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Sextus Pompey

Sextus Pompeius Pius Magnus: Imperator, Prefect of the Fleet, and Youngest Son of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great). Brigand and pirate or the last bastion of the Republican struggle and (to turn a sentence of Sear's on its head) "... the [ ]worthy sole inheritor of a once great cause)..."? (Sear CRI, p. 200). Although I am interested in the issues surrounding the career of Sextus and its revision, you will not find those discussed here. What you will find are a beautiful Q. Nasidius (alas, not the great rarity depicting a sea battle) and three wonderful examples of Crawford 511s, namely a 2 and a 3 and a 4, with some very nice pedigrees. Perhaps someday I'll add a Crawford 511/1 to this gallery? In the interest of your health and welfare please do not hold your breath. I will not be holding mine.

7 files, last one added on Jun 14, 2020

Larissa

The city of Larissa was named after the local water nymph, said to be the daughter of Pelasgos. He was said to be the ancestor of the pre-Greek Pelasgians. According to myth Larissa drowned while playing ball on the banks of the Peneios river. In the sixth century BC Larissa became the preeminent city of Thessaly. Minting (silver coinage) began in the first half of the 5th century BC and apparently continued down to the early 2nd century BC, both in terms of fractional silver based upon a reduced Aiginetic standard and bronze. (HGC 4 p. 130 and 131). Currently this album contains five facing head drachms, four bull wrestling drachms, and small denominations depicting Larissa, bulls, a bull hoof, and the ever present horse. I like to include auction catalogs when I am able.

20 files, last one added on Sep 20, 2021

Vabalathus and Aurelian

The joint billon antoninianus coinage of Vabalathus and Aurelian at Antioch, c. November 270 AD to c. March 272 AD. Or should that be the joint coinage of Aurelian and Vabalathus? Which side is the obverse and which side is the reverse is one of the things, besides the general history of the Palmyrene empire and its relations with Rome, that interests me in this coinage. All eight officina are represented here, including the inverse Z. Apparently the claim in some of the literature of a ninth officina is mistaken.

9 files, last one added on Mar 27, 2021

Severina

Ulpia Severina, wife of the emperor Aurelian, Augusta 274 AD. That there was an interregnum between the murder of Aurelian and the Senatorial appointment of Tacitus as emperor is undisputed. What is disputed, however, is the length of the interregnum as well as its meaningfulness. For whatever period of interregnum that did exist, did Severina actually rule the empire? The single coin in this gallery representing the type Concordia Militum has at various times been taken as an example of the coinage minted during the interregnal period between Aurelian and Tacitus. But was it? Perhaps in the future other of Severina's coin types will join the single coin in this gallery.

1 files, last one added on Apr 20, 2019

Aurelian and the Palmyrene Empire

The theme of this gallery is a simple one, in theory. It is intended to be filled with the coinage of Aurelian that, in the opinion of Sylviane Estiot in her monumental work Monnaies de L'Empire romain XII.1/XII.2: D'Aurelian à Florien, directly references the Palmyrene Empire in terms of the threats that it posed to Rome, the movement of Aurelian's troops towards Palmyra, the victories over it that Aurelian accomplished, etc. In praxis, however, I find the theme not so easy to collect. Learning to read French is more time consuming then the time that I currently have, and at first blush it appears to me that many of the coins that fit the theme are quite rare and so I assume that I won't be obtaining them. Spending more time learning French, scouring Estiot's work, making a list of the theme fitting coins that I can obtain, finding those coins on the market...all of this will ensure that this gallery grows. For now, please enjoy the single coin that you will find inside.

1 files, last one added on Dec 14, 2019

Random Aurelians

This gallery is as the title implies: a random collection of the coinage of Aurelian.

7 files, last one added on Dec 23, 2019

Khusro II Sasanian Empire

Some coins of the King of Kings Khusro II, r. 590/91 - 628 AD.

3 files, last one added on Mar 03, 2020

Random Coins

The gallery contains coins that have caught my eye and which I was lucky enough to obtain.

8 files, last one added on Jun 23, 2021

Attica, Athens

Simply a collection of coins from Attica, Athens. Currently three different denominations are represented.

