Classical Numismatics Discussion
  Welcome Guest. Please login or register. 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities Welcome Guest. Please login or register. 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Support Our Efforts To Serve The Classical Numismatics Community - Shop At Forum Ancient Coins

New & Reduced


Author Topic: Anaximander's Gallery  (Read 20414 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Anaximander's Gallery
« on: August 19, 2019, 06:15:34 am »
As a new member for 2019, and having learned the ropes in the Members' Gallery and Discussion Boards, I am ready for the big reveal:
 :branchesthreeleft: Anaximander's Gallery. :branchesthreeright:
About half of my collection has been uploaded, including nearly all of my Greek, Hellenistic, Celtic, and 'Eastern Cultures' coins.  I will be uploading the Sicilian coinage (aka my very own corpus nummorum siculorum).

Yet to come: the Roman and Medieval collections, with a focus on Roman Empire, British hammered, French royal and feudal, and Crusader coinage. 

My collecting style has been to go wide, not deep.  Collecting one coin of each type or each emperor, for instance. I've centered on silver coinage, where available, and on a grade of Very Fine or better. Like all things in life, compromises and detours have taken me to places that deviate from those norms, so you will ultimately find other metals, other grades, and some deeper plunges (Euboian drachms come to mind) and duplicates.
Feedback welcomed, and help with numismatic references is always appreciated.

I'm accumulating numismatic reference books as I go. I've prepared a handful of Tables of Contents (TOCs) to help where none was provided, and these are also uploaded to my gallery.  As for my books, I'm not sure how to show them.  If anyone has examples of how numismatists share the titles in their library, I'm all ears. 

Lastly: my thanks to our host, Joe Sermarini, the forum moderators, and the kind members who take their time to share their wisdom and their enthusiasm.

Anaximander (aka Chris)


Offline Arados

  • Comitia Curiata
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 1717
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2019, 06:56:41 am »
A very impressive gallery Chris, i look forward to seeing more of your coins when uploaded.  ;)

Offline Jay GT4

  • Tribunus Plebis 2021
  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 6987
  • Leave the gun, take the Canoli!
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2019, 07:06:27 am »
Impressive coins and photography.

Offline Molinari

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 4549
  • My defeat, if understood, should be my glory
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2019, 07:18:47 am »
Wow! I was not expecting such a comprehensive collection—I can’t wait to see more, particularly the Sicilian corpus.  Glad you’ve joined us.

Offline cicerokid

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1051
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2019, 12:30:52 pm »
What a collection!
Timeo Danaos afferentem coronas

Online quadrans

  • Tribunus Plebis 2019
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 10689
  • Ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Ars longa, vita brevis.
    • My Gallery Albums
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2019, 05:37:46 pm »
Hi, Chris,  ;)

Great collection and nice Gallery... +++

Congratulation   :)

Joe/Q.
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Tracy Aiello

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 445
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2019, 01:13:12 pm »
Chris,

I just spent some time perusing your gallery. I need to spend more time perusing. Very impressive.

Tracy

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2019, 05:23:05 pm »
Thanks for the kind words, everybody. I was expecting a tough crowd. :laugh:  I'm well on the way to completing the cataloging of the Sicilian collection (about 30 coins), with new photographs and extensive referencing.  However, I'm heading off to the dreaded Jury Duty tomorrow, so we'll see if I find myself on the trial-of-the-century or just sweating it out in a jurors' room.  Miami in August. Ugh. 

For something to chew on, have a look at my most recent Sicilian addition:  a Syracuse litra. Dionysios I. 405-395 BC. AR Litra (0.77 gm). Head of Arethusa l., hair in sphendone, dolphin to r. ΣꓦΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ before. / Octopus. SNG ANS 5 #293-294; HGC 2 #1381; SNG Ashmolean 2018; SNG Cop 1 #675; SNG Fitzwilliam 1259; SNG Lloyd 1400-1402; SNG München 1096 (all with same dies). 
I don't know of any other dies for this type.  Anybody believe the rumor that there's a hidden legend (ΣΥΡΑΚΟΥ) formed by the octopus tentacles?

Since my initial post in this thread, I realized that I also have to add the Macedonian coinage (some 40 coins).  Looks as though I, like Tracy, have a long road to getting it all uploaded (big sigh).

Offline Jay GT4

  • Tribunus Plebis 2021
  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 6987
  • Leave the gun, take the Canoli!
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2019, 06:43:53 pm »

Offline stevex6

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1523
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2019, 07:58:10 pm »
Hi Anaximander (Ax) ... congrats on your cool collection

 +++

I love your recent octopus (yah, I'm a total sucker for animal coins)

Ummm, oh and great thread-addition by Jay as well ...... ummm, I hope you won't mind if I toss-in my ol' example? (cheers)


Offline orfew

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1055
    • Historical Ancient Roman Coins
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2019, 08:10:56 pm »
A lovely collection. I look forward to more additions.

