COINS BY CITY: An Alphabetical A to Z of Coinage

Well okay... if Z says go, I'll go!!

SELINOS

SICILY, Selinos.
Circa 410 BCE
AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h
Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above
Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right
Ref: HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare.
ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich;
ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404;
ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript.

 

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=> here comes Syracuse!!! (it's gonna be awesome!!)

Oh, and gorgeous Selinos, TIF (super coin)

 

SYRACUSE

If I had to limit my collecting to one city, this might be it


SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE)
310-305 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm
Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?)
Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram
Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637
ArtCoinsRoma, auction 8, Feb. 2014
The story of its acquisition is here.


Sicily, Syracuse. Dionysos I
390 BCE
Æ tetras, 14 mm, 1.8 gm
Obv: head of nymph facing slightly left, wearing necklace
Rev: octopus
Ref: CNS 29; SNG ANS 385

 

SIKYON

SIKYONIA, Sikyon.
335-330 BCE
AR stater, 23 mm, 12.3 gm
Obv: Chimera standing left; wreath above, ΣE below
Rev: Dove flying left; A to left; all within wreath
Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 220; Traité III 775, pl. CCXX, 11
CNG 342, from the "collection of a Southern Pathologist, purchased from C.H. Wolfe, 3 May 1989"

 

SPARTA (not the best of coins, but still... Sparta!)

LACONIA, Sparta
80-50 BCE
AR triobol, 2.29 gm
Obv: Head of Herakles right
Rev: Amphora; to each side, caps of the Dioscuri; all within laurel wreath
Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 868

 

SAMOS

IONIA, Samos. 510-500 BCE
AR drachm, 13.7 mm, 3.2 gm
Obv: forepart of winged boar left
Rev: facing lion scalp with dotted square, within incuse square
Ref: SNG Cop 1673

 

SIKYONIA SIKYON
AR Hemidrachm
OBVERSE: Chimaera standing left, with heads of snake, lion & goat, raising forepaw, SI below REVERSE: Dove flying left
Struck at Skyon, Fourth Century BC
2.6g, 17mm
SNGCop 57, BMC 111

 

Man, TIF's "S" coins are going to be a hard act to follow!

 

SIDE

PAMPHYLIA, Side
205-100 BCE
AR tetradrachm. 17.0 gm, 29 mm
Obv: head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet
Rev: Nike advancing left holding wreath; pomegranate and CT to left
Ref: CNG France 719ff

The centering is not great but it is still a charming coin and it was my first tetradrachm

 

SICILY, SYRACUSE, HIERON II
AE19
OBVERSE: Head of Persephone left, wreathed with corn, wearing earring and necklace
REVERSE: Bull butting left
Struck at Syracuse, Sicily 275-265 BC
4.3g; 17mm
BMC. Sicily, p 219, 624


SICILY, SYRACUSE, HIERON II
AE19
OBVERSE: Head of Persephone left, wreathed with corn, wearing earring and necklace, poppy head behind head
REVERSE: Bull butting left; above, club above IA; IE in exergue
Struck at Syracuse, Sicily 275-265 BC
5.71g; 19mm
BMC. Sicily, p 219, 624


SICILY, SYRACUSE, HIERON II
AE19
OBVERSE: Head of Poseidon left
REVERSE: IEP-ONOS, ornamented trident of Poseidon
Struck at Syracuse, Sicily 275-216 BC
6.5g; 19mm
SG 1223

 

eh..

 

SELEUKEIA PIERIA

SYRIA, Seleukeia Pieria
Dated CY 9, 99/8 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 30 mm, 14.81 gm
Obv: veiled and turreted bust of Tyche right
Rev: filleted thunderbolt on draped throne, ΣΕΛΕΥΚΕΩΝ ΤΗΣΙΕΡΑΣ above; Ι (date) and ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΟΥ below; all within wreath
Ref: BMC pl. XXXII, 6 var; SNG Copenhagen -; de Luynes 3460 var. (letter on reverse). Very Fine. Very Rare.

 

Eh what??

 

Very nice Syracuse issues, but in Asia the cash is green.

Russian Turkestan
Semirech'e, Sogd
Turgesh Kaganate
AE Fen 25 mm x 5.26 gram
Cast AD 750-800
Obverse: Sogdian legend "Fen of King of Turgesh Kagan" around square hole
Reverse: Tamgha of Turgesh in the shape of a runic letter "P" in the left field.
Ref: Kamyshev's #24 in "Early Medieval Monetary Complex of Semirechie"
Note: Extremely Rare. Thick beautiful green patina.

 

Coin is only mildly bad ass.

 

VOLUSIAN
AR Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: CONCORDIA AVG G - Concordia seated left, holding patera and two cornucopiae
Struck at Serdica, 251-253 AD
3.4g, 20mm
RIC 168 (Trebonianus Gallus), C 25

 

GALLIENUS
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: GALLIENVSAVG - Radiate head right
REVERSE: PAXAVG - Pax standing left, holding olive branch and scepter in left. "S" and "I" across fields
Struck at Siscia, 260-8 AD
3.1g, 19mm
RIC 575k, C 729

 

SALONINUS
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: SALON VALERIANVS NOB CAES Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
REVERSE: SPES PVBLICA, Prince, holding spear and Spes, holding flower standing face to face; wreath above
Struck at Samosata, 259-260 AD
2.81g, 22mm
RIC V 36 var.

 

SUSA
I definitely need better examples of this type. It's a small mixed lot find. They are so plentiful though that I keep putting off getting a better coin. They'll always be available.

SELEUKID KINGDOM. Seleukos I Nikator
Struck 295/4-291 BCE, Susa mint
AR tetradrachm, 27 mm, 16.8 gm
In the style of Alexander the Great
Obv: head of Heracles right in lion skin headdress
Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ below, ΣEΛEYKOY to right, Zeus Αetophoros enthroned with eagle & sceptre, facing head of Helios over M to left, M above strut, AP below strut of throne
Ref: SC 165 1a

 

AURELIAN
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG Radiate, cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: VICTORIA AVG, Victory facing, wings spread, rising up between two shields, pearl diadem in hands star over P in right field. first officinae Siscia
Struck at Siscia, 270-5 AD
4.1g, 21mm
RIC 238


AURELIAN
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: IOVI CONSER, emperor standing right, holding short sceptre, receiving globe from Jupiter, standing left, holding long sceptre. Q in ex
Struck at Siscia, 272-4 AD
3.5g, 20mm
RIC V 225


AURELIAN
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: ORIENS AVG, Sol standing left with hand raised, foot on one of two bound captives, XXIP in ex.
Struck at Serdica, 274 AD
3.4g, 23mm
RIC 63f, Venera 1008, C 145