3 files, last one added on Jun 01, 2021

9 albums on 1 page(s)

Last additions - Tracy Aiello's Gallery

000999 Larissa ¾ Left, Rider on Horse Prancing RightThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: Head of the nymph Larissa 3/4 facing l., an ampyx in her hair, wearing a simple necklace and what looks like a single globule earring hanging from the bottom of the base of the last lock of hair on the r. All within a border of dots.
Rev: Thessalian cavalryman on prancing horse r., wearing chlamys and petasos. ΛAPI above l., Σ downwards in front of horse, AIΩN in exergue below the ground line.
Denomination: silver trihemiobol; Mint: Larissa; Date: c. late 4th/early 3rd Century BC1; Weight: 1.38g; Diameter: 13.3mm: Die axis: 180º; References, for example: BMC Thessaly p. 30 no. 60, pl. VI, no. 6; Weber 2855, pl. 110; McClean 4631, pl. on p. 173, no. 25; Traité VI, 725, pl. CCXCIX, 132; SNG Cop vol. 11, 134; SGCV I 2128; SNG Ashmolean 3890 and 3891; BCD Thessaly II 341; HGC 4, 515.

Notes:
1This is the date provided in BCD Thessaly II.
2Babelon sees an H in front of the horse, which BCD Thessaly corrects to a downward Σ.

Provenance: Ex. Zuzim September 16, 2021.

Photo Credits: Zuzim.

Sources
BCD Thessaly II: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly. Triton XV Auction. (3 January 2012, New York).
BMC Thessaly: Gardner, Percy. A Catalogue of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Thessaly
to Aetolia. London, 1883.
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
McClean: Grose, S. W. Catalogue of the McClean Collection of Greek Coins, Volume II The Greek
Mainland, The Aegaean Islands, Crete. London: Cambridge University Press, 1926.
SGCV I: Sear, David. Greek Coins and Their Values. Volume 1: Europe. London: Seaby, 1978.
SNG Ashmolean: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain V, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford,
Part 4: Paeonia - Thessaly (nos. 3313 - 3934). London: Oxford University Press/Spink and
Son, 1981.
SNG Cop: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum: Thessaly - Illyricum, Vol. 11. Copenhagen: Einar Munksgaard, 1943
Traité: Babelon, Ernest. Traité des Monnaies Grecques et Romaines: Tome Quatrième. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1926.
Weber: Forrer, L. Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Greek Coins formed by Sir Hermann
Weber: Volume II. London: Spink & Son, 1924.

1 commentsTracy AielloSep 20, 2021

00041 Horse Prancing Right, Larissa Left Bouncing BallThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: horse prancing r. All within a border of dots.
Rev: Λ - Α (lower l. corner, upper r. corner) Larissa walking l. wearing Chiton, l. hand lowered behind her and bouncing a ball in front of her with raised r. hand. All within incuse square.
Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Larissa; Date: c. 460 - 440 BC; Weight: .99g; Diameter: 10mm: Die axis: 180º; References, for example: Imhoof-Blumer Nymphen: p. 69 no. 186 pl. V no. 18; Herrmann Group II b 𝛃 pl. I 16; Traité IV, 654 var. legend placement, Larissa r., pl. CCXCVI, 11; BCD Thessaly I 1111 (this coin); HGC 4 486.

Provenance: Ex. Numismatica Ars Classica Auction 124 Lot 111 June 23, 2021; Ex. BCD Thessaly Nomos AG Auction 4 Lot 1111 May 10, 2011; Ex. Leu Numismatik 50 Lot 127 April 25, 1990.

Photo Credits: Numismatica Ars Classica

Sources
BCD Thessaly I: Nomos AG, Auction 4. Coins of Thessaly, the BCD Collection. (10 May 2011, Zurich).
Herrmann, Fritz. “Die Silbermünzen von Larissa in Thessalien.” Zeitschrift für Numismatik 35 (1925): 1 - 69.
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece: Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
Imhoof-Blumer, F. "Nymphen und Chariten auf griechischen Münzen.” Journal International d 'Archéologie Numismatique, vol 11 (1908).
Traité: Babelon, Ernest. Traité des Monnaies Grecques et Romaines: Tome Quatrième. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1926.

1 commentsTracy AielloJul 11, 2021

Assos, TroasGriffin and Lion Head

Obv: Griffin recumbent r. with l. forepaw raised. Border of dots.
Rev: Lion’s head r. Mouth open. All within incuse square.
Denomination: Silver hemiobol; Mint: Assos, Troas; Date: c. 479 - 450 BC; Weight: 0.286g; Diameter: 6.8mm; Die axis: 180º; References, for example: BMC Troas, p. 36, 3; Weber 5318.

