It's a
bit of a culture shock for me, coming from Collectors Universe (i.e.
PCGS Plastic Land), where I've been a fixture for 11 years and have become rather well known as an eccentric character, over to here where I'm not only a nobody but a novice, to boot. Ah well, I expect the change will do me
good.
So I recently put my
money where my mouth is and decided to send a few hard-earned dollars our sponsor's way. I'm not a big-budget guy by any means, but who'd want to jump into a new collecting pursuit by
buying big-budget stuff anyway, right?
Here's what I grabbed. I'll add them to my "ADAM" (Ancient, Dark Age,
Medieval)
gallery later.
First, this. After 36 years of collecting, I've just set my "oldest coin" date back. (My previous oldest one was probably a Corinthian
stater I once
had.) I dig griffins. Lord Marcovan (my Dungeons & Dragons character from my misspent teenage years) used to ride one into battle, for what that's worth (nothing).
Teos, Ionia, 510 - 490 B.C.
Silver trihemiobol, Balcer 62, Weber 6209, SNG Von Aulock 2258, SNG Cop 1439, Klein -, Rosen -, BMC -, Asyut -, VF, 1.468g, 10.5mm, Teos mint, 510 - 490 B.C.; obverse griffin seated right, forepaw raised; reverse quadripartite incuse square, bold partition lines forming cross, irregular shapes within incuse quarters; scarce
Next, this. I also dig desert
patina, and if you add a cool classical design and an
eagle into the equation, so much the better.
Seleucid Kingdom, Antiochus VIII Grypus, 125 - 96 B.C.
Bronze AE 19, Houghton-Lorber II 2300(1)f, VF, 5.489g, 18.9mm, 0o, Antioch on the Orontes mint, 121 - 120 B.C.; obverse radiate and diademed head of Antiochos VIII right, one diadem end waving up behind, the other forward over shoulder; reverse BASILEWS ANTIOCOU / EPIFANOUS, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, lotus tipped scepter transverse under right wing, IE monogram left, date BϘP and murex (on right) in ex; attractive desert earthen highlighting on a dark green patina
Antiochus VIII Grypus (Hook-Nose) was crowned as a teenager, ruling jointly with his mother Cleopatra Thea. In 121 B.C., one day when he returned from a hunt, his mother offered him a cup of wine. Since this was not common behavior for her, Grypus was suspicious and forced her to drink the wine; poisoned, it killed her. Grypus fought a civil war with his brother that ended with his murder.
Then this. I've "avatarized" it over on Collectors Universe. I'll stick with my
Otho denarius for an avatar here, for the time being.
Seleucid Kingdom, Philip I Philadelphos, 93 - 83 B.C.
Silver tetradrachm, Houghton-Lorber II 2463(2 - 3), SNG Spaer 2799 and 2805 ff., VF, rainbow toned, 15.862g, 26.9mm, 0o, Antioch mint, obverse diademed head right, fillet border; reverse BASILEWS / FILIPPOU EPIFANOUS / FILADELFOU, Zeus enthroned left, Nike in right crowning him with wreath, long scepter vertical in left, F/A left, , laurel border
Philip I Philadelphus was the fourth son of Antiochus VIII Grypus. He took the diadem in 95 BC together with his older brother (probably twin) Antiochus XI Ephiphanes, after the eldest son Seleucus VI Epiphanes was killed by their cousin Antiochus X Eusebes. He established himself in Antiochia after 92 B.C. and survived attacks from younger brother Demetrius III Eucaerus. His rule ended in 83 B.C. when Tigranes conquered Syria, or earlier. He disappears from history at that point, but coins bearing his portrait were issued later by Roman authorities.
Last but not least, this, which was quite inexpensive. (Won it from
FORVM via
eBay.) Desert
patina again, plus a cool counterstamp.
Tarsos, Cilicia, c. 164 - 37 B.C.
Bronze AE 21, BMC Cilicia p. 180, 106; SNG Cop 333 - 341; SGCV II 5672, F, 6.493g, 21.6mm, 0o, Tarsos mint, c. 164 - 37 B.C.; obverse veiled and turreted head of Tyche right; countermark: radiate head of Helios within oval punch; reverse TARSEWN, pyramidal pyre of Sandan on a garlanded base, Sandan stands inside with animal between two altars, eagle on top
Sandan was a Hittite-Babylonian sun, storm, or warrior god, also perhaps associated with agriculture. The Greeks equated Sandan with Herakles (Hercules). At Tarsus an annual festival honored Sandan-Heracles, which climaxed when, as depicted on this coin, an image of the god was burned on a funeral pyre.
Oh, and since they say you should "buy the book before you buy the coin"... well... I didn't quite do it that way, but now I'll add another title to my shelf. I already have Volumes 1 and 6 of the Sayles books, so now all I'll need is 3, 4, and 5. As for Greek coin titles, I already have two old
Sear volumes from the late 1970s, and that's about it so far.
There they are. My first "baby steps" as a Greekling. Not my first ancient
Greek coins (I
had that Corinthian
stater before, and a
posthumous Alexander tetradrachm on a huge
flan, and some cheaper bronze and small silver before, but they were incidental purchases without a real
collection in mind.)
