[ancients] SICILY, Himera. AR litra, a nice little coin

I'm going through the mixed lot from Goldberg now and boy, it's fun. It was a blind purchase. I didn't examine it in person and the description was merely "34 mostly Greek and Roman bronzes". It was my backup purchase if I failed to get the coin I really wanted-- and I did fail (an aes grave). This is my consolation prize and it's a heck of a prize. There are a bunch of nice coins in the group. Plenty of things to post over the next few weeks. Some good trading fodder too, since I'm not that interested in middle and later Roman Imperials.

A few are fully attributed, some partially, and many with little to no info. This one had a mostly complete attribution.

Compared to others of the issue, this one is very nicely centered and has very good details. I like it quite a bit. A keeper.


SICILY, Himera. AR litra
430-420 BC
11 x 12 mm, 0.68 gm (weight per label; haven't checked it, scale needs new battery)
Obv: bearded and helmeted head right
Rev: Corinthian helmet right (the CNG label said left... an error or is this a different coin? Guess I'll find out when I weigh it)
Ref: SNG Lloyd 1029
ex CNG Sale XXV, lot 71, 3/24/93
ex CNA II, lot 31

 

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Never seen that type before, very cool!

 

It's a new one on me too. I've got a thing for the itsy-bitsy early silvers.

 

Pretty cool lil' coin ... good score, TIF

I'm lookin' forward to seeing the rest of your Plan-B purchase!!

 

Umm TIF, I'm pretty sure that the helmet is actually pointing "left" ... I think you have to rotate your photo back through 90 degrees, so that the coin is sitting correctly?

 

sweet little coin! two helmets are better than one!

...and that one is old even by ancient standards...nice.​

 

Not sure I understand. Here is the coin rotated 90 degrees each direction, don't see how that works...


Hey, the one on the right now looks like a dog's head. Maybe the reverse description is supposed to be "Man's Best Friend"

The helmet does look very strange, nothing like the Corinthian helmets seen on so many other coins/statues/relics. Here's a somewhat similar helmet pic I found online, PS'd out part of the faceplate to make it look a little more like the coin.


And the wildwinds entry for this type, with an even stranger helmet (they call it a 'crestless open Corinthian helmet')



Here's a version of the coin from CNG archives, looking more like the type we're used to seeing (with faceplate), facing left:

And another version from CNG archives, with helmet more like my coin (the description just says "helmet"):

 

Steve, maybe I see what you're saying. You're thinking it looks more like Marvin the Martian's helmet, sans crest?

 

Nice little coin!

 

TIF => the Dog's head is the helmet looking left, dontcha think? (that's what I see)

Oh, and nice Marvin the Martian (that dude rocks!!)

 

I think the curled part goes at the back of the neck, so no.

 

Ahahaha => really, I thought the "curled part" was Marvin's visor?

... *sigh* ... you're probably correct (man, I'm zero for two during the last 24 hours!!)

 

I really like the Himera coins. Its not often one comes across coins of a destroyed civilization. I like the Bronzes and the Silver is always interesting. Did you know Himera was destroyed by Carthage in approx. 408 BC. Can't you just feel the history oozing off the coin.

 

Did not know that. I really need to buy and read Carthage Must Be Destroyed (Richard Miles).

 

I bought the book as soon as it came out. I phenomenal read.

 

There's an example of this coin coming up for auction with a German house. The description says "Campanian helmet" (in German: "Kampanischer Helm.") rather than Corinthian. Guess the styles were different. I like that explanation.

Here's the coin:
https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=552&lot=53


If their hammer estimate is accurate, WOW, I did really well on this mixed lot.

 

Well TIF, I'm not sure what you paid for your good ol' Goldberg lot, but I like your example better than the coin from the German auction house (directly above) ...

=> your Goldberg score continues to impress!! (congrats)

 

I haven't thought about Marvin the Martian since before I knew what Rome was, but he is indeed wearing a Roman-esque helmet (albeit with a broom instead of a crest), which makes his personality fitting, considering Mars is the god of war.

Looney Tunes is even more impressive than I thought!

 

And didn't most of us of a certain age have our introduction to classical music in the form of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, as interpreted by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd?

Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit, kill the WAbbit...!



Looney Tunes = quality education

 

I really like this new coin. Sorry I'm late to the discussion.