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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,340 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4883 Posts |
Today I got first shot at cherrypicking a batch of silver ancients the coin shop thought to be Greek. I admit that aside from Roman Imperial issues, for which I have a little (probably misplaced) confidence, my knowledge regarding ancients in general is woefully inadequate. On the other hand, in this instance my ignorance allowed me to select without preconceptions those specimens that I found most appealing and/or interesting. I've done what research I could, but I'm still not finding a match for any of these three, I apologize in advance if they're such boringly common items that I should've known what they were or at least been able to ferrett them out on my own, or worse yet, if it turns out they're phonies. Coin #1 - My impression is that there's depicted a cock/rooster on the obverse. But it was the distinctive, concave "waffled" reverse compelled me to choose it from amongst the others. Dimensions are 11 x 7.5 mm, weight comes in at 0.57 grams.   Coin #2 - Lion's (or wolf's, or even a baboon's?) head on the obverse, boar's (?) head on the reverse. Pretty irregular flan, roughly 12 mm across, weight is 0.82 grams.   Coin #3 - Design elements seem to correspond to those of the previous coin (although in this case, the head on the obverse looks decidedly more leonine}, but this one's really minuscule with a diameter measuring only 5.8 mm with a weight of merely ¼ of a gram. I found it particularly intriguing that the head on the obverse appears within an incuse field. I marvel at the skill required to make a die this size by hand, and then to strike such a tiny flan!   Colligo ergo sum
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
34418 Posts |
I really like the cross-hatching on the back of the coin from Troas--haven't seen that before.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Nice pick ups! I haven't seen many of that first from Troas, by Kyzikos is common and very popular!  2 should be an obol; 3 is either a tartemorion (1/4 obol) or trihemitartemorion (3/8 obol). I think the tartemorion ought to weigh .17g, so I'm leaning toward the latter if it weighs .25g. That is probably the better find; yours is in good condition and could be worth a nice little bit. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4883 Posts |
Browsing the Wildwinds webpage for Mysia, Kyzikos coinage has led me to the conclusion that very nearly all of that lot I examined was from there. I saw quite a few pieces with that characteristic "quadripartite incuse punch" on their reverses. Apparently my examples do bear the heads of a lion on one side and a boar on the other. I see references there to both being present, albeit turned around from what I had thought as the boar evidently is considered as gracing the obverse and the lion the reverse. SNG vA 1214 looks to be a pretty good match to my #2 above, and would date it to no later than the mid-5th century BC. I'm not spotting that little guy (#3) there, though.
That Troas as a region is associated with Troy I find extremely cool, even though the type I found dates to the period right around 500 BC, which would be several centuries after the siege and fall of the city. Nevertheless, it's one of those coins that I really wish could talk.
Colligo ergo sum
Edited by Lucky Cuss
04/06/2018 09:40 am
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Valued Member
United States
58 Posts |
I only have a few ancient coins, but yours look darn good for being 2,500 years old!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4883 Posts |
Quote:
Kyzikos is common and very popular! Quote:
That [trihemitartemorion] is probably the better find; yours is in good condition and could be worth a nice little bit. So can anyone further opine on this? Is #3 above ho-hum and ordinary, or actually a little special? Would somebody possibly know of any auctions of such that might establish a retail market value? Colligo ergo sum
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
I won't entertain that I am an expert in grading or valuating these, but in a no reserve auction I would be surprised if the Kyzikos obol fetched less than $30. It has surface issues, but it is very detailed - more than your typical specimen. Researching my own, I stumbled on a forum post (on another forum) showing off a Kyzikos obol that they had just forked out over $3,000 for... a little more detailed than yours, but with better surfaces. The trihemitartemorion is tougher to valuate. They are popular both for the engraving skill involved, and for the lower survival rate. Yours is quite nice, but I have seen people get taken to the cleaners on nice coins on ebay. I personally wouldn't sell it for less than $45; $100 wouldn't be an unreasonable price to the right buyer. Since these were a grab bag type deal, I assume you got quite the bargain price on these? |
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Posted 04/05/2018 8:20 pm
