing, crescent and olive spray to left, crescent above a stylized thunderbolt (Sabakes symbol) and Aramaic legend SWYN (Aswan) to right, punch mark X on owl.
Nicolet-Pierre 6, D4/R-; SNG Copenhagen 3; Van Alfen Type I, O4/R-; Mitchiner 10a; Sear GCV 6232. Van Alfen (AJN 14 2002) countermark 3 on obv. & rev.
(24 mm, 16.91 g, 9h).
From LWHT Col.; HJB 166, 15 October 2009, 176.
Sabakes, to whom the issue of this coin type is attributed, was the penultimate Persian Satrap of Egypt. In 333 BC he led a contingent from Egypt to join the Persian army facing Alexander the Great at Issos, where he perished in battle. It is likely that this coin was struck under his governorship, perhaps for use as payment in preparations for the expeditionary force in support of Darius III. Counter marks are commonly present on these coins and most of the surviving examples are worn, indicating an extended period of circulation. This is consistent with the fact that the next coinage to be struck in Egypt was almost a decade later, shortly after the death of Alexander the Great.
n.igma05/01/16 at 10:05Pharsalos: Fantastic tetradrachm! With the wear and tear, thi...
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Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I, ca. 171-145 BC, AR Tetradrachm Diademed bust of a youthful Eukratides right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ EYKPATIΔOY (of King Eukratides) Dioskouroi on horseback charging right, carrying spears and palm branches, PK monogram to lower right.
Bopearachchi Series1B; SNG ANS 9, 431; Mitchiner 168(f); Qunduz 108-114; HGC 12, 130; Sear GCV 7568.
(32 mm, 16.75 g, 12h).
From LWHT Col.; CNG 73, 13 Sep. 2006, 535.
Eukratides I came to power in a revolt against the Euthydemid dynasty commencing around 171 BC and continuing for a decade. He extended his dominion to include all of Baktria and its realms both north and south of the Hindu Kush. Around 145 BC, Eukratides was murdered by his one of his own sons, probably Plato. By this time Baktria was weakened by the protracted struggle for power. The demise of Eukratides provided a catalyst for Scythian nomads to cross the Oxus, eventually to overrun Baktria. The city of Ai Khanoum appears to have been amongst the first to fall to invaders. This is evidenced by the fact that no coins later than those of Eukratides have been found in the excavations at Ai Khanoum. Within a decade Baktria had fragmented, overrun by Scythian nomads from the north, with the possible exception of a small Greek enclave in the eastern foothills of the Hindu Kush and the associated valley passes that led to the south and the Kabul Valley. A small remnant Greek civilization remained for another century to the south of the Hindu Kush before being overrun.
n.igma05/01/16 at 09:59Pharsalos: Beautiful coin! Interesting long trailing diadem.
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III The Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Damaskos c. 326/5BCHead of Herakles right in lion-skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on a backless throne; in left field forepart of ram right; beneath throne two pellets above strut, ΔA below.
Taylor AJN 29, Damaskos, Series 2.2.2, 202 (this coin), Pl.11, 202 (this coin), dies A14/P7; Price 3204. Damaskos c. 326/5 BC.
(25 mm, 17.01 g, 11h).
Reference: Taylor. L. W. H. "The Damaskos Mint of Alexander the Great." AJN Second Series 29 (2017): 47-100.
The Alexander mint at Damaskos (Damascus) opened for a brief period in the mid 320’s. The reason and purpose behind its brief operation have not been established. However, its coinage was the fourth most abundant in the Demanhur Hoard with all Damaskos issues represented. The reverse of the Damaskos iissues, bearing a portrayal of Zeus seated with parallel legs and a legend absent the royal title suggests that the mint closed before the death of Alexander III the Great
n.igma04/22/16 at 20:35David Atherton: Utterly fantastic!
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III The Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Damaskos c. 326/5BCHead of Herakles right in lion-skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on a backless throne; in left field forepart of ram right; beneath throne two pellets above strut, ΔA below.
Taylor AJN 29, Damaskos, Series 2.2.2, 202 (this coin), Pl.11, 202 (this coin), dies A14/P7; Price 3204. Damaskos c. 326/5 BC.
(25 mm, 17.01 g, 11h).
Reference: Taylor. L. W. H. "The Damaskos Mint of Alexander the Great." AJN Second Series 29 (2017): 47-100.
The Alexander mint at Damaskos (Damascus) opened for a brief period in the mid 320’s. The reason and purpose behind its brief operation have not been established. However, its coinage was the fourth most abundant in the Demanhur Hoard with all Damaskos issues represented. The reverse of the Damaskos iissues, bearing a portrayal of Zeus seated with parallel legs and a legend absent the royal title suggests that the mint closed before the death of Alexander III the Great
n.igma04/19/16 at 21:48Sam: Superb.
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Baktrian Kingdom, Euthydemos I, ca. 230-200 BC, Æ Dichalkon Head of Heracles right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ EYΘYΔHMOY above and below horse prancing right.
SNG ANS 9, 146-165; Kritt AK-1; Mitchiner 87; HGC 12, 53.
Ai Khanoum 225-208/6 BC.
(24 mm, ca. 8 g, 6h).
The fabric of this coin, characterized by its thick flan and beveled obverse edge, plus the 6 o’clock die axis, indicate that it is a product of the mint at Ai Khanoum. This coin type was the most abundant in the Ai Khanoum excavations with 48 examples recorded. The issue preceded the invasion of Baktria and the capture of Ai Khanoum by Antiochos III in 208-206 BC. Subsequent Euthydemid bronze coinage was restricted to the mint at Baktra/Balkh, typified by a coin fabric consisting of a thin flan.
n.igma04/19/16 at 00:05Randygeki(h2): NIce example
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Baktrian Kingdom, Euthydemos I, ca. 230-200 BC, AR Tetradrachm Diademed head of a relatively youthful Euthydemos right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ EYΘYΔHMOY Herakles seated left on rock, resting club on pile of rocks, monogram in inner right field, letter A in exergue.
