Kind Sirs, please post your oldest coins.. Lydian, Aeginetan Turtle, Athenian Owl, etc.

I think it would be fascinating to see how far back in history we can go with some of our coins. The idea of owning/touching a coin that someone owned/touched 2400 years ago makes me feel very alive and connected somehow. Maybe I am just a coin romantic

All I have to offer is my low grade, cheap Greek coin I got for a few dollars. ($18)

Greece
Sicily, Himera
420 - 408 BC
OBV: Head of nymph Himera I, wearing sphendone; six pellets.
REV: Six pellets within laurel-wreath.

 

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I'm not a sir but I'll play


KINGS OF LYDIA, temp. Ardys - Alyattes
630-564 BCE
Electrum trite, 4.8 gm, 13.4 mm. Sardes mint.
Obv: head of roaring lion right, sun with four rays on forehead
Rev: two incuse square punches
Ref: Weidauer Group XV, 64; BMC 2

 

My collection starts at the earliest electrum coinage and can be sorted roughly into chronological order: Colosseo Collection. There is much uncertainty with the precise sequence of the earliest issues, but I follow the mentality of an initial progression based loosely on iconographic complexity in the context of the early hoards.

 

this is my oldest coin, 5th century BC.

 

Phoenicia Sidon Ba'alshillem II 401-366 BC, 1/32 AR Shekel, .46g, 9mm

OBV: Galley left above waves "9"=B above

REV: Persian king standing right slaying a lion standing left "O" between

REF: Unlisted

This is my oldest coin.

 

It's a toss up between these two:


ACHAEMENID EMPIRE
AR Siglos
OBVERSE: Persian king or hero in kneeling/running stance right, holding spear and bow
REVERSE: Incuse punch
Struck at Persia, 485-420 BC
5.5g, 16mm
Carradice Type IIIb, Group A/B (pl. XII, 18)


ATTICA, AEGINA
AR Stater
OBVERSE: Sea-turtle (T-backed); head in profile
REVERSE: Large square incuse with skew pattern
Struck at Aegina, 480-457BC
11.96g, 20mm
SNG Cop 507

 

I really like your Himera coin, tobias.
The oldest I have are these two little archaic obols.


MYSIA, Kyzikos
Circa 600 - 525 BC
AR Obol
0.57g, 9.3mm
Von Fritze II 5; SNG von Aulock 7328.
O: Tunny fish left.
R: Quadripartite incuse square.


CORINTHIA, Corinth
Circa 550 - 500 BC
AR Obol
0.44g, 8.7mm
Weber 3652; cf. BCD Corinth 11 (Pegasos left).
O: Pegasos flying to right; Q below.
R: Quadripartite incuse square with swastika pattern.

 

630bc that's like older than coinage itself

 

Lydia AR Siglos
545-520 BC
Lion & Bull (incuse punch)




Oh, but I also have these sweet ol' scarabs from "way back" ...


2nd Intermediate Period Steatite Scarab
1650-1550 BC

Scarab with Two Crocodiles

Scarab with Antelope & Palm Branch

 

My oldest greek :


Syracuse Uncia c. 420 BC
Head of Arethusa right, SYPA in right field
Octopus, globe above
2.55 gr, 14 mm
Ref : Sear #1184, SNG ANS 376 ff

Q

 

scarabs weren't coins!
yours are old though, even for scarabs. older than that would probably be crime of certain degrees just by having them.

As far as real coins go, TIF probably had already won the battle with those lydians.

 

Based on pictures posted in this thread in this thread, yes-- but check out AncientJoe's earliest coins (link to his chronologically-arranged coins provided in his post). He has one of the older Lydian lions plus four other electrum proto-coins which predate the lions.

 

Don't be silly => of course they're not coins, my friend

 

4th century BC
Moesia, Istros
Facing male heads, the right inverted
Sea eagle left, grasping dolphin with talons; monogram below.
AMNG I417; SNG BM Black Sea 246
From the Patrick H. James Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group

 

They are very cool, but AJ is to lazy atm to post em'.

 

Well, my 'Lydians' are gone...so the oldest I seem to have is:

Thasos Thrace
AR Trihemiobol; 411-350 BC
Satyr kneeling left; Amphora
Provided by one of the kind gentleman in our group (A-noob)

 

Lucania, Sybaris. 510 BC. Probably the last issue before the destruction of the city by the Krotonians.

 

Very nice Dirk.

 

This silver India coin was struck for the prophet Buddha ca. 500 B.C.


This electrum Roaring Lion & Flying Pig from Lesbos is from B.C. 521-478.


These silver Aegean turtles may be 600-550 B.C. according to http://www.snible.org/coins/hn/aegina.html

(I was not there to witness these turtles hatch. Their birthday could be after 480 B.C. or before 500 B.C.).

 

The silver indians are beautiful. So much passion put into it. So much to "primitive ancestors" as modern history wants us to believe.