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
New Sicilians in Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2019, 08:33:39 am »
Et ca commence!  Sicily, in dribs and drabs. Starting with an AR Litra of Abakainon, a Sikel city-state in NE Sicily

The litra ("pound") was the predominant silver coin denomination among native Sicilians: Sikels (or Sicels, Σικελοί in Greek), Sikanians (or Sicanians), and Elymians. Valued at 12 onkiai, it was equal to 1 lb. of bronze.  That translated to 1/5th of a drachm. Fractional coinage consisted of the hemilitron (1/2 litra = 6 onkiai), the pentonkion (5 onkiai), the tetrantes or "tetra" (1/4th litra = 3 onkiai), the trias (1/3rd litra = 4 onkiai), the hexas (1/6th litra) and the tiny and rare onkia.  The litra eventually displaced the obol (1/6th of a drachm). See O. Hoover HGC 2 pg. lv.

Abakainon. 420-410 BC. AR Litra (0.60 gms). Laureate bearded head of Zeus r. ⟲A-B-A-K. / Boar stdg r. ⟲IИIA.  gVF.  FUN Show 2015. SNG ANS 3 #895; HGC 2 #9; BMC 2 #2; SNG Cop -.

I liked the gradient fill that I used for the background on my Ptolemaic photos, so I'm using it again here for my Sicilian coins. Your thoughts on that welcomed.

Anaximander

PS: here's a link to my Sicilian gallery (such as it is, so far).  More to come.

Offline Molinari

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 4549
  • My defeat, if understood, should be my glory
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2019, 11:08:22 am »
Nice.  I've been patiently awaiting the Acheloios type from Abakainon to appear, but they are extremely rare. Some day, I think.

Offline stevex6

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1523
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2019, 04:47:15 pm »
Wow, I recently went and took another peek at your cool collection and I was "very" impressed!

 +++ :o +++

Oh, and I love the new animal addition! (it's a total winner)

Cheers

stevex6

Offline okidoki

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 4272
    • https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=37270
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2019, 05:55:44 pm »
Nice tentacles
All the Best,
Eric
There are no strangers, only friends you do not know yet.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=37270

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Akragas in Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2019, 08:03:30 am »
I've continued my Tour di Sicilia with Akragas, or Agrigentum by its Romanized name.  Looking at Hoover's alphabetized list of Sicilian mints, I don't have any coins of Adranon or Agyrion (bronze issuance only), or of Aitna, which appears to be both a renamed Katana and a successor city nearby when Katana reverted to its old name.  

Akragas. 500-495 BC. AR Stater, Didrachm (8.69 gm). Eagle l., wings folded, AKRA above. / Crab. VF. SNG ANS 3 #923-929 (#927 same dies); SNG Cop 1 #24-26; SNG Lloyd 789-790; HGC 2 #93; Jenkins Gela Group IIc; Dewing 551.

Akragas. 420-410 BC. AR Hemidrachm (2.07 gm). Eagle standing l. atop hare. / Crab, tunny l. below. ⤹ A-K-P-A around. VF. CICF 2005 Ponterio 134 #1368. SNG ANS 3 #1009; SNG Cop 1 #57-58; SNG Lloyd 826; HGC 2 #104; BMC 2 p. 12, #65.

I read somewhere that the eagle and crab were viewed as symbols of Zeus and Poseidon, but I rather like the idea that the crab was in fact a freshwater crab, as found in Italy, Greece, and (naturally) Sicily, and thus we're seeing a more representational image, as the city rose on the banks of the Akragas river.  

I appreciate the comments and enjoy your sharing your own coins.  I've just learned to use the 'quote' feature in replies. How cool!

Nice.  I've been patiently awaiting the Acheloios type from Abakainon to appear, but they are extremely rare. Some day, I think.

I scurried to my library to research this 'Archeloios' type, and initially drew a blank.  Closest I found was a reference to water nymphs, specifically the Sirens, daughters of Achelous, the river god. Then I saw how the river god was often represented as a man-faced bull.  The representation of the power of a river as a bull seems apt.  There are only a couple man-headed bull types from Abakainon.  Sounds like a tough want list.  

Anaximander
Link to my Sicilian gallery

Offline Molinari

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 4549
  • My defeat, if understood, should be my glory
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2019, 01:18:50 pm »
Those from Abakainon are scarce but others are readily available.  See my work on the topic, here:

https://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProductDetail.asp?id=%7B630D98AF-05CE-4C17-B530-6CD7DF4DA048%7D

I’d like to get one of the androcephalic crabs from Akragas but I believe they are pricey.

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Gela: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2019, 06:46:26 am »
Speaking of androcephalic bulls (read: Man-headed), next up is my didrachm of Gela.  Interesting to see the spread of the water god cult and its representation on Greek coinage. If you follow his reference, Molinari wrote about that in Koinon I ( 2018), and a reverse of Gela very similar to my own coin appears in his work.