Bopearachchi Series 5C; SNG ANS 9, 137 (same reverse die); Kritt, A8; HGC 12, 40.
Mint “A” - Ai Khanoum ca. 225-220/215 BC.
(29 mm, 16.7 g, 12h).
CNG 782054; ex- Semon Lipcer Coll.; ex- CNG 63, May 2003, 923.
n.igma04/18/16 at 11:57Pharsalos: Another stunning tetradrachm!
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Baktrian Kingdom, Euthydemos I, ca. 230-200 BC, AR Tetradrachm Diademed head of an elderly Euthydemos right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ EYΘYΔHMOY Herakles seated left on rock, resting club on thigh, PK monogram in inner right field.
SNG ANS 9, 141-142; Kritt B17; Mitchiner 94a; Qunduz 19-20; HGC 12, 43; Sear GCV 7516.
Mint “B” – Baktra ca. 206-200 BC.
(26 mm, 15.92 g, 12h).
Realms Ancient Coins; ex- CNG.
The coinage portraits of Euthydemos range from youthful to elderly, reflecting the thirty year duration of his reign, which is inferred to have ended as early as 200 BC by recent workers (Kritt), or as late as 190 BC by earlier workers (Mitchiner). This portrayal probably represents the king in his sixties or seventies, after the invasion of Baktria by Antiochos III. The late life portrayal of Euthydemos is considered to be amongst the finest Hellenistic numismatic art. It shows a world weary, perhaps dissolute figure, for who the exercise of power has become as much a burden as a benefit. The Euthydemos series extending from youth to late life is almost unique in it’s true to life representation of the physical process of aging; the vitality and optimism of youth gradually replaced by the weariness of age, all captured in the progression of the portraits of Euthydemos.
n.igma04/18/16 at 11:53Pharsalos: Very artistic dies; the obverse reminds me of the ...
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Baktrian Kingdom, Diodotos I, ca. 255/250-240 BC, AR Tetradrachm Diademed head of the Diodotos I right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY (of King Antiochos). Zeus striding left, hurling thunderbolt in right hand, aegis over extended left arm; eagle standing in lower inner left, monogram in left field above eagle.
SC 628 (b); Holt A2 (Holt A2 example 2 = this coin); Bopearachchi 2E; Mitchiner 64c; Kritt, Dynastic Transitions Type A2 (Plate 1, page 19); HGC 9, 243. Mint “A”- Ai Khanoum ca. 255-250 BC.
(29 mm, 16.92 g, 6h).
Eukratides Ancient Numismatics: ex- William K. Raymond Collection; ex- Kovacs (1997)
The Kingdom of Baktria was created from the Seleukid province of Bactro-Sogdiana when the satrap Diodotos I began to act independently of the Seleukid king, Antiochos II around 256 BC. The first step towards independence came with the issue of coinage depicting Diodotos I, rather than the Seleukid king, Antiochos II. On their reverse the coins bear the image of a striding Zeus, rather than the Seleukid patron god Apollo. Yet the coinage maintains the legend ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY indicating nominal servitude to the Seleukid king. This legend remained unchanged despite the accession to the throne of Seleukos III in 246 BC. In effect, this denies any allegiance to the latter king, while at the same time attesting to the legitimacy of Diodotos’ claim to the throne via his initial appointment under Antiochos II. Following the death of Diodotos I around 240 BC his son, Diodotos II, adopted the title of king, altering the legend of the coinage to that of ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔIOΔITOY, an unequivocal statement of independence.
n.igma04/18/16 at 11:34Pharsalos: Fantastic coin, looks to have a beautiful patina t...
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III the Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Amphipolis Mint under AntipaterHead of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; janiform head vase in left field. Graffiti in upper left field - Aramaic kaph (k) and sadhe (s).
Price 6; Troxell, Studies, Issue A3; SNG Cop 660; Muller 853.
Struck at Amphipolis in the period 332-329 BC.
(29 mm, 17.15 g, 2h)
This is one of the first emissions of Alexander’s coinage struck in his homeland, albeit about three years after he departed for Asia Minor. Recent scholarship places the start of Alexander’s distinctive coinage in 333/2 BC at Tarsos, in eastern Asia Minor, shortly after which the design was transferred to Macedonia where Alexander’s coinage was struck under the authority of his regent in Greece, Antipater. Die studies indicate that this coin was from the fourth tetradrachm emission of a mint in Macedonia, most probably Amphipolis. It was most probably struck in the period 332-329 BC. The Aramaic graffiti on the reverse, plus the obverse reverse rim test cut are pointers to the likelihood that this coin travelled beyond its location of issue in Macedonia, into the eastern Mediterranean where Aramaic was the main spoken language.n.igma04/16/16 at 11:31Sam: Simply spectacular !
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm - SusaLaureate head of Zeus right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Athena Promachos brandishing spear and shield in a quadriga of horned elephants right, anchor above IΣO monogram in right field, bee beneath.
SC 178.1; Kritt ESMS S-86 El. 43 dies A11/P-; ESM 327; HGC 9, 18c (R1-2). Susa Mint, 283-281 BC.
(25 mm, 17.17 g, 12h).
Freeman & Sear.
