Classical Numismatics Discussion Members' Coin Collection Photo Gallery

Image search results - "cheron"

1672, Prise de douze villes en HollandeObv. Draped and cuirassed bust right LVD MAG FRA ET NAV REX PP, CHERON on bust truncation.
Rev. The King in the guise of Sol, radiating light, seated right in a heavenly chariot pulled by three horses, surrounded by clouds. Around are aerlia views of twelve towns and forts captured in Holland SOLIS QVE LABORES on scroll above central design, the names of all twelve towns/forts around.

AE63. Engraved by Charles Jean Francois Cheron. ORIGINAL STRIKE, very rare.

Charles Jean Francois Cheron (1635-1698), one of the most distinguished artists of the school of Jean Warin, was born at Nancy and was trained by his father, Jean-Charles Cheron, engraver to Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine. Cheron went to Rome and became engraver of medals for Clement IX and Innocent X. Cheron's style in his Roman medals is of remarkable boldness, and his medals of Pope Clement IX and of Bernini are grandiloquent and among the finest Italian medals of the period. He returned to France in 1675 and was employed by Louis XIV at the Medal Mint at Paris for about twelve years, where he contributed several medals to the medallic series of the monarch, the Histoire Metallique. His medals are considered to be in an international baroque style.
11 commentsLordBest

BYZANTINE EMPIRE - Justinian I - Cherson MintBYZANTINE EMPIRE - Justinian I (548-562 AD) AE Nummi. Cherson mint. Obv.: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right Rev.: VIC-TOR, Justinian standing, holding long cross and globe. SB 197a, DOC 371. 11 mm
dpaul7

Calabria, Taras. Half stater circa 333-331/0AV 4.26 g.
TAPANTINÎ©N Head of Hera r., wearing stephane, triple-pendant earring and necklace; in l. field, E.
Rev. TAPAÎ£ Dolphin rider l., holding small dolphin on outstretched r. hand and trident in l.; below, T – K.
Vlasto 5. de Luynes 247 These dies). Jameson 149 (these dies). AMB 90 (these dies). Fischer-Bossert G7h (this coin). Historia Numorum Italy 902.
Very rare and possibly the finest specimen in private hands. A portrait of exquisite
style, work of a very talented master engraver. Extremely fine
Ex Sammlung Dr. G.W., erworben bei Crédit Suisse Monetarium Zürich am 14.6.1996.

In the late fourth century BC, Taras fell under increasing pressure from neighbouring Italic peoples, particularly the Lucanians and the related Brettians. As a means of defending themselves against the growing threat, the Tarentines took to hiring foreign mercenary commanders and their armies. These commanders were often important and powerful figures in mainland Greece. In 340 BC, the Tarentines hired Archidamos III, the Eurypontid Spartan king to wage war against their enemies. When the Lucanian menace was renewed in 334 BC, the Tarentines hired Alexander I of Epeiros, the Molossian king who was not only brother to Olympias and uncle to Alexander the Great, but also father of Pyrrhos, whose own Italian adventures are the subject of legends. Alexander the Molossian was very keen to take up the call for military aid both in an effort to parallel the glory enjoyed by his Macedonian nephew as he began the conquest of the Persian Empire and to cheat an oracle that linked the doom of Alexander I to the river Acheron and the city of Pandosia—both in Epeiros, he assumed. From 333 to 332 BC, Alexander the Molossian was extremely successful, inflicting numerous defeats on the Lucanians, Brettians, and Samnites, recapturing Greek cities, like Herakleia (a colony of Taras) and Metapontion, and even seizing several Brettian settlements. However, by 331 BC his relationship with the Tarentines had begun to fray due to the king’s meddling in the civic politics of the region, and the Lucanians and Brettians were prepared to renew the conflict. Alexander I encamped with his army on three hills on the border between Lucania and Bruttium near a small city, but found himself besieged by the enemy during a heavy rainfall. He attempted to escape the battle by fording a nearby river, but was killed by a Lucanian spear. The name of the river turned out to be the Acheron and that of the nearby city, Pandosia. It was bad luck for Alexander the Molossian that Greek colonists in other lands often had a taste for naming cities and local geographical features after those in their homeland. This beautiful gold hemistater was struck at Taras as part of the financial support for the great army of Epeirote and Italiote Greek mercenaries that Alexander I led. Fending off barbarians was never cheap and one can only imagine how much more expensive it made things to have a king serving as mercenary commander. The obverse depicts Hera, a goddess often favoured by Dorian Greek peoples, like the Tarentines, while the reverse features a dolphin rider—a popular type at Taras. There is disagreement among numismatists as to whether this rider is correctly identified as Taras, the mythological eponymous founder of the city or as Phalanthos, the historical oecist responsible for the foundation of Taras. Both have stories attached to them of being saved by dolphins when they were at risk of drowning. In this particular case since the rider carries a trident, the weapon of Poseidon, and Taras was said to be the son of the same god it may be more likely that we are looking at Taras rather than Phalanthos here.1 commentsLeo

Cherronesos Hemidrachm 480-350 BCOBV:Forepart of lion facing right, head turned.
REV: Quadripartite incuse square, pellet and bunch of grapes in sunken quarters,
BMC 11 (ref. Wildwinds)

A near XF coin but flatly struck at 3 o'clock so that details of the lion's mane are not evident. The chisel marks around the lion's eyes and face are still sharp and clear. My oldest coin.2 commentsdaverino

Greek, Italy, Calabria, Taras. Half stater circa 333-331/0AV 4.26 g.
TAPANTINÎ©N Head of Hera r., wearing stephane, triple-pendant earring and necklace; in l. field, E.
Rev. TAPAÎ£ Dolphin rider l., holding small dolphin on outstretched r. hand and trident in l.; below, T – K.
Vlasto 5. de Luynes 247 These dies). Jameson 149 (these dies). AMB 90 (these dies). Fischer-Bossert G7h (this coin). Historia Numorum Italy 902.
Very rare and possibly the finest specimen in private hands. A portrait of exquisite
style, work of a very talented master engraver. Extremely fine
Ex Sammlung Dr. G.W., erworben bei Crédit Suisse Monetarium Zürich am 14.6.1996.