Provenance: Ex. Forum Ancient Coins May 29, 2021.

Photo Credits: Forum Ancient Coins

Sources
BMC Troas: Wroth, Warwick. A Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum. Greek Coins of Troas, Aeolis, and Lesbos. London: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1894.
Weber: Forrer, L. Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Greek Coins formed by Sir Hermann Weber: Volume III, Part 1. London: Spink & Son Limited, 1926.Tracy AielloJun 23, 2021

The Island of LesbosCity of Mytilene - Apollo and Aphrodite with Amphora

Obv: laureate head of Apollo facing r.
Rev: head of Aphrodite facing r., circular earing, hair rolled, amphora r. (control symbol) in the lower r., MY[TI?] (off flan).
Denomination: silver diobol; Mint: Mytilene; Date: 400 - 350 BC; Weight: 1.33g; Diameter: 10mm; Die axis: 120º; References, for example: BMC Troas, p. 185, 8 - 14 var., amphora control symbol not listed; SNG Cop vol. 21, 368; SNGvA vol. 16, 7749; HGC 6, 1037.

Provenance: Ex. cgb.fr April 19, 2021

Photo Credits: cgb.fr

Sources
BMC Troas: Wroth, Warwick. A Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum. Greek Coins of Troas, Aeolis, and Lesbos. London: Longmans, Green, & Co., 1894.
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegen, and Carpathian Seas (Excluding Crete and Cyprus), Sixth to First Centuries BC, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 6. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2010.
SNG COP: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum: Aeolis - Lesbos, Vol. 21. Copenhagen: Einar Munksgaard, 1945.
SNGvA: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum Deutschland, Sammlung v. Aulock. Nachträge II. Mysien - Troas - Aeolis - Lesbos: Nr. 7191 - 7758, Vol. 16. Berlin, Verlag Gebr. Mann, 1967.Tracy AielloJun 13, 2021

00091 Horse Prancing Left, Larissa Right with Wreath and BallThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: Horse prancing l. on ground line. ΟΣ above with the Σ reversed. All within border of dots.
Rev: Larissa standing on ground line facing the viewer, head turned l. [viewer’s .r], wreath in raised l. hand and ball in lowered r. hand. On r. ΛΑ upwards, on l. ΡΙΣΑ downwards and retrograde. All within incuse square.
Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Larissa; Date: 420 - 400 BC1; Weight: .98g; Diameter: 12mm: Die axis: 330º; References, for example: Imhoof-Blummer p. 71, 193/pl. V, 25; Herrmann Group III Small Denominations under E, III 𝛂 Obols rev. II, pl. II, 20; BCD Thessaly II 364.3; HCG 495.

Notes:
1This is the date given in HGC 4.

Provenance: Ex. Numismatica Ars Classica Auction 123 May 9, 2021; Ex CNG e-sale 252, March 23, 2011 lot 46.

Photo Credits: Numismatica Ars Classica

Sources
BCD Thessaly II: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly. Triton XV Auction. (3 January 2012, New York).
Herrmann, Fritz. “Die Silbermünzen von Larissa in Thessalien.” Zeitschrift für Numismatik 35 (1925): 1 - 69 with 9
plates.
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
Imhoof-Blumer, F. "Nymphen und Chariten auf griechischen Münzen.” Journal International d
'Archéologie Numismatique, vol 11 (1908): 3 - 213 with 12 plates.
4 commentsTracy AielloJun 12, 2021

Attica, Athenian ObolAthenian Later Archaic/Rough Archaic Obol1

Obv: head of Athena facing r., crested Attic helmet with three olive leaves and spiral palmette on bowl of the helmet, hair across forehead in straight bands, almond shaped eye.
Rev: owl standing r. with erect posture, tail feathers as a single prong, head facing forward, a single leaf olive sprig and berry to the l., A☉E at 90º and downward to the r., all within incuse square.
Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Athens; Date: c. 454 - 404 BC2; Weight: .67g; Diameter: 9mm; Die axis: 110º; References, for example: BMC vol. 11, 99; SNG Cop vol. 14, 53 to 56, var. no mention of berry; Starr p. XXIII, aa; Cf. Svoronos Athens pl. 8, 43 - 46 and pl. 9, 33 - 34, 37 - 46; SGCV I 2530; Kroll 13a ff var. no mention of berry; SNG München 77 to 82; HGC 4, 1665 var. no mention of berry.

