Ancients => Good ol' CNG Wednesday => Yup, Cha-Ching!

First of all, I'd like to thank TIF for not bidding against me on this baby!! (she e-mailed me and gave me the heads-up that she'd seen my name and therefore decided not to bid on this sweet archaic winner) ... thanks again, TIF (now I owe ya "two")

... anyway ...

I love this cool new coin from Thessaly, Larissa .... oh and yes, I realize that I just recently bought another Thessaly Larissa example ... funny the way that seems to go, eh? Once I buy a coin from an area I tend to look around for another one or two examples before I wander off down another coin-avenue (like a sheep grazing in a field until something scares it off) ... I threw-in that sheep analogy for you, Bing



THESSALY, Larissa, AR Obol
Circa 460-440 BC
Diameter: 12 mm
Weight: 0.90 grams
Obverse: Horse advancing right; above, head of lion right
Reverse: Λ [Α] RI around from upper left, Larissa standing right, balancing hydria on raised knee; to left, lion’s head fountain right, from which water pours forth; all within incuse square
Reference: BCD Thessaly II 358.1 (same dies)
Other: 9h … VF
From the BCD Collection





Oh and as always => please post any coins that you feel might be relevant to this thread (Thessaly coins, horse coins, coins with lions spitting water, coins with people carrying jugs, coins with jugs, etc, etc)

... ummm, or really anything that you want to post (I like you guys)

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

It's an interesting coin! I'm glad it went to someone in the family

As for related coins I own, hmm...

Thessaly: nope, although one is currently stuck in the black hole of Customs
Lions spitting water: nope but I wish!
Coins with people carrying jugs: not sure, don't think so

Clearly I need more coins!

 

Nice pickup, I like the reverse most.

 

=> TIF, please make sure that you read my last comment (post anything you want!!)

... man, I can't believe you don't have any coins from Thessaly!!

 

Hmmmm? ... speakin' of Thessaly ...

=> I have a few more sweet examples (you may have already seen 'em?) ...

THESSALY, Pharsalos. AR Hemidrachm
Mid-late 5th century BC
Diameter: 14 mm
Weight: 2.88 grams
Obverse: Helmeted head of Athena right
Reverse: Head and neck of horse right within incuse square
Reference: Lavva 31 (V21/R19); BCD Thessaly II –; Moustaka 51; SNG Copenhagen 217-8
Other: 12h … lightly toned
From the Demetrios Armounta Collection




THESSALY, Larissa, AR Obol
CIRCA 460 BC
Diameter:
Weight: 0.75 grams
Obverse: Bull’s head and neck, with half figure of hero to left, grasping bull by the horns; above, lotus flower
Reverse: Λ - ΑR - Ι Head of bridled horse to right; all within incuse square
Reference: Liampi 1996, 1A




THESSALY, Larissa, AR Obol
Circa 460-440 BC
Diameter: 12 mm
Weight: 0.90 grams
Obverse: Horse advancing right; above, head of lion right
Reverse: Λ [Α] RI around from upper left, Larissa standing right, balancing hydria on raised knee; to left, lion’s head fountain right, from which water pours forth; all within incuse square
Reference: BCD Thessaly II 358.1 (same dies)
Other: 9h
From the BCD Collection




THESSALY, Homolion, Æ Dichalkon
Circa 350 BC
Diameter: 17 mm
Weight: 5.07 grams
Obverse: Head of Philoktetes right, wearing conical hat
Reverse: OMOΛI KO[N] around from lower left, serpent coiled right
Reference: Rogers 263; BCD Thessaly II 92
Other: 7h … dark brown patina
From the BCD Collection




THESSALY, Oitaioi, AR Hemidrachm
Circa 360-344 BC
Diameter: 16 mm
Weight: 2.83 grams
Obverse: Head of lion left, spear in jaws
Reverse: Herakles standing facing, holding club
Reference: Valassiadis 3; BCD Thessaly II 489; SNG Copenhagen 181
Other: 11h ... find patina, minor roughness




=> man, ya gotta love the 4th & 5th Century BC, eh? (yummy)

 

Nice! I've been wanting one of these lion-head fountain coins for awhile. Yours even has two lion heads! There are honestly few things cooler than a lion head spitting water.

 

=> I know, right?!

Yah, I love my new coin-addition (oh, and I always love it when the archaic coins have that cool silver-crystalization thingy goin' on ... yup, I'm definitely a sucka for that look!!)

 

Yours is a lot nicer than mine but even a second rate example can add information on the legend in this case. Mine was very flatly struck and never had anything like the detail on the new example.

 

Wow => I love it when you have one of my coins (makes me feel like I may be on the right track!!)

=> you're 100% correct => you're coin-artist seemed to think that the most important part of the coin was the "legend" (*rats* => I wish I had all of the Greek letters)

Thanks for posting and commenting, Doug => I'm always amazed how many coins you have (you answer almost everybody's questions with a sweet answer and a handful of example-coins!! => you're our mentor, extraordinaire!!)

 

Okay then. Here's my Julius Caesar (ancestor of "the" JC) with Cupid biga. Those things weren't very aerodynamic.

I'm expecting a Thessalian League stater but it has disappeared from tracking. Maybe it and the Doson tetradrachm eloped.

 

Dang, those clumsy cupids!!



wow => you have coins-skilz to burn "and" you're kinda funny (oh, and by the way => I love the "goosed" look on Roma's face) ... or is that Athena? (mmmm, Athena)

... you rock, my friend!!

 

Thanks, my favorite maniacal coinpal!

For the record, that's Mars, not Roma or Athena-- so don't hit on him at the bar.


Roman Republic
moneyer L. Julius L. f. Caesar, 103 BC
AR denarius, 17mm, 3.9 gm
Obv: Helmeted head of Mars left; CAESAR; ・J above
Rev: Venus Genetrix in chariot left, drawn by two Cupids; lyre to left; ・J above
Ref: Crawford 320/1
Jencek E-auction 26, lot 58, 14 October 2014. Ex CNG XXXI lot 699, September 1994; ex RBW Collection

 

mmmm, Mars ...

 

ahhhhhh....that's awesome!

that's a great reverse stevex on that new coin stevex.

 

Thanks chrsmat ... Oh, and "Happy Birthday" ...

=> Happy Creepy Lil' Deer Hands!!! (I bought ya somethun')

http://mattsko.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/freaky-gif.gif

 

As someone I know says "winner, winner, chicken dinner" Nice pick up little brother.


THESSALIAN LEAGUE, AR Drachm
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right, ΓAYANA (magistrate) behind
Rev: Athena Itonia standing right, with shield and about to hurl spear, ΘEΣΣA - ΛΩN to sides, bunch of grapes on vine right, Π-O / Λ-Y (magistrate) across lower fields Struck at Thessaly 196-146 BC
4.0g, 16 mm
BMC 36

 

Nice horsey coin, haven't seen that one before. And I don't know why but the reverse reminds me of the pink panther.

 

thanks stevex!

you got me a little convulsing abomination! just what I always wanted!

 

Lol... This explains why Cupid bigas aren't more common.

 

Nice pick-up Steve! Superb detail for such a tiny coin.