Sicily, Gela. c. 490/485-480/475 BC. AR Didrachm (8.57 gm). Horseman galloping right, brandishing spear overhead. / Forepart of river god Gelas as man-headed bull r. Ε-ΛΑ before.  nEF.  Triton V #1167. Ex William N. Rudman Coll. SNG ANS 4 mule: #7 (same ob. die) / #5 (same rev. die); Jenkins Gela Gp Ib 42 (O13'/R17); SNG Cop 1 #256; SNG Klagenfurt 430; HGC 2 #363.

Anaximander
Link to my Sicilian gallery

Online quadrans

  • Tribunus Plebis 2019
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 10689
  • Ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Ars longa, vita brevis.
    • My Gallery Albums
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2019, 07:08:45 am »
Hi,

Both, the Akragas and Gela examples are great... +++

Q.
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Molinari

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 4549
  • My defeat, if understood, should be my glory
Re: Gela: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2019, 07:13:54 am »
Speaking of androcephalic bulls (read: Man-headed), next up is my didrachm of Gela.  Interesting to see the spread of the water god cult and its representation on Greek coinage. If you follow his reference, Molinari wrote about that in Koinon I ( 2018), and a reverse of Gela very similar to my own coin appears in his work.

Sicily, Gela. c. 490/485-480/475 BC. AR Didrachm (8.57 gm). Horseman galloping right, brandishing spear overhead. / Forepart of river god Gelas as man-headed bull r. Ε-ΛΑ before.  nEF.  Triton V #1167. Ex William N. Rudman Coll. SNG ANS 4 mule: #7 (same ob. die) / #5 (same rev. die); Jenkins Gela Gp Ib 42 (O13'/R17); SNG Cop 1 #256; SNG Klagenfurt 430; HGC 2 #363.

Anaximander
Link to my Sicilian gallery
Now we’re really talking!  Beautiful example.

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #20 on: August 26, 2019, 07:17:51 am »
Moving on, we come to Himera, the first Greek colony on the north coast of Sicily, founded by Zancle around the mid-7th C. BC and populated in part by exiles from Syracuse.  It didn't last.  After Theron of Akragas and Gelon of Syracuse defeated Carthage in the epic Battle of Himera in 480 BC, Theron deposed the local tyrant of Himera and ruled over the city. The pairing of a crowing rooster on the obverse of Himera (the city’s name means ‘day break’) and the crab of Akragas on the reverse is apt. Theron's son, Thrasydaios, succeeded him as tyrant in 472 BC, but Thrasydaios was defeated in battle by Hieron of Syracuse in 470 BC. The Carthaginians had their revenge in 408 BC when Himera was utterly destroyed.

Himera. Tyranny of Theron & son Thrasydaios. 480-470 BC. AR Didrachm (8.79 gm). Cock standing l. HIMERA to l. / Crab.  nEF.  Westermark & Jenkins Himera #4; SNG ANS 4 #155ff; SNG Cop 1 #302-303; SNG Lloyd 1011-1012; BMC 2 24; Dewing 613-614; HGC 2 #438; Rosen 55. cf. Nomos 1 #20 (same dies).

Himera. 440-430/425 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.93 gm). Slow biga driven l. by charioteer crowned by Nike flying r. Ex: IMEPAION (retrograde) and cock walking l. / Nymph Himera holding patera over altar to l.; satyr to r. stdg below fountain w/ lions-head spout; ear of grain above.  gVF.   Boston MFA 254 (same dies); de Luynes 976 (same dies); Rizzo pl. XXI, 12 (same dies); Arnold-Biucchi, Monetazione, Group III, 15 (Q4/H12); Gutmann & Schwabacher 10; SNG ANS –; SNG Ashmolean 1765 (same dies). cf. HGC 2 #434 (crane in ex); Jenkins Sicily 30; CNG 100 #1268 & Triton XI #37 (same dies). Very rare.

Anaximander
PS: no bull here, despite Himera's location on a river of the same name. 
Link to my Sicilian gallery

Online quadrans

  • Tribunus Plebis 2019
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 10689
  • Ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Ars longa, vita brevis.
    • My Gallery Albums
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #21 on: August 26, 2019, 02:59:02 pm »
Other great examples... +++

Q.
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Jay GT4

  • Tribunus Plebis 2021
  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 6987
  • Leave the gun, take the Canoli!
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #22 on: August 26, 2019, 03:03:05 pm »
Drool...

Offline stevex6

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1523
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #23 on: August 26, 2019, 04:00:04 pm »
Wow, you're tossing-in some amazing examples!!

=> keep-up the awesome work!

 +++ :o +++

Offline Anaximander

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
Re: Anaximander's Gallery
« Reply #24 on: August 26, 2019, 04:41:30 pm »
Thanks, guys.  My coins of Sicily may be too few in number, mostly acquired over a decade ago, but generally nice examples, so I will try to be content with that.

As for...
Drool...
...we need some new emoticons here  ;)

 

All coins are guaranteed for eternity