Not cheap in better grades - I sniped this one on eBay for less than half of what most dealers want in this condition. And it's the scarcer type with obverse beading.
ahaha => good one, Windchild ... yah, I was tempted to post PAN and his lovin' sheep, but I've learned that lesson!!? :whistle:
That was a close call then! I don't think I'd win a bidding war against you. I wonder what any of you Greek experts think about this typology. References refer to the obverse as the head of a young satyr, while in auctions, sellers frequently call it the head of Pan. They're not the same thing - is there a consensus as to what the bust represents?
You probably would win. I generally use a sniping program where I set my max bid and then I walk away. If the bid exceeds that max, I don't go back in and change my bid. However, I never got that far on this coin. I just watched the bidding. Congratulations.
I'm the same about bidding. I won't engage in a bidding war. I simply put my highest bid in during the last 30 seconds and let fate decide.
I used to do the same thing, but I would sometimes find myself being tempted at the last minute to post a higher bid. I guess that's called getting caught up in the heat of bidding. Anyway, now I use a free on-line sniping program, and I find I don't bid more than I initially wanted as my max.
Here's a good general overview of Panticapaeum at the Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine. It's worth reading every page for a basic historical synopsis. Some lovely images as well. http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages\P\A\Panticapaeum.htm
Most likely, it can't be told which the bust represents. This is because Pan looked like a Satyr, who were his companions.. Pan's a rather interesting God... the current studies are indecisive at best... His father could be a Titan (Chronos), a God (normally Zeus or Hermes), a Nymph, or a River God. However, I would believe it depicts Pan, as it is from Pantikapaion. Also, Don't use Wikipedia on Pan. It's not very well written.
I'll take your word for the wiki article on Pan, WC. The value of wiki articles of course depends on the contributors. Many are extremely well-done and authoritative, others you have to take with a grain of salt. But is the city actually named after Pan? I can't seem to find an etymology for Pantikapaion.
According to the Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, Pantikapaion was founded on an earlier settlement called Panti Kapa. In Greek, "panti" refers to "all" or "everything" - I'm not sure what Kapa refers to, if it's perhaps related to the letter of the alphabet? http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0006:id=pantikapaion But it seems entirely possible that the name of the city has nothing to do with Pan.
Hey JA => considering your coin has PAN written on it, I'd go with the portrait being Pan (The God), rather than just a run-of-the-mill satyr ... right?
Well yes, it would be more fun if the coin represented Pan, but so far I haven't found any information that proves it.