An example of the Susa mint transition from biga to quadriga reverse, using an obverse die previously only recorded in the biga series. This obverse die is not found on any of the previously documented (by Newell and Kritt) elephant quadriga coins of the series. It is the only known example that demonstrates an obverse die link between the biga and quadriga emissions. Moreover, the reverse is struck from a die that has some characteristics that suggest it was re-engraved from an elephant biga to an elephant quadriga. As such this coin is amongst the first of the Susa elephant quadriga chariot issues, probably dated to ca. 282 BC. n.igma04/16/16 at 11:29Sam: Superb.
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Akarnania, Oiniadai, 219-211 BC, Æ 22 Laureate head of Zeus right, eagle (?) behind.
Head of man-faced bull, the river-god Acheloos right, trident above, OINIAΔAN behind.
BCD Akarnania 349; SNG Copenhagen 403.
(22 mm, 6.73 g, 1h).
Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 187, September 2013, 336. n.igma04/14/16 at 21:39n.igma: Thanks Molinari. Interesting I hadn't noticed ...
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III The Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Damaskos c. 326/5BCHead of Herakles right in lion-skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on a backless throne; in left field forepart of ram right; beneath throne two pellets above strut, ΔA below.
Taylor AJN 29, Damaskos, Series 2.2.2, 202 (this coin), Pl.11, 202 (this coin), dies A14/P7; Price 3204. Damaskos c. 326/5 BC.
(25 mm, 17.01 g, 11h).
Reference: Taylor. L. W. H. "The Damaskos Mint of Alexander the Great." AJN Second Series 29 (2017): 47-100.
The Alexander mint at Damaskos (Damascus) opened for a brief period in the mid 320’s. The reason and purpose behind its brief operation have not been established. However, its coinage was the fourth most abundant in the Demanhur Hoard with all Damaskos issues represented. The reverse of the Damaskos iissues, bearing a portrayal of Zeus seated with parallel legs and a legend absent the royal title suggests that the mint closed before the death of Alexander III the Great
n.igma04/14/16 at 20:42Pharsalos: Beautiful lifetime issue!
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Uncertain Mint 4Head of Herakles right wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ reading up on left, ΣEΛΓYKOY (misspelled with Γ rather than E) reading down on right, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, ΣΕ monogram to left, circled ΜΗY monogram beneath throne.
SC 60.2; HGC 9, 12d (R2-3); WSM 1342 (same obverse die).
Uncertain Mint 4 in Cappadocia, Eastern Syria, or Northern Mesopotamia 301-281 BC.
(26 mm, 17.15 g, 5h).
Naville 21, 20 March 2016, 97.
Seleucid Coins (p. 33) notes the declining competence exhibited by reverse dies in the series to which this coin belongs. This is a characteristic along with the mint controls, shared with some of the later issues of Uncertain Mints 6A/1, perhaps pointing to the mobile military nature of the mint and resultant variable access to skilled engravers. The misspelled legend fits with this observation.
n.igma04/12/16 at 12:43Pharsalos: Ahh very interesting, thank you for taking the tim...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Uncertain Mint 4Head of Herakles right wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ reading up on left, ΣEΛΓYKOY (misspelled with Γ rather than E) reading down on right, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, ΣΕ monogram to left, circled ΜΗY monogram beneath throne.
SC 60.2; HGC 9, 12d (R2-3); WSM 1342 (same obverse die).
Uncertain Mint 4 in Cappadocia, Eastern Syria, or Northern Mesopotamia 301-281 BC.
(26 mm, 17.15 g, 5h).
Naville 21, 20 March 2016, 97.
Seleucid Coins (p. 33) notes the declining competence exhibited by reverse dies in the series to which this coin belongs. This is a characteristic along with the mint controls, shared with some of the later issues of Uncertain Mints 6A/1, perhaps pointing to the mobile military nature of the mint and resultant variable access to skilled engravers. The misspelled legend fits with this observation.
n.igma04/12/16 at 00:05n.igma: The dots are the engraver's attempt to portray...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm - Babylon I ca. 308/7 BCHead of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ AΛΕΞANΔPOY Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, MI in left K(?)Λ beneath throne.
Price -; SC -. Previously undocumented type best placed immediately following Price 3771 in the Babylon I sequence.
(29 mm, 17.1 g, 9h)
Naville 21, 20 March 2016, 96.
The mint controls and style place this coin as an issue of Babylon, struck immediately after the conclusion of the Babylonian War in 308 BC. This event was associated with the removal of a wreathed mint control monogram associated with Antigonos Monopthalmos from coinage also bearing the left field MI control. The MI control was used on Price 3745- 3771 all of which are associated with the victory wreathed control signifying Antigonos supremacy as strategos of Asia. The KΛ control beneath the throne was previously used on Babylon I issues (Price 3711-3713) struck in the final stage of Seleukos’s first satrapy and in the immediate aftermath of his flight to Egypt. Based on the previous association and usage of these mint controls, this coin most probably represents the last of MI mint control issues, the first after the defeat of Antigonos by Seleukos. In Price’s sequence, it is best placed immediately following Price 3771; the earliest issue of Babylon I under the control of Seleukos following the Babylonian War. n.igma04/11/16 at 21:03Pharsalos: Beautiful rare coin!
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Uncertain Mint 4Head of Herakles right wearing lion-skin headdress.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ reading up on left, ΣEΛΓYKOY (misspelled with Γ rather than E) reading down on right, Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, ΣΕ monogram to left, circled ΜΗY monogram beneath throne.
SC 60.2; HGC 9, 12d (R2-3); WSM 1342 (same obverse die).
Uncertain Mint 4 in Cappadocia, Eastern Syria, or Northern Mesopotamia 301-281 BC.
(26 mm, 17.15 g, 5h).
Naville 21, 20 March 2016, 97.