In the late fourth century BC, Taras fell under increasing pressure from neighbouring Italic peoples, particularly the Lucanians and the related Brettians. As a means of defending themselves against the growing threat, the Tarentines took to hiring foreign mercenary commanders and their armies. These commanders were often important and powerful figures in mainland Greece. In 340 BC, the Tarentines hired Archidamos III, the Eurypontid Spartan king to wage war against their enemies. When the Lucanian menace was renewed in 334 BC, the Tarentines hired Alexander I of Epeiros, the Molossian king who was not only brother to Olympias and uncle to Alexander the Great, but also father of Pyrrhos, whose own Italian adventures are the subject of legends. Alexander the Molossian was very keen to take up the call for military aid both in an effort to parallel the glory enjoyed by his Macedonian nephew as he began the conquest of the Persian Empire and to cheat an oracle that linked the doom of Alexander I to the river Acheron and the city of Pandosia—both in Epeiros, he assumed. From 333 to 332 BC, Alexander the Molossian was extremely successful, inflicting numerous defeats on the Lucanians, Brettians, and Samnites, recapturing Greek cities, like Herakleia (a colony of Taras) and Metapontion, and even seizing several Brettian settlements. However, by 331 BC his relationship with the Tarentines had begun to fray due to the king’s meddling in the civic politics of the region, and the Lucanians and Brettians were prepared to renew the conflict. Alexander I encamped with his army on three hills on the border between Lucania and Bruttium near a small city, but found himself besieged by the enemy during a heavy rainfall. He attempted to escape the battle by fording a nearby river, but was killed by a Lucanian spear. The name of the river turned out to be the Acheron and that of the nearby city, Pandosia. It was bad luck for Alexander the Molossian that Greek colonists in other lands often had a taste for naming cities and local geographical features after those in their homeland. This beautiful gold hemistater was struck at Taras as part of the financial support for the great army of Epeirote and Italiote Greek mercenaries that Alexander I led. Fending off barbarians was never cheap and one can only imagine how much more expensive it made things to have a king serving as mercenary commander. The obverse depicts Hera, a goddess often favoured by Dorian Greek peoples, like the Tarentines, while the reverse features a dolphin rider—a popular type at Taras. There is disagreement among numismatists as to whether this rider is correctly identified as Taras, the mythological eponymous founder of the city or as Phalanthos, the historical oecist responsible for the foundation of Taras. Both have stories attached to them of being saved by dolphins when they were at risk of drowning. In this particular case since the rider carries a trident, the weapon of Poseidon, and Taras was said to be the son of the same god it may be more likely that we are looking at Taras rather than Phalanthos here.2 commentsLeo

Taras, Calabria302-290 BC (Period V - From Alexander the Molossian to Kleonymos)
AR Didrachm (20mm, 7.98g)
O: Naked warrior in crested helmet on horse prancing right, spearing downward with right hand, shield and two extra spears in left; ΔΑΙ below.
R: Taras riding dolphin left, holding trident over shoulder with right hand and shield decorated with hippocamp in left; ΦΙ to left, ΤΑΡΑΣ to right, murex shell below.
D'Andrea XXXIX, 848; Vlasto 594; Cote 239; Evans V, B5; Fischer-Bossert 1022a; SNG ANS 991; SNG Cop 845; McGill II, 52; HGC I, 801; HN Italy 935
ex Heidelberger Munzhandlung

Vlasto dates this coin to the time of Alexander the Molossian, but I believe it may be safely placed after the King’s death in 331, as the typical Epirote symbols are no longer seen (especially, as Evans points out, the eagle’s head). Alexander, uncle to Alexander the Great, arrived at Taras in 334 as defender, the leader of a mercenary army from Epirus hired to help defend Taras from the indigenous Italian tribes. However he was quickly seen to have something more in the way of conquest in mind. Having ignored the warning of the Oracle at the Temple of Zeus Dodona, Alexander pushed west and fulfilled prophecy, being killed while fighting the Lucanians at Pandosia, near the River Acheron.

The murex shell played a very large part in the Tarentine economy, producing a rich purple dye. In fact the early reference books simply describe it as “a purple shell”. Purple cloth from Taras was considered a great luxury throughout the Mediterranean.
5 commentsEnodia

Thrace-Chersonesos; 400-350 BCAR-Hemidrachm
Obv: Forepart of a lion right, head reverted.
Rev: Quadripartite incuse square with alternating raised and sunken quarters,
pellets in opposite sunken quarters.
Size: 12mm;2.08gms
Ref: BMC Tauric Chersonese,Thrace,Vol.3,Pg.183,No.8/9
McClean 4056
2 commentsBrian L

8 files on 1 page(s)