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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Greek Coins| ▸ |Geographic - All Periods||View Options:   | | | This shop category includes ancient Greek coins of all periods. To narrow your selection to a particular region, city or period, use the menus at the top of the page or on the left. Please note that all terms and phrases in blue text are links to a definition or more information. |
Mazaios was the Persian satrap of Cilicia beginning about 361 BC and in about 345 B.C. he was also made satrap of Transeuphratesia (which included Syria and Judaea). In 331 BC, Mazaios was defeated by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela, after which he fled to Babylon. Later that year Mazaios surrendered Babylon, the capital of the Persian Empire, to Alexander. For surrendering without a fight, Alexander appointed Mazaios governor of Babylon. He died in 328 B.C.SH114936. Silver stater, SNG Levante 103; SNG BnF 332; Newell 1920, series V, dd; Traité II p. 453, 700, pl. cxii, 19; Casabonne 2D, EF, sharp details, weight 10.740 g, maximum diameter 23.6 mm, die axis 90o, Tarsos (Tarsus, Mersin, Turkey) mint, 361/360 - 334 B.C.; obverse BLTRZ (Baaltarz) in Aramaic (read upward) behind, Baal of Tarsos enthroned left, head and torso turned facing, wreath on head, nude to waist, himation around hips and legs, bunch of grapes, grain ear, and eagle in right hand, lotus tipped scepter vertical behind in left hand,
(Aramaic resh) lower left, 
(Aramaic mem) below throne; reverse lion left, head turned facing, atop bull fallen left, attacking with teeth and claws, 
(Aramaic MZDI = Mazaios, read right to left) above, nothing below bull; ex Lugdunum Numismatik (Solothun, Switzerland) auction 23 (12 Dec 2023), lot 53; ex H.D. Rauch (Vienna, Austria) auction 23 (20 Jan 1986), lot 42; $2000.00 (€1880.00) 
Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Ephesos, Ionia
In 30/29 B.C., the Koinon of Asia and Bithynia requested permission to honor the Augustus as a living god. "Republican" Rome despised the worship of a living man, but an outright refusal might offend their loyal allies. A cautious formula was drawn up, non-Romans could establish cults and build temples for divus Augustus jointly with dea Roma. Communitas Asiae (Community of Asia) was pro-consular Roman province comprised of Lydia, Iconia, Caria, Mysia, Phrygia, and Hellespontus.SL113456. Silver cistophorus, RPC Online I 2221, RIC I 120 (R3, Pergamon), RSC II 3, BMCRE I 228, SRCV I 1838, NGC F, strike 5/5, surface 3/5 (2400265-002), weight 10.53 g, maximum diameter 26 mm, die axis 180o, probably Ephesos (near Selçuk, Turkey) mint, 41 - 42 A.D.; obverse TI CLAVD CAES AVG, bare head left; reverse Temple of Roma and Augustus, two columns, podium with four steps, within temple Augustus and Roma stand facing, Augustus in military garb with spear in right hand and shield in left, Fortuna crowns him with wreath in right hand and holds cornucopia in left hand, ROM ET AVG (Roma and Augustus) on entablature, COM - ASI (Communitas Asiae) across field at center; from a Virginia Collector, ex Eastern Numismatics Inc. (Garden City, NY, 17 Jan 2013, $1695); NGC| Lookup; very rare; $1700.00 (€1598.00)
Armenian Kingdom, Queen Erato, Sole Reign, c. 13 - 15 A.D.
This interesting issue was struck during the short sole reign of Queen Erato, the last of the Orontid line to rule Armenia. It is uncertain if 3rd regnal year on the reverse takes into account her earlier joint reign with her half-brother and husband Tigranes IV in 2 B.C. - 1 A.D. Erato's sole reign may have lasted as long as three years or perhaps less than one one year. In any case, the sole rule of a queen was a novum in Armenian history, as was the depiction of the city walls of Artaxata on a coin. We may presume that Erato, as a woman, felt especially pressured to boast military strength in her royal self-representation, leading her to radically change the Armenian numismatic iconography in a time of increasing Parthian pressure. GB113378. Bronze octachalkon, Kovacs 187, Bedoukian CCA -; Nercessian ACV -; MDHRAC -, F, green patina, highlighting earthen deposits, scratches, weak legends not visible - as on most known specimens, weight 11.925 g, maximum diameter 23.2 mm, die axis 180o, Artaxata (Artashat, Armenia) mint, sole reign, c. 13 - 15 A.D.; obverse BA - EPAT, diademed and draped bust of Erato right; reverse aerial view of the city walls of Artaxata, in the shape of an octagon, with six tall round defense towers and two gateways, [E - Γ] (regnal year 3) above; extremely rare; $1350.00 (€1269.00)
Claudius, 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 A.D., Roman Egypt
RPC I quotes Walker’s surface analysis of Claudius billon at 21 - 26% silver, a significant drop from the 30% silver for those of Tiberius.