Seleucid Coins (p. 33) notes the declining competence exhibited by reverse dies in the series to which this coin belongs. This is a characteristic along with the mint controls, shared with some of the later issues of Uncertain Mints 6A/1, perhaps pointing to the mobile military nature of the mint and resultant variable access to skilled engravers. The misspelled legend fits with this observation.
n.igma04/11/16 at 20:57Pharsalos: Certainly not an incompetent obverse die though! D...
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Cilicia, Tarsos, Satrap Mazaios, 361-334 BC, AR StaterBaaltars, wearing a himation over his lower limbs, seated to left, holding a lotus-tipped sceptre, a thymiaterion surmounted by an eagle on left, Aramaic legend BLTRZ (Baaltars) to right.
Lion advancing left on ground, Aramaic legend MZDY (Mazday = Mazaios) above.
Casabonne Series 5, Group B; SNG Levante 188; SNG France 431; SNG von Aulock 5463; BMC 64.
(22 mm, 10.52 g, 11h).
Harlan J. Berk; ex- Lewis Egnew Collection: Superior, 30 May 1995, lot 7695.
This coin type is from a short-lived emission, stuck immediately prior to Alexander the Great’s invasion of Asia. The attribution of the walking-lion series of Mazaios was originally given to the mint of Tarsos, but Newell argued that they more likely were struck at Myriandros in his study of that mint in AJN 53 (1919). Later, J.D. Bing, in AJN 1 (1989), argued for an alternative attribution of the Myriandros coinage to the mint of Issos. While most dealers and numismatic works continue to follow the attribution of Newell, Casabonne’s study of Cilicia during the Persian period convincingly returns these coins of Mazaios to the mint of Tarsos.
n.igma03/16/16 at 12:08Sam: Superb.
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Akarnania, Oiniadai, 219-211 BC, Æ 22 Laureate head of Zeus right, eagle (?) behind.
Head of man-faced bull, the river-god Acheloos right, trident above, OINIAΔAN behind.
BCD Akarnania 349; SNG Copenhagen 403.
(22 mm, 6.73 g, 1h).
Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 187, September 2013, 336. n.igma03/16/16 at 09:04Molinari: A fantastic coin. Interesting that the body of the...
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Akarnania, Federal Coinage (Akarnanian Confederacy), Leukas, 3rd Century BC, Æ 23 Head of Herakles right.
Head of man-faced bull, the river-god Acheloos right, trident above, letter A behind.
BCD Akarnania 35 (this coin); SNG Copenhagen 422; BMC 169, 16; Sear 2313. Leukas mint.
(23 mm, 7.14 g, 8h).
Classical Numismatic Group, January 2008; ex-BCD Collection: Munz & Medaillen Deutschland GmbH Auction 23, 18 October 2007, 5.n.igma03/16/16 at 09:02Molinari: Great coin.
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Calabria, Tarentum, 334-330 BC, AR Didrachm Naked horseman crowning himself on stationary horse right, small ΣA and large Ionic capital beneath.
Taras holding sea snake and whip astride dolphin facing left, KO in lower right.
Fischer-Bossert group 75, 960-973; HN Italy 941-942; SNG ANS 1026; Vlasto 654-8; Evans V, E1 and McGill II, 57-58.
(20 mm, 12h).
Spink & Son Ltd, July 1988.n.igma02/07/16 at 00:12n.igma: Thanks for the additional info. Updated accordingl...
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Akarnania, Oiniadai, 219-211 BC, Æ 22 Laureate head of Zeus right, eagle (?) behind.
Head of man-faced bull, the river-god Acheloos right, trident above, OINIAΔAN behind.
BCD Akarnania 349; SNG Copenhagen 403.
(22 mm, 6.73 g, 1h).
Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 187, September 2013, 336. n.igma11/30/15 at 12:50okidoki: great coin excellent details
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Akarnania, Oiniadai, 219-211 BC, Æ 22 Laureate head of Zeus right, eagle (?) behind.
Head of man-faced bull, the river-god Acheloos right, trident above, OINIAΔAN behind.
BCD Akarnania 349; SNG Copenhagen 403.
(22 mm, 6.73 g, 1h).
Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 187, September 2013, 336. n.igma11/26/15 at 03:31quadrans: Very nice specimen..
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Phokis, Federal Coinage, 354-352 BC, AR Triobol - struck under OnymarchosFrontal bull's head.
Laureate head of Apollo right, lyre behind, Φ – Ω below.
BCD Lokris/Phokis 295.2 (this coin); Williams - (O-/R216).
(14 mm, 2.75 g, 11h).
ex- BCD Collection: NAC 55 (8 October 2010) Lot 295.2.
The district of Phokis was centered on the ancient city of Delphi and its sacred precinct. This coin was struck from the silver appropriated from the Delphic Apollo Temple treasury by the Phokians during the Third Sacred War (356-346 BC). The sacred precinct at Delphi was seized by the Phokians and fortified at the start of the war. It is probable Onymarchos, the Phokian strategos of the time, struck this coinage within the sacred precinct and used it to pay for the ongoing war effort. Coins of this type are relatively rare despite the massive minting to fund the war effort. This results from to the fact that at war’s end the Lokrians collected all the Phokian coinage then in circulation and melted it down to make a massive silver hydria which was dedicated to Apollo at Delphi.n.igma09/21/15 at 08:02Pharsalos: Lovely example, lots of details survive.
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Arkadia, Arkadian League, Megalopolis, ca. 330-275 BC, AR Triobol Laureate head of Zeus right.
Pan seated left on rock, holding lagobolon and raising hand; APK monogram to left, X to right.
