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Crabs, Lobsters, Crayfish, and Shrimp on Ancient Coins
Ionia, c. 600 - 550 B.C.
Some numismatists have attributed this type to the Carian Island of Cos, due to the striking similarities to the archaic silver coinage of that island. Although this attribution is possible, most of the numismatic community accepts this type as Ionian in origin.SH77551. Electrum Hekte (1/6 Stater), Unpublished in standard refs but about a dozen known from sales, cf. Rosen 346 - 347 (Anatolia, uncertain city, 1/96 Phocaic stater), VF, dark spots, weight 2.612 g, maximum diameter 10.0 mm, uncertain Ionian mint, Phocaic standard; obverse crab seen from above; reverse quadripartite incuse square; very rare; SOLD
Ionia, c. 600 - 550 B.C.
Some numismatists have attributed this type to the Carian Island of Cos, due to the striking similarities to the archaic silver coinage of that island. Although this attribution is possible, most of the numismatic community accepts this type as Ionian in origin.SH57788. Electrum Hekte (1/6 Stater), Unpublished in standard refs but about a dozen known from sales, cf. Rosen 346 - 347 (Anatolia (uncertain city), 1/96 Phocaic stater), gVF, weight 2.757 g, maximum diameter 10.2 mm, uncertain Ionian mint, Phocaic standard; obverse crab; reverse quadripartite incuse; ex N.Y.I.N.C. auction 163, lot 262; well centered, nice strike; very rare; SOLD
Akragas, Sicily, c. 420 - 406 B.C.
On similar common types, the eagle is right, sometimes devouring the fish, and on the reverse the positions of octopus and conch are switched. This particular type with the eagle screaming left and the octopus to the left the conch is missing from all the references examined (Calciati, HGC 2, SNG ANS, SNG Cop, SNG Munchen, SNG Tubingen, SNG Lloyd, BMC Sicily, McClean, Weber, et al.). This coin is the only example on Coin Archives (the Savoca auction).GB86317. Bronze hemilitron, apparently unpublished; Calciati 47 var. (conch to left); HGC 2 135 (R1) corr. (same obv. die but text says eagle right) var. (conch to left), VF, well centered, some porosity, reverse slightly rough, weight 21.219 g, maximum diameter 27.9 mm, die axis 90o, Akragas (Agrigento, Sicily, Italy) mint, c. 420 - 406 B.C.; obverse AKP-AΓANTIN-ON, eagle standing left on fish, raising head up screaming, wings open; reverse crab from above, eel in right claw, octopus to left of conch shell below, six pellets around; ex Savoca Numismatik, auction 4 (30 Aug 2015), lot 176; extremely rare variety; SOLD