Notes:
1This characterization is per BMC vol. 11, pp. xxiii and 8.
2This is the date range given in HGC 4.

Provenance: Ex. Harlan J Berk Ltd 215th Buy or Bid Sale, May 4, 2021; acquired from Harlan Berk in 2013.

Photo Credits: Harlan J Berk, Ltd

Sources:
BMC 11: Head, Barclay V. A Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum. Atica - Megaris - Aegina. London: Longmans & Co., 1888.
HGC 4: HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
SGCV I: Sear, David. Greek Coins and Their Values, Vol. I, Europe: Coins of Spain, Gaul, Italy, Sicily, the Balkan lands, Greece, the Cyclades and Crete; also the Cletic issues of Western and Central Europe. London: Seaby, 1978.
Kroll: Kroll, John H. and Walker, Alan S. “The Athenian Agora. Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, vol. XXVI: The Greek Coins”. New Jersey: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1993.
SNG COP: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum: Attica - Aegina, Vol. 14. Copenhagen: Einar Munksgaard, 1944.
SNG München: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Deutschland, Staatliche Münzsammlung München, Attika, Megaris, Ägina, Nr. 1 - 601, Vol. 14. München: Hirmer Verlag, 2002.
Starr: Starr, Chester G. Athenian coinage 480-449 B.C. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970.
Svornos Athens: Svoronos, John N. Corpus of the Ancient Coins of Athens. Chicago: Ares Publishers Inc., 1975.
4 commentsTracy AielloJun 01, 2021

Attica, Athenian TriobolAthenian Pi-Style Triobol

Obv: head of Athena facing r., crested Attic helmet ornamented with olive leaves and a pi-style palmette, eye in profile.
Rev: owl standing facing; an olive branch coming down from above to the l. and r. with five or more leaves, [A☉Ǝ, with A above and ☉ lower l. and Ǝ lower r.].
Denomination: silver triobol (or hemidrachm); Mint: Athens; Date: c. 353 - 294 BC1; Weight: 2.015g; Diameter: 12.5mm; Die axis: 270º; References, for example: BMC vol. 11, 169; SNG Cop vol. 14, 68; Svoronos Athens pl. 21, 48; Kroll 19d; HGC 4, 1642.

Notes:
1This is the date range given in HGC 4.

Provenance: Ex. Forum Ancient Coins March 26, 2021, from the Errett Bishop collection (assembled from about 1960 - 1982).

Photo Credits: Forum Ancient Coins

Sources
BMC 11: Head, Barclay V. A Catalogue of Greek Coins in the British Museum. Atica - Megaris - Aegina. London: Longmans & Co., 1888.
HGC 4: HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
Kroll: Kroll, John H. and Walker, Alan S. "The Athenian Agora. Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, vol. XXVI: The Greek Coins". New Jersey: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1993.
SNG COP: Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum: Attica - Aegina, Vol. 14. Copenhagen: Einar Munksgaard, 1944.
Svoronos Athens: Svoronos, John N. Corpus of the Ancient Coins of Athens. Chicago: Ares Publishers Inc., 1975.6 commentsTracy AielloMar 30, 2021

Vabalathus and Aurelian Antioch 7th Officina Inverse ZVabalathus: 270 - 272 AD; Aurelian: 270 - 275 AD
Julius Aurelius Septimius Vabalathus Athenodorus (Wahb Allat), son of Septimius Odaenathus and Septimia Zenobia. Palmyrene Empire.

Obv: VABALATHVS V C R IM D R1; Bust of Vabalathus, laureate, diademed, draped, and curiassed, facing right, seen from behind.
Rev: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG; Bust of Aurelian, radiate and curiassed, facing right, inverse Z in exergue2.
Denomination: billon antoninianus; Mint: Antioch; Officina: 7th; Issue: 1st; Date: Nov. 270 - Mar. 272; Weight: 3.62g; Diameter: 20mm; Die axis: 180º; References, for example: RIC V v.1 381 correc, var. no inverse Z; MER - RIC 3111; SRCV III 11718 var. no inverse Z.