The ancients did not all agree on the attributes of Serapis. A passage in Tacitus affirms that many recognized in this god, Aesculapius, imputing healing to his intervention; some thought him identical with Osiris, the oldest deity of the Egyptians; others regarded him as Jupiter, possessing universal power; but by most he was believed to be the same as Pluto, the "gloomy" Dis Pater of the infernal regions. The general impression of the ancients seems to have been that by Serapis, was to be understood the beginning and foundation of things. Julian II consulted the oracle of Apollo for the purpose of learning whether Pluto and Serapis were different gods; and he received for an answer that Jupiter-Serapis and Pluto were one and the same divinity.SH110653. Billon drachm, RPC I 5136 (4 spec.); BMC Alexandria p. 10, 78; Kampmann 12.25; Emmett 76/3 (R4); Geissen -; Dattari -; SNG Hunterian -, F, dark patina, earthen deposits, scratches, porosity, weight 3.330 g, maximum diameter 16.0 mm, die axis 0o, Alexandria mint, 42 - 43 A.D.; obverse TI KΛ KA CE AY, laureate head right, L Γ (year 3) right; reverse draped bust of Serapis right, kalathos on head; the best of this type known to FORVM; very rare; $1000.00 (€940.00)
Severus Alexander, 13 March 222 - March 235 A.D.
This coin was dedicated to Jupiter, the defender, probably to ask for protection the emperor in his war against the Persians. As Jupiter was the king of the gods, he took more interest in kings and emperors than the common man.SL114187. Silver denarius, RIC IV 238, RSC III 83, BMCRE VI 824, Hunter III 71, SRCV II 7871, NGC CH MS*, strike 5/5, surface 5/5 (2406773-001), weight 2.74 g, maximum diameter 21 mm, die axis 0o, Rome mint, 231 - 235 A.D.; obverse IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, with a short neatly trimmed beard, seen from the front; reverse IOVI PROPVGNATORI (Jupiter the Defender), Jupiter standing slightly left in fighting attitude, head right, nude but for cloak flying behind, hurling thunderbolt with right, eagle in extended left hand; from the Craig Chambers Collection, NGC| Lookup; $900.00 (€846.00)
Macedonian Kingdom, Demetrios I Poliorketes, 306 - 283 B.C., In the Name and Types of Alexander the Great
Struck by Demetrius I Poliorketes (The Besieger). Demetrius I, the son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus, was given the title king by his father in 306 B.C. after he defeated Ptolemy I at the Battle of Salamis. In 294 he seized the throne of Macedonia by murdering Alexander V. The combined forces of Pyrrhus, Ptolemy and Lysimachus, forced him out of Macedonia in 288. Abandoned by his troops on the field of battle he surrendered to Seleucus in 286 and died in captivity in 283 B.C.SL113486. Silver tetradrachm, Price 675, SNG Cop 734, Müller Alexander 1348, Noe Sicyon 22, HGC 4 1902 (R1), NGC EF (Greek 336-323 BC, 4DR, Alexander the Great, Money of the Bible, 3009039-073), weight c. 16.8 g, maximum diameter 25.5 mm, die axis 45o, Corinth mint, c. 304 - 290 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right, wearing Nemean Lion skin, scalp over head, forepaws tied at neck; reverse Zeus Aëtophoros seated left on throne, nude to the waist, himation around hips and legs, right leg drawn back, feet on footstool, eagle in extended right hand, long lotus tipped scepter vertical behind in left hand, AΛEΞANΔPOY downward on right, Nike flying right raising wreath and holding palm frond (control) lower left, Δo monogram (control) under throne above top strut; from a Virginia Collector, ex Eastern Numismatics Inc. (Garden City, NY, 5 Aug 2010, $625); NGC| Lookup; rare; $800.00 (€752.00)
Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphos, 285 - 246 B.C.
