I have been sitting on an album of 2x2's with one gap in it for quite some time. My collecting of coins/notes has been side lined as I grew more serious in my collection of watches (an economically crippling hobby for me)
Anyway I have been checking daily hoping to spot a Tetras from Kamerina of this type but the search on V-coins was yielding about 30 examples of which only about 3 were from within Europe... and none of good enough quality to please me entirely.
The one I finally plumped for was very cheap for the type, I was willing to spend 5 times the amount but only if the coin was significantly better in terms of eye appeal and condition. Nothing was available to fit my criteria and so I got this one.
The coin has clearly seen wear but is at least my preferred type featuring Athena on one side (rather than the gorgon type) and the own grasping a lizard in its claw on the other side. Underneath is usually 3 dots which are a measure of value, other coins exist with 5 dots on the reverse which are a high denomination and with an increase in dots seems to be a decrease in examples. More relevant to Kamarina are the onkia denomination (two dots) which feature the aforementioned gorgon obverse.
Judging from my example I suppose many with think what an unremarkable coin...this is true but in its full glory I think it is a great looker... for 16 times the value of my coin here is what you would receive...
The story of the place is also somewhat interesting if a little morbid... some of the other coins for sale give a brief summary of what occurred there.
"Kamarina was suffering a plague. A marsh north of the city was the suspected source. The town oracle advised them not to drain the marsh, but in 405 B.C., the leaders ignored the advice. Once the marsh was dry, there was nothing to stop the Carthaginian army. They marched across the newly drained marsh, razed the city, and killed every last inhabitant."
Posted 08/09/2016 10:17 am