HGC 5, 929 (S); BCD Peloponnesos 1526 (same dies); Dengate period I, issue 3, 13 (same obverse die).
A rare example of the first series issue, struck on the heavier Aeginitic weight standard.
(15 mm, 2.81 g, 10h)
CNG: ex- BCD Collection (not in LHS sale).n.igma09/21/15 at 07:58Pharsalos: Lovely coin, very austere Zeus!
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Argolis, Hermione, ca. 360-320/10 BC, AR Triobol Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia left.
EP monogram within wreath.
HGC 5, 745 (R2); Grandjean, Monnayage group I, emission 1A, D1/R2 (this coin cited = Coll. N. Davis169 (= Coll. Jameson 1259)); BCD Peloponnesos 1288 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 136; Jameson 1259 (this coin); Dewing 1932 (same dies).
(15 mm, 2.84 g, 11h)
Classical Numismatic Group Mail Bid Auction 79, 17 September 2008, 295; ex- BCD Collection (not in LHS sale); ex- 'Continental' collection: Classical Numismatic Group XXIV, 9 December 1992, 255; ex- N. DAvis Collection; ex- Jameson Collection.
This triobol is the coin catalogued by Grandjean as D1/R2 Coll. N. Davis 169 (= Coll. Jameson 1259). It passed into the BCD Collection via CNG XXIV (1992) after the publication of Granjean's work in 1990. The Jameson collection was auctioned in Paris in the years 1913-1932.n.igma08/15/15 at 22:11Pharsalos: Beautiful style and lovely toning.
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Punic Spain, Carthago Nova, Second Punic War, struck ca. 209 BC, Æ25 Bare male head left (Scipio Africanus?).
Horse standing right, palm tree behind.
Burgos 425; Villaronga CHN Class XI, 282; SNG BM Spain 127-128; Robinson 7(p); Muller III, 13, 4; Sear GCV 6575.
(25 mm, 11.6 g, 12h).
Freeman & Sear.
The coins of Robinson’s Series 7 are of two styles, one Punic in character, the other more Roman in character. Robinson suggested that the latter represents the coinage of Carthago Nova after its capture by Scipio in 209 BC, and that the head on the obverse is a portrait of Scipio himself, while the heads of Punic type basically reflect the features of Hannibal. Villaronga simply calls both male heads. n.igma06/16/15 at 10:43Pharsalos: Lovely example of this fascinating type.
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Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt, Ptolemy I Soter as Satrap, 323-305 BC - Memphis MintHead of Herakles right wearing lion-skin headdress; test cut applied to top of the head.
AΛΕΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; rose before, ΔI beneath throne, O between throne and scepter.
Price 3971; Muller 124; SNG Copenhagen 853; Dewing 1180.
Memphis mint ca. 323-316 BC.
(27 mm, 16.92 g, 12h).
ex- Barry P. Murphy.
Amongst the first Egyptian issues of Alexandrine tetradrachms, minted shortly after Ptolemy took control of Egypt as Satrap.
n.igma06/16/15 at 10:35Pharsalos: Superb style; take off the lion skin and I'd h...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, AR Tetradrachm - SusaLaureate head of Zeus right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Athena Promachos brandishing spear and shield in a quadriga of horned elephants right, anchor above IΣO monogram in right field, bee beneath.
SC 178.1; Kritt ESMS S-86 El. 43 dies A11/P-; ESM 327; HGC 9, 18c (R1-2). Susa Mint, 283-281 BC.
(25 mm, 17.17 g, 12h).
Freeman & Sear.
An example of the Susa mint transition from biga to quadriga reverse, using an obverse die previously only recorded in the biga series. This obverse die is not found on any of the previously documented (by Newell and Kritt) elephant quadriga coins of the series. It is the only known example that demonstrates an obverse die link between the biga and quadriga emissions. Moreover, the reverse is struck from a die that has some characteristics that suggest it was re-engraved from an elephant biga to an elephant quadriga. As such this coin is amongst the first of the Susa elephant quadriga chariot issues, probably dated to ca. 282 BC. n.igma06/16/15 at 10:29Pharsalos: Rare and magnificent.
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Baktrian Kingdom, Eukratides I, ca. 171-145 BC, AR Tetradrachm ΒΑΣΙΛΕYΣ MEΓAΣ EYKPATIΔHΣ Diademed and draped bust of a mature Eukratides right, wearing a crested helmet decorated with ear and horn of a bull.
HΛIOKΛIOΣ KAI ΛAOΔIKHΣ Co-joined busts facing right of Eukratides parents, Heliokles and Laodike, ΦΛΩ monogram to left.
Bopearachchi Series 15 A; SNG ANS 526-527; Mitchiner 182a; Qunduz 245-246; HGC 12, 133; Sear 7572.
(30 mm, 16.16 g, 12h).
Gorny & Mosch Giessener Munzhandlung Auction 126, October 2003, 1534.
The distinctive reddish black remnant patina of this coin is a characteristic of the silver coins from the Mir Zakah deposit. It is probably from this, the largest hoard of coins ever found, that the coin is derived.
This issue may have been inspired by the earlier “pedigree” coinage of Agathokles and Pantaleon, but equally likely given the many apparent anomalies associated with the issue, is that it was issued by the parents of Eukratides as statement of their position and prestige in Baktrian society. Heliokles’ bare head indicates that he was not a king, whereas the diadem on Laodike’s head suggests that she was of royal blood. Tarn identified her as a Seleukid princess, daughter of Seleukos II and sister of Antiochus III. On the other hand, Hollis in Laodike Mother of Eucratides of Baktria makes a plausible case that Laodike was the daughter of Antiochos III. Hollis argues that Eukratides was in this way connected to the Seleukid royal family and was perhaps facilitated by the latter in his endeavor to seize the Baktrian throne.