Notes:
1VABALATHVS V[IR] C[LARISSIMUS] R[EX] IM[PERATOR] D[UX] R[OMANORUM]. See for example, Bland (2011), pp. 135, 141 and Estiot (2004, v1), p. 118, esp. note 462.
2Sylviane Estiot refers to this mint mark as an inverse Z and thus assigns these to the seventh officina (BnF XII, vol. I p. 223, vol. II p. 431, and pl. 41 no. 1257). Roger Bland, conversely, views this mint mark as a square S and therefore assigns these to the sixth officina (Bland, "The Coinage of Vabalathus and Zenobia from Antioch and Alexandria'', NC 171 (2011), p. 163 no. 9, pl. 16 no. 9n).

Provenance: Ex Athena Numismatics March 4, 2021.

Photo credits: Athena Numismatics3 commentsTracy AielloMar 27, 2021

00092 Horse Prancing Right, Larissa Left with Wreath and BallThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: Horse prancing r. on ground line. Ο[𐌔] above. All within border of dots.
Rev: Larissa standing on ground line facing the viewer, head turned r. [viewer's l.], wreath in raised r. hand and ball in lowered l. hand. On l. and below an A, on r. and downward ΛΑΡΙ𐌔. All within incuse square.
Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Larissa; Date: c. 420 - 400 BC1; Weight: 1.00g; Diameter: 13mm: Die axis: 0º; References, for example: BCD Thessaly II 363.3 and 364.1 [this coin]; HGC 4, 496.

Notes:
1This is the date given in HGC 4.

Provenance: Ex BCD Thessaly, January 3, 2012; Ex. Dr. Martina Dieterle March 22, 2021.

Photo Credits: Dr. Martina Dieterle

Sources
BCD Thessaly II: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly. Triton XV Auction. (3 January 2012, New York).
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
Tracy AielloMar 23, 2021

0003 Wrestled Bull Head with Lotus Flower and Bridled HorseThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: bull head and neck l., head turned to face the viewer, on the r. and behind half figure of the hero Thessalos1 to l., grasping the bull by the horns. Lotus flower above. All within border of dots.
Rev: Λ-ΑR-Ι in front and above (retrograde), head and neck of bridled horse r. All within incuse square.
Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Larissa; Date: c. 462/1 - 460 BC2; Weight: .86g; Diameter: 10mm: Die axis: 210º; References, for example: Liampi Corpus p. 101, IA (V1-R1), pl. 4, 1 and 2 and 3; BCD Thessaly I 1103.

Notes:
1Considered the ancestor of all Thessalians. The figure is also sometimes considered to be Jason (of Jason and the Argonauts), who according to one tradition was the father of Thessalos (HGC 4, p. 132).
2This is the date given in BCD Thessaly I.

Provenance: Ex Leu Numismatik February 27, 2021, From a European collection formed before 2005.

Photo Credits: Leu Numismatik

Sources
BCD Thessaly I: Nomos AG, Auction 4. Coins of Thessaly, the BCD Collection. (10 May 2011, Zurich).
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
Liampi Corpus: Liampi, Katerini. "Das Corpus der Obolen und Hemiobolen des Thessalischen Bundes und die politische Geschichte Thessaliens im 2. Viertel des 5. Jahrhunderts v. Chr." In Hellas und Der Griechische Osten: Studien zur Geschichte und Numismatik der griechischen Welt, Festschrift für Peter Robert Franke zum 70. Geburtstag, ed. Wolfgang Leschhorn, Auguste V. B. Miron und Andrei Miron. Saarbrücken: SDV Saarbrücker Druckerei und Verlag GmbH, 1996.

1 commentsTracy AielloMar 22, 2021

Wolf Forepart, Eagle On Harpa, Large AArgos, Argolis (Peloponnese Peninsula)

Obv: forepart of wolf1 facing l., 𝝝 [a circle with a dot inside] above.
Rev: large A in shallow incuse square; 𝚪 to l. of top of A, Υ to r. of top of A, below an eagle with closed wings standing r. on harpa.
Denomination: silver triobol2; Mint: Argos; Date: c. 322 - 229 BC3; Weight: 2.5g; Diameter: 15mm; Die axis: 120º; References, for example: BMC Peloponnese p. 142 no. 79 and 80; Traité III, p. 470, no. 640, pl. CCXVI no. 114; McClean II p. 457 no. 6835; BCD Peloponnesos 1111 and 1112.

Notes:
1According to Head in Historia Numorum "[t]he wolf is the well known symbol of Apollo Lykios, whose worship at Argos dates from very remote times."
2McClean states "Nos. 6801 seq. are more conveniently regarded as Attic tetrobols than Aeginetic triobols or hemidrachms." (p. 455).
3This is the date given in Head Historia Numorum and McClean.
4Interestingly there is no mention of the device, circle with the dot inside, above the wolf but it is clearly visible when looking at no. 11 on plate CCXVI.

