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Taras, Calabria 300-250 BC
AE13 (13mm, 2.03g)
O: Octopus
R: Scallop shell
Vlasto 1855; SNG Cop 1089; HN Italy 1095 (as Taras); SNG ANS 447 (as Kroton); HN Italy 2240 (as Kroton)
Very rare
ex Bertolami Fine Arts
A very rare and enigmatic coin with conflicted attributions.
SNG Copenhagen places this coin at Taras, as does Vlasto, although Vlasto places it under the heading "Bronze Coins Doubtfully Attributed to Tarentum" and claims Kroton as a probable alternative.
SNG ANS gives it clearly to Kroton, while HN Italy seems to attribute both cities with varying catalog numbers.
I believe this coin is likely from Kroton as this city-state often used the octopus is a common device there. However I'm placing it in my Taras file due to its Vlasto number. EnodiaAug 25, 2021
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Seleukid Kingdom, Reign of Antiochos IV (Epiphanes)175-173/2 BC
AE16 (16mm, 3.55g)
O: Veiled bust of Laodike IV, within dotted border.
R: Elephant's head left, tripod behind; BAΣIΛEΩΣ - ANTIOXOY above and below, [ΘE]K ex.
Antioch mint
Sear 1691v
ex Marc Breitsprecher Numismatics EnodiaMay 29, 2021
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Seleukid Kingdom, Reign of Antiochos IV (Epiphanes)175-173/2 BC
AE16 (16mm, 3.55g)
O: Veiled bust of Laodike IV, within dotted border.
R: Elephant's head left, tripod behind; BAΣIΛEΩΣ - ANTIOXOY above and below, [ΘE]K ex.
Antioch mint
Sear 1691v
ex Marc Breitsprecher NumismaticsEnodiaMay 26, 2021
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Taras, Calabria380-334 BC
AR Diobol (11.5mm, 0.88g)
O: Head of Athena left, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with wing.
R: Herakles kneeling right, wrestling the Nemean lion; club in right hand.
Scarce
Vlasto 1284; HN Italy 911
ex LAC
EnodiaApr 02, 2021
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Taras, Calabria380-334 BC
AR Diobol (13mm, 1.11g)
O: Head of Athena left, wearing unadorned crested Attic helmet.
R: Herakles kneeling right, wrestling the Nemean lion.
Scarce
Vlasto 1344; Cote 259
ex LAC
EnodiaApr 02, 2021
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Athens, Attica454-431 BC
AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 16.95g)
O: Head of Athena with archaic eye right, wearing Attic helmet decorated with palmette and olive leaves.
R: Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and cresent moon above, AΘE to right, all within incuse square.
SNG Cop 31; Kroll 8; Sear 2526
ex Steven Battelle
With her almond eye and Mona Lisa-like grin, along with her companion owl (Athene Noctua), these classic 5th century tetradrachms from Athens are truly THE iconic ancient coin.EnodiaMar 16, 2021
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Taras, Calabria430-425 BC (Period I - Transitional)
AR Didrachm (22mm, 7.78g)
O: Phalanthos riding dolphin right, right hand leaning on dolphin's back, left arm extended; scallop shell below.
R: Naked boy riding horse standing right.
Vlasto 267; Fischer-Bossert 231f; Evans I, Type C; SNG France 1678; cf Cote 103; HGC I, 761; HN Italy 847
Scarce
ex London Ancient Coins
While the 'Equestrian' types are the most common and readily recognizable didrachms from Taras they were far from the first. The dolphin rider was initially depicted on late 6th century broad flan incuse coins, and later paired with the seated oikist, either as the obverse or the reverse, but the horseman did not make his first appearance until the middle of the 5th century BC, and then as the reverse motif. Sir Arthur Evans (The Horsemen of Tarentum, 1889) declared this era 'Period 1' and called it transitional as the dolphin rider would move to the reverse later in the century and the horseman would claim his rightful place on the front. It would remain this way until the mint closed circa 212 BC.
As an aside it is my belief that the young nude jockey throughout the series is actually Taras, son of Poseidon the God of horses.
EnodiaFeb 16, 2021
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Taras, Calabria302-281 BC (Period VI - From Kleonymos to Pyrrhus)
AR Didrachm (20x24mm, 7.23g, 9h)
Nikottas Magistrate.
O: Helmeted warrior dismounting horse galloping left, holding small round shield; [EY above], NIKΩTTAΣ (magistrate) below.
R: Taras riding dolphin right, holding trident over left shoulder and hurling javelin with right hand; ΛY behind, TAPAΣ to right, small hippocamp right below.