This coinage has a number of curious characteristics. The legend on this coin names Eukratides is in the nominative case, so that it serves to label his portrait rather than to identify him as the issuing authority of the coinage. The legend naming his parents, on the other hand, is in the genitive, normally used to indicate a filial relationship an argument supported by Hollis. However, it could also imply that Heliokles and Laodike had authorized the coinage. Both sides of the coin have defined filleted borders, unique in the coinage of Eukratides. All other issues bear only an obverse border around the image of the king. The fabric of these coins indicates that Heliokles and Laodike occupy the obverse, anvil struck side of the coin. Nevertheless, they are most frequently described in the opposite manner, in accord with the convention that the ruler occupies the obverse side of the coin.n.igma06/16/15 at 10:26Pharsalos: Another gem, remarkable portrait quality.
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Kings of Macedon, Alexander III The Great, 336-323 BC, AR Tetradrachm – Cyprus, Salamis under NikokreonHead of young Herakles right in lion skin headdress, paws tied at neck.
ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡOΥ Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, bow to left.
Price 3139a (same dies); Newell Salamis 7. The first tetradrachm emission of Salamis ca. 325/4 BC, struck under Nikokreon.
(24 mm, 16.97 g, 12h).
CNG 259 (6 July 2011) Lot 66
After the Battle of Issos, the island of Cyprus surrendered to Alexander III the Great, denying the Persian navy a base in proximity to the westernmost coast of the Mediterranean. Struck from the first set of tetradrachm dies used at the mint, this coin dates to the start of Alexander emissions from Salamis around 325/4 BC. Nikokreon (ca. 331-311/10 BC), under whose authority this coin was issued, succeeded his father Pnytagoras on the throne of Salamis. He had actively supported Alexander in the siege of Tyre and is reported to have paid homage to Alexander after the conqueror’s return from Egypt to Tyre in 331. In return he was left in power to govern Salamis. Following Alexander’s death he allied himself with Ptolemy who in 312 BC placed him in control of the entire island of Cyprus. He died in 311/10 BC after which Cyprus became the focus of the power struggle between the military forces of Ptolemy and Antigonos Monopthalmos.n.igma06/16/15 at 10:22Pharsalos: Amazing coin, almost a Flavian style 'severe&#...
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Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochos I Soter, 281-261 BC, Æ 15 Three quarter right facing laureate head of Apollo.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY Nike right erecting a trophy; controls outer left and right indecipherable or off-flan.
SC 389; HGC 9, 178 (R1).
Seleukia on the Tigris mint.
(15 mm, 2.67 g, 6h).
Gorny & Mosch 216, 16 October 2013, 2618.
Wonderfully rendered head of Apollo accompanied by a very dynamic Nike; a delightful little bronze! n.igma04/30/15 at 06:01Enodia: enchanting portrait, and a very nymph-ish Nike.
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Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochos I Soter, 281-261 BC, Æ 15 Three quarter right facing laureate head of Apollo.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY Nike right erecting a trophy; controls outer left and right indecipherable or off-flan.
SC 389; HGC 9, 178 (R1).
Seleukia on the Tigris mint.
(15 mm, 2.67 g, 6h).
Gorny & Mosch 216, 16 October 2013, 2618.
Wonderfully rendered head of Apollo accompanied by a very dynamic Nike; a delightful little bronze! n.igma04/28/15 at 11:37Charles S: so small, so lovely
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Seleukid Kingdom, Antiochos I Soter, 281-261 BC, Æ 15 Three quarter right facing laureate head of Apollo.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ANTIOXOY Nike right erecting a trophy; controls outer left and right indecipherable or off-flan.
SC 389; HGC 9, 178 (R1).
Seleukia on the Tigris mint.
(15 mm, 2.67 g, 6h).
Gorny & Mosch 216, 16 October 2013, 2618.
Wonderfully rendered head of Apollo accompanied by a very dynamic Nike; a delightful little bronze! n.igma04/28/15 at 10:51laney: Lovely portrait.
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR DrachmHelmeted head of Athena right.
Eagle standing left, head right; grape bunch and leaf on vine with kerykeion (partially off flan) above.
Taylor Birds of a Feather 3.7, 176 (this coin illustrated); HGC 12, 8 var. (no kerykeion) (R2); Bopearachchi, Sophytes 2 var.; SNG ANS 9, 14-16 var. (no kerykeion); Mitchiner 26d.
(13 mm, 3.48 g, 6h).
Classical Numismatic Group Mail Bid Auction 75, 23 May 2007, 613.n.igma04/11/15 at 11:25Sam: Spectacular one !
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Parthia, Andragoras, ca. 245-238 BC, AR DrachmHelmeted head of Athena right.
Eagle standing left, head right; grape bunch and leaf on vine with kerykeion (partially off flan) above.
Taylor Birds of a Feather 3.7, 176 (this coin illustrated); HGC 12, 8 var. (no kerykeion) (R2); Bopearachchi, Sophytes 2 var.; SNG ANS 9, 14-16 var. (no kerykeion); Mitchiner 26d.
(13 mm, 3.48 g, 6h).
Classical Numismatic Group Mail Bid Auction 75, 23 May 2007, 613.n.igma04/11/15 at 11:03Jay GT4: Handsome eagle
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, Æ 20 - Antioch on the OrontesWinged head of Medusa right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKY (sic) Indian humped bull butting right, control mark Ξ in exergue.
SC 21.2(b); CSE 9; WSM 925; SNG Spaer 23; HGC 9, 92a; Sear GCV 5852.
Struck ca. 286-281 BC at Antioch on the Orontes.