Provenance: Harlan J. Berk June 10, 2020

Photo Credits: Harlan J. Berk

Sources
BCD Peloponnesos: LHS Numismatics. Coins of Peloponnesos. The BCD Collection. Catalog of public auction 96, 8-9 May 2006 (Zurich) [reference accessed via the acsearch.info website].
BMC Peloponnese: Gardner, Percy. A Catalogue of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Peloponnesus (excluding Corinth). London, 1887.
HN Peloponnese: Head, Barclay V. [Wiki] Historia Numorum: A Manual of Greek Numismatics, 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press: 1911. Online at https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=peloponnesus
McClean II: Grose, S. W. Fitzwilliam Museum. Catalogue of the McClean Collection of Greek Coins. Volume II: The Greek Mainland, The Aegaean Islands, Crete. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 1926.
Traité: Babelon, Ernest. Traité des Monnaies Grecques et Romaines: Tome Troisième. Paris: 19142 commentsTracy AielloFeb 13, 2021

0004 Wrestled Bull Head and Bridled HorseThessaly Greece, the City of Larissa

Obv: bull head and neck r., head turned to face the viewer, on the l. and behind half figure of the hero Thessalos1 to r. with l. arm over the bull's neck and r. hand below the bull's muzzle. All within border of dots.
Rev: ΛΑ r. and upwards, head and neck of bridled horse r. All within incuse square.
Denomination: silver obol; Mint: Larissa; Date: c. 460 - 440 BC2; Weight: 1.01g; Diameter: 11mm: Die axis: 180º; References, for example: Liampi Corpus p. 102, 6 (V4-R5), Pl. 4, 13 and 14; BCD Thessaly II 353.3; HGC 4, 480.

Notes:
1Considered the ancestor of all Thessalians. The figure is also sometimes considered to be Jason (of Jason and the Argonauts), who according to one tradition was the father of Thessalos (HGC 4, p. 132).
2This is the date given in HGC 4.

Provenance: Ex Numismatik-Naumann November 14, 2020.

Photo Credits: Numismatik-Naumann

Sources
BCD Thessaly II: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly. Triton XV Auction. (3 January 2012, New York).
HGC: Hoover, Oliver D. Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Vol. 4. Lancaster/London: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc, 2014.
Liampi Corpus: Liampi, Katerini. "Das Corpus der Obolen und Hemiobolen des Thessalischen Bundes und die politische Geschichte Thessaliens im 2. Viertel des 5. Jahrhunderts v. Chr." In Hellas und Der Griechische Osten: Studien zur Geschichte und Numismatik der griechischen Welt, Festschrift für Peter Robert Franke zum 70. Geburtstag, ed. Wolfgang Leschhorn, Auguste V. B. Miron und Andrei Miron. Saarbrücken: SDV Saarbrücker Druckerei und Verlag GmbH, 1996.4 commentsTracy AielloFeb 11, 2021

Random files - Tracy Aiello's Gallery

0001 Sasanian Empire Khusro II -- Year 2 -- BishapurObv: Pahlavi script legend: to the l. on two lines reading down leftward and outward is GDH/'pzwt (xwarrah abzūd) and to the r. on one line reading down is hwslwd (Husraw) = Khusro has increased the royal glory; frontal bust facing r. of bearded Khusro II with a hair globe drawn to the back of the neck, crown with three merlons and attached to the top of the crown cap are wings (group of pellets within the base) with an attached crescent and star, double pearl diadem with three ribbons behind, earring made up of three dots, neckline edged with a row of pearls, both shoulders decorated with a crescent and star, double row of pearls from shoulders to breast, two dots on the breast, star in upper l. field, star and crescent in upper r. field, two dotted rims with a star on a crescent at 3h, 6h, and 9h.
Rev: Pahlavi script legend: to the l. reading down is year tlyn of Khusro II's reign and to the r. reading down is the mint mark BYSh = year 2 of Khusro II's reign, Bishapur; fire altar with a base consisting of two slabs and a shaft with two ribbons pointing upwards to the r. and l. of the shaft with four altar slabs on top and flames consisting of four tiers rendered as four then three then two then one upward stroke, star to the l. and crescent to the r. of the top two tiers, to the l. and r. of the altar are two frontal facing attendants each holding a sword pointing downwards with the r. hand over the l. hand and wearing a rounded cap, three dotted rims with a star on a crescent at 3h, 6h, 9h, and 12h.
Denomination: silver drachm; Mint: Bishapur; Date: year 2, 591 - 592 AD; Weight: 4.12g; Diameter: 29mm; Die axis: 90º; References, for example: Göbl II/2; SNS Iran 580 and 581 (same mint and regnal year).