Ptolemais is today Acre, Israel. It was at Ptolemais that the Jews met Petronius, sent to set up statues of the emperor in the Temple, and persuaded him to turn back. St. Paul spent a day in Ptolemais (Acts 21:7). -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AkkoGP113579. Bronze diobol, Lorber CPE B338; Svoronos 790 (5 spec.); Rosenberger I p.20, 16; Sofaer pl. 3, 36; Weiser 42; SNG Cop -; Noeske –, Choice VF, green patina, earthen deposits, areas of weaker strike, marks, obv. edge beveled, weight 19.353 g, maximum diameter 31.7 mm, die axis 0o, Galilee, Ake Ptolemais (Acre, Israel) mint, 261 - 246 B.C.; obverse diademed head of Zeus Ammon right; reverse ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing half left atop fulmen (thunderbolt), head left, wings closed, double cornucopia bound with diadem over shoulder, Pi-Tau ligate inside Omicron (PTO - Ptolemais mintmark) in field; scarce; $800.00 (€752.00)
Nero (or Otho or Galba?), 13 October 54 - 9 June 68 A.D., Mallus, Cilicia
In "An intriguing new coin from Mallus, Cilicia" (2008), Jyrki Muona, based on a high grade specimen with an excellent portrait, identified the head on this type as Otho. He noted the portrait is influenced by the style of the Antioch mint. Indeed the portrait on that specimen looks very much like the portraits of Otho from Antioch. RPC I attributes the type to Nero but notes, "The portrait does not look much like Nero, but the date seems clear. Could it possibly be a coin of Galba?" We are following RPC I, listing it as Nero, but noting the other possibilities.RP112383. Bronze AE 25, RPC Online I 4024 (3 spec.), SNG Levante 1269, aVF, dark green patina with traces of red, cleaning scratches, minor flan flaws on rev. edge, weight 9.678 g, maximum diameter 25.4 mm, die axis 0o, Mallus (near Karatas, Turkey) mint, 67 - 68 A.D.; obverse ...CEBACTOC..., laureate head right; reverse MAΛΛΩTΩN, Athena Magarsis standing facing, spear vertical in right hand, star above each arm, EΛP (year 135) outer left; ex CNG e-auction 538 (10 May 2023), lot 413; very rare; $580.00 (€545.20)
Phoenician, Bronze Trapezoid Cube Weight (Ayin - 21.595g), c. 7th - 4th Century B.C.
This weight is the usual shape for the type, an inverted truncated pyramid - a cube with the bottom slightly smaller than the top. The type dates from perhaps as early as the the 9th century B.C. to the end of the Persian period. They were undoubtedly used to weigh silver bullion for transactions. Kletter lists nine weights with circle marks, ranging from 2.55g to 80.67g. Some, like ours, were incised with straight lines or punches. Most were found at Akko.AS111486. Phoenician, bronze trapezoid cube weight; cf. Hendin Weights 245 (21.63), Kletter 2000 25 (21.17g), Hecht A 47 (20.03g), Choice, 21.595g (3 shekels?), 14.3x16.6x12.9mm, c. 7th - 4th Century B.C.; inverted truncated pyramid (a cube with the bottom slightly smaller than the top), incised circle (Phoenician ayin) on top created with a 8 short straight line cuts, ex Shick Coins (Max Shick, Israel, 2012); $570.00 (€535.80)
Judaea, Bar Kochba Revolt, 132 - 135 A.D.
After the defeat of Bar Kochba rebellion, Judea would not be a center of Jewish religious, cultural, or political life again until the modern era, although Jews continued to sporadically populate it and important religious developments still took place there. Galilee became an important center of Rabbinic Judaism, where the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled in the 4th-5th centuries. In the aftermath of the defeat, the maintenance of Jewish settlement in Palestine became a major concern of the rabbinate. The Sages endeavored to halt Jewish dispersal, and even banned emigration from Palestine, branding those who settled outside its borders as idolaters.JD99307. Bronze AE 21, Mildenberg 112 (O10/R76); SNG ANS 570 - 572 (same dies); cf. BMC Palestine p. 307, 31; Sofaer 144; Meshorer TJC 292a; Hendin 6464, VF, dark green patina, earthen deposits, tight flan, small edge cracks, weight 7.709 g, maximum diameter 21.0 mm, die axis 180o, year 3, 134 - 135 A.D.; obverse paleo-Hebrew inscription: "Shimon", seven branched palm tree with two bunches of dates; reverse paleo-Hebrew inscription: "for the freedom of Jerusalem", five-lobed vine-leaf with strongly accentuated ribs, hanging from curved branch, short tendril right; from a private collector in New Jersey; $560.00 (€526.40)
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