(20 mm, 7.06 g, 2h).
Note the misspelled legend, missing the letter O in the genitive of the king's name; the only known example of this apparently unrecorded error.
This coin type was produced at many mints across the Seleukid Empire in the last years of Seleukos’ reign. The bull on the reverse is an allusion to a story about Seleukos’ prowess related to us in Appian: "He (Seleukos) was of such a large and powerful frame that once when a wild bull was brought for sacrifice to Alexander and broke loose from his ropes, Seleukos held him alone, with nothing but his bare hands, for which reason his statues are ornamented with horns."
On the frequency with which this coin type appeared at mints across the Seleukid Empire in the final years of Seleukos I, Newell commented that "Such a widespread coinage of a single type would seem to hint at some effort on the part of the central government, towards the end of the reign, to coordinate what had hitherto been a remarkably diverse selection of types on the bronze coinage of the empire. If such an effort was really made, it proved to be but of short duration. For under Antiochus I and his immediate successors, the bronze types again became extremely varied as between mint and mint. Apparently the authorities in charge of several mints were at liberty to select such types for the minor coins as appeared the most appropriate to them. This is one of the reasons why the Seleukid coinages possess so strong an appeal; in contrast, for instance, to the tiresomely narrow range of Ptolemaic types, with their eternal Ammon, Zeus or Isis heads and their never ending eagle reverses.
n.igma04/10/15 at 15:50okidoki: very nice again i love your BC coins
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, Æ 21 - Apamea on the Axios Elephant standing right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Bridled horned horse's head left, anchor beneath.
SC 35; HGC 9, 79; CSE 415; WSM 1128; SNG Spaer 50-52; SNG Copenhagen 40; Sear GCV 6850.
Apamea on the Axios Mint 300-281 BC.
(21 mm, 7.86 g, 12h).
Seleukos I established Apamea on the Axios (a tributary of the upper Orontes River) in Syria around 300 BC. Named in honour of his Baktrian wife, Apama, it was developed on the site of the former Macedonian military colony of Pella. It became the primary Seleukid military depot and arsenal. In Apamea, Seleukos maintained his 500 war elephants and more than 30,000 horses to serve the needs of his cavalry, as well as an arsenal of weaponry and facilities for the manufacture of arms. For the next five generations, Seleukid military campaigns were mounted from Apamea.
The coin type is rare, with all known find locations being located in Syria, but with no control, or design linkages to any other emission from the Seleukid Syrian mints of the time. Newell placed this coin as the sole issue of Apamea during the reign of Seleukos I. This attribution was based on the absence of any linkage to any other Syrian mints and the iconography of the coin, which he felt reflected the military role and significance of Apamea. In the obverse he saw the war elephants, which were the pride of Seleukos’ army, while in the reverse he saw a reference to the powerful Seleukid cavalry, both of which were based at Apamea.
The iconography of the coin bears a striking similarity to the tetradrachm issues of Pergamon in Seleukos name in 281 BC, following the defeat of Lysimachos in the Battle of Korupedion. This short-lived emission is unique. Newell believed that it was possibly inspired by the Apamea bronze coinage, suggesting that the latter may have been struck at the time Seleukos was assembling his forces at Apamea for the decisive encounter with Lysimachos. Some of these coins may then have accompanied his soldiers into Asia Minor, eventually to find their way with his soldiers to Pergamon, where the type served as the model for the brief silver emission celebrating Seleukos’ victory at Korupedion. n.igma04/10/15 at 15:47okidoki: very nice Jumbo
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Seleukid Kingdom, Seleukos I Nikator, 312-281 BC, Æ 21 - Apamea on the Axios Elephant standing right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣEΛEYKOY Bridled horned horse's head left, anchor beneath.
SC 35; HGC 9, 79; CSE 415; WSM 1128; SNG Spaer 50-52; SNG Copenhagen 40; Sear GCV 6850.
Apamea on the Axios Mint 300-281 BC.
(21 mm, 7.86 g, 12h).
Seleukos I established Apamea on the Axios (a tributary of the upper Orontes River) in Syria around 300 BC. Named in honour of his Baktrian wife, Apama, it was developed on the site of the former Macedonian military colony of Pella. It became the primary Seleukid military depot and arsenal. In Apamea, Seleukos maintained his 500 war elephants and more than 30,000 horses to serve the needs of his cavalry, as well as an arsenal of weaponry and facilities for the manufacture of arms. For the next five generations, Seleukid military campaigns were mounted from Apamea.
The coin type is rare, with all known find locations being located in Syria, but with no control, or design linkages to any other emission from the Seleukid Syrian mints of the time. Newell placed this coin as the sole issue of Apamea during the reign of Seleukos I. This attribution was based on the absence of any linkage to any other Syrian mints and the iconography of the coin, which he felt reflected the military role and significance of Apamea. In the obverse he saw the war elephants, which were the pride of Seleukos’ army, while in the reverse he saw a reference to the powerful Seleukid cavalry, both of which were based at Apamea.
The iconography of the coin bears a striking similarity to the tetradrachm issues of Pergamon in Seleukos name in 281 BC, following the defeat of Lysimachos in the Battle of Korupedion. This short-lived emission is unique. Newell believed that it was possibly inspired by the Apamea bronze coinage, suggesting that the latter may have been struck at the time Seleukos was assembling his forces at Apamea for the decisive encounter with Lysimachos. Some of these coins may then have accompanied his soldiers into Asia Minor, eventually to find their way with his soldiers to Pergamon, where the type served as the model for the brief silver emission celebrating Seleukos’ victory at Korupedion. n.igma04/10/15 at 10:31cicerokid: Only if it was a tetradrachm.