Regnal year 2 saw major changes to the coinage of Khusro II. First, the defeat of Wahrām Chōbēn (Wahrām VI) brought to an end the interruption of Khusro II's xwarrah and so wings representing Vərəθraγna/Verethragna (Avestan), Wahrām (Middle Persian), Bahrām (Persian), i.e. the god or personification of victory, were added to Khusro II's crown. Second, for the first time in Sasanian coinage the ideogram GDH (xwarrah) is added to the legend (obverse). Third, on the reverse six pointed stars are added to the crescent moons outside of the three dotted rims at 3h, 6h, 9h, and 12h. Six pointed stars can be considered representations of the sun (see Gariboldi 2010 pp. 36ff and the sources referenced in footnote 71, p. 37).

See Daryaee (1997) for an interesting study of the religious and political iconography on the coinage of Khusro II*. He argues that Khusro II implemented iconographic changes in regnal year 2 (591 - 592 AD) as a direct result of suppressing the rebellion (with the assistance of the Byzantine Emperor Maurice) of the brilliant general Wahrām Chōbēn (Wahrām VI) in 591 AD. Further iconographic changes were carried out in regnal year 11 (600 - 601 AD) in response to the final defeat in 600 AD of the 10 year rule/rebellion of Wistahm**, his uncle (as the brother-in-law of his father Ohrmazd IV) and former staunch supporter.

*The study cannot be intended to be complete. For example, there is no discussion of the legend 'pd that appeared, beginning in the 12th regnal year but not present for all subsequent years or at all mints, in the second quadrant outside of the rims on the obverse. Gariboldi 2010 (p.64) translates the legend as "good", "excellent", "wonderful" while Göbl 1983 (p. 331) translates it as "praise".

**There is some debate about when Wistahm was finally eliminated. Daryaee, following Paruck 1924, relies on (purported?) numismatic evidence that the last coin minted in his name was for year 10. Therefore Daryaee states that 600 AD was the year of elimination (Daryaee 1997, p. 53 n. 38. Also see Daryaee 2009, p. 33 n. 166 for a slightly more tepid assertion). Frye 1984 implies a 10 year rule for Wistahm, stating that "it was not until 601 that the rule of Chosroes [Khusro] was restored over all of the empire..." (p. 336). Göbl SN, however, states that 10 years of reign are said to be represented, although personally he had only seen coins of years 2 through 7 (p. 53). Thus Wistahm's years in SN's Table XI are listed as "591/2 - 597?" Malek 1993 also lists Wistahm's years as 591/2 - 97 (p. 237).

Provenance: Ex Stephen Album Rare Coins Auction 36, January 25, 2020

Photo Credit: Stephen Album Rare Coins

Sources

Daryaee, Touraj. 'The Use of Religio-Political Propaganda on Coins of Xusrō II." The Journal of the American Numismatics (1989-), vol. 9 (1997): 41-53.
Daryaee, Touraj. Sasanian Persia: The Rise And Fall Of An Empire. London: I. B. Tauris, 2009.
Frye, Richard. The History of Ancient Iran. Munich: C.H. Beck’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1984.
Gariboldi, Andrea. Sasanian Coinage and History: The Civic Numismatic Collection of Milan. Costa Mesa: Mazda Publishers, 2010.
Göbl, Robert. Sasanian Numismatics. Braunschweig: Klinkhardt and Biermann, 1971.
Göbl 1983: Yarshater, Ehsan, ed. The Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3 (1), The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian Periods. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983: 322 - 336.
Malek, Hodge. "A Survey of Research on Sasanian Numismatics." The Numismatic Chronicle (1966-), vol. 153 (1993): 227 - 269.
Paruck, F.D.J. Sasanian Coins. Bombay: 1924.
SNS Iran: Akbarzadeh, Daryoosh and Nikolaus Schindel. Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum Iran A Late Sasanian Hoard from Orumiyeh. Wien: Österreichischen Akademie Der Wissenschaften, 2017.

2 commentsTracy Aiello