Vlasto 699; Evans VI, Type E; SNG ANS 1075; HGC I, 817; HN Italy 968
ex London Ancient Coins
EnodiaFeb 16, 2021
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Taras, Calabria480-430 BC
AR Hemilitron (7mm, 0.38g)
O: Scallop shell with 7 teeth.
R: Head of Satyra (Taras?) left, hair rolled.
Vlasto 1186; SNG France 1642; Cote 58; McGill II, 146; HN Italy 841
ex London Ancient Coins
EnodiaFeb 16, 2021
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Dionysopolis, Moesia3rd-1sr century BC
Æ 22 (22mm, 5.8g)
O: Veiled and turreted bust of Demeter right; Herakleides, magistrate.
R: Tyche seated left, holding phiale.
Draganov, Bronze 29; SNG BM Black Sea 217 var. (magistrate); SNG Stancomb 121-5 var. (same).
Rare
ex Praefectus CoinsEnodiaFeb 16, 2021
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Dionysoplis, Moesia3rd-1st centuries BC
Æ 22 (22mm, 5.8g)
O: Veiled and turreted bust of Demeter right; Herakleides, magistrate.
R: Tyche seated left, holding phiale.
Draganov, Bronze 29; SNG BM Black Sea 217 var. (magistrate); SNG Stancomb 121-5 var. (same).
Rare
ex Praefectus Coins
EnodiaFeb 16, 2021
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Apameia, Phrygia3rd Century AD
Pseudo-autonomous
AE15 (15mm, 2.27g)
O: Draped and turreted bust of Tyche right; AΠA-MEIA.
R: Hekate Triformis standing facing, wearing polos and double chiton, and holding 4 torches and 2 patera; CΩTEI-PA.
SNG von Aulock 3475; SNG Cop 195-96; BMC 110-13
ex Gert Boersema
"O Nox, Mother of Mysteries, and all ye golden Astra who with Luna succeed the fires of day, and thou, divine three-formed Hecate, who knowest all my enterprises and dost fortify the arts of magic."
~ Ovid, The Metamorphoses
EnodiaFeb 15, 2021
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| Random files - Enodia's Gallery |
Smyrna, Ionia75-50 BC
AE21 (21mm, 7.33g)
O: Laureate head of Apollo right, within laurel wreath.
R: Homer seated left, holding scroll and staff; ΣΜYΡΝΑΙΩΝ to right.
SNG Cop 1207; Mionnet 921; Weber 6138; SNG Tuebingen 3180; BMC 116; Sear 4571v (wreath)
ex Jack H. Beymer
"Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen."
~ Homer (The Iliad)Enodia
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Chalkis, Euboia340-294 BC
AR Drachm (18mm, 3.46g)
O: Head of nymph Chalkis (or Hera?) right, hair rolled.
R: Eagle flying right, holding serpent in his talons and beak; trophy of arms below.
SNG Cop 432; Sear 2482
From the Wallace and BCD collections. ex Pegasi Numismatics
Chalkis was an important Ionian colony on the island of Euboia, and the homeland of many Greek colonies in Magna Graecia, including Cumae and Rhegium.
After the ruin of neighboring Eretria by Athens, Chalkis was left as the supreme power in the region. However Athens conquered Chalkis in 506 BC, establishing a settlement of 4000 Athenians on the island and leaving all of Euboea as a dependency. A rebellion in 446 was put down by Perikles of Athens, who sent more colonists to settle nearby Histiaea, establishing a firm control of this island which was so strategically important to the security of the mother city.
By 410 Euboea had once again regained its’ independence, but fell to the Macedonians under Phillip II, and then finally to Rome.Enodia
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Macedonian Kingdom, Reign of Perseus 171-170 BC
AR Drachm (15mm, 2.81g)
Uncertain mint in Thessaly
Hermios magistrate.
O: Head of Helios facing 3/4 right, hair loose.
R: Rose with bud on right; I-Ω to either side of stem, EPMIAΣ (magistrate) above.
Price, Larissa p. 241; SNG Keckman 795; Sear 5092
ex Jack H. Beymer
Originating from the Sitichoro, Thessaly hoard of 1968, the long held attribution for this pseudo-Rhodian series was 'Rhodian Peraia' or 'Islands off Karia', etc, and probably used to pay mercenaries. This was the attribution I bought the coin with, and it served for nearly twenty years.
However a 1988 article by Richard Ashton claims these coins were actually issued by Perseus of Macedon during the Third Macedonian War to pay his Cretan mercenaries in a coin which was familiar to them, that is, the classic 'Helios/Rose' coinage of Rhodes. This is the attribution I use today.
Selene Psoma further suggests an even more specific location based on style and weight standard, pinpointing this issue in Thasian Peraia, so it will be interesting to see what further study may reveal.Enodia
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