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Calabria, Tarentum, 334-330 BC, AR Didrachm Naked horseman crowning himself on stationary horse right, small ΣA and large Ionic capital beneath.
Taras holding sea snake and whip astride dolphin facing left, KO in lower right.
Fischer-Bossert group 75, 960-973; HN Italy 941-942; SNG ANS 1026; Vlasto 654-8; Evans V, E1 and McGill II, 57-58.
(20 mm, 12h).
Spink & Son Ltd, July 1988.n.igma04/04/15 at 18:32Enodia: a less common type with nice strike and surfaces, ...
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Sicily, Syracuse, Hiketas II, 287-278 BC, Æ 21 Wreathed head of Kore right; ΣYPA in right field.
Charioteer in biga galloping right, star above, Î X in exergue.
SNG ANS 763 var. (torch symbol on obverse; X in exergue of reverse).
(21 mm, 9.41 g, 5h).
LWHT Collection; Classical Numismatic Group electronic Auction 167, 27 June 2007, 37; from the Charles Gillet collection; ex-Stacks 23 May 1990, 262.n.igma04/04/15 at 18:21Enodia: a lovely depiction of The Maiden.
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Roman EphesusIonia, Ephesus, Claudius, 41-54, AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm
TI. CLAVD CAES AVG. Claudius bare head, facing left.
DIAN-EPHE Cult statue of Diana (Artemis) of Ephesus inside a tetra style temple, set on three tiered base; pediment decorated by figures flanking three windows.
RIC I 118; RPC I 2222; BMCRE 229; RSC 30; Sear Millennium 1839. Ephesus ca. 41-42 AD.
(25 mm, 11.14 g, 6h).
The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Depicted on this coin, which was minted shortly after Claudius’ accession to the throne, there remains no trace of the temple other than some recently stacked column remnants to mark the location. Pliny The Elder described the temple as 115 meters in length, 55 meters in width, made almost entirely of marble; consisting of 127 Ionic style columns 18 meters in height. The original temple, which stood on the site from about 550 BC, was destroyed by arson in 356 BC. It was rebuilt at the direction of Alexander III the Great around 330 BC, in the form depicted on the coin, only to be destroyed by the Goths in 262 AD. Again rebuilt, it was destroyed for the final time by Christians in 401 AD. The marble of the temple was used to construct other buildings. Some of the columns found their way into the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul).
The site of the temple was rediscovered in 1869 by an expedition sponsored by the British Museum, but little remains to be seen today. A Christian inscription found at Ephesus reads Destroying the delusive image of the demon Artemis, Demeas has erected this symbol of Truth, the God that drives away idols, and the Cross of priests, deathless and victorious sign of Christ. This Christian zeal explains why so little remains of the site despite its repute in the ancient pre-Christian world.
This coin is rare with a few dozen examples known. In contrast to most examples, which show a four-tiered temple base, the reverse of this coin shows a three-tiered temple base, the same as that found on the Parthenon. The rectangles visible on the pediment of the temple are frequently identified as depictions of tables, or altars attended by flanking figures. However, architectural reconstructions of the temple show these rectangles as windows permitting light into the temple interior, a fact supported by the presence of pediment window frame moldings amongst the remains of other temples from the period in Asia Minor. The Ionic style of the temple’s columns, as described by Pliny, is clearly visible in the reverse image.n.igma04/04/15 at 10:29David Atherton: Such a fantastic piece! Both obverse and reverse a...
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Roman EphesusIonia, Ephesus, Claudius, 41-54, AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm
TI. CLAVD CAES AVG. Claudius bare head, facing left.
DIAN-EPHE Cult statue of Diana (Artemis) of Ephesus inside a tetra style temple, set on three tiered base; pediment decorated by figures flanking three windows.
RIC I 118; RPC I 2222; BMCRE 229; RSC 30; Sear Millennium 1839. Ephesus ca. 41-42 AD.
(25 mm, 11.14 g, 6h).
The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Depicted on this coin, which was minted shortly after Claudius’ accession to the throne, there remains no trace of the temple other than some recently stacked column remnants to mark the location. Pliny The Elder described the temple as 115 meters in length, 55 meters in width, made almost entirely of marble; consisting of 127 Ionic style columns 18 meters in height. The original temple, which stood on the site from about 550 BC, was destroyed by arson in 356 BC. It was rebuilt at the direction of Alexander III the Great around 330 BC, in the form depicted on the coin, only to be destroyed by the Goths in 262 AD. Again rebuilt, it was destroyed for the final time by Christians in 401 AD. The marble of the temple was used to construct other buildings. Some of the columns found their way into the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul).
The site of the temple was rediscovered in 1869 by an expedition sponsored by the British Museum, but little remains to be seen today. A Christian inscription found at Ephesus reads Destroying the delusive image of the demon Artemis, Demeas has erected this symbol of Truth, the God that drives away idols, and the Cross of priests, deathless and victorious sign of Christ. This Christian zeal explains why so little remains of the site despite its repute in the ancient pre-Christian world.
This coin is rare with a few dozen examples known. In contrast to most examples, which show a four-tiered temple base, the reverse of this coin shows a three-tiered temple base, the same as that found on the Parthenon. The rectangles visible on the pediment of the temple are frequently identified as depictions of tables, or altars attended by flanking figures. However, architectural reconstructions of the temple show these rectangles as windows permitting light into the temple interior, a fact supported by the presence of pediment window frame moldings amongst the remains of other temples from the period in Asia Minor. The Ionic style of the temple’s columns, as described by Pliny, is clearly visible in the reverse image.n.igma04/04/15 at 09:19n.igma: Thanks. One of my few Romans and the architectural...
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