A Few Modest 'Greek' Bronzes

I picked up a few inexpensive examples over the last several weeks and I thought I'd share two of them---especially for those of more limited budgets who might be interested in acquiring various 'Greek' issues as most can be a bit pricey.

Hopefully, by the end of December or so, I'll try to win a few of the type Tif and Steve consistently post...Oh, Oh, We may be bidding against each other

The first is a 25mm of Micipsa of Numidia (203-118 BC), a prancing horse on the reverse of 14.2 grams. Of course, this is a 'Berber' Kingdom in what is now Algeria.

The second is a 21mm bronze of Smyrna, Ionia, formerly Anatolia and now the central coastal area of Turkey (2nd-3rd century BC) and has a laureated head of Apollo with a reverse of Homer----8.5 grams

 

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I want one of those with the reverse of Homer very badly. I didn't know they existed until recently either. Nice pickups.

 

Two nice bronzes which still look great after having had a working live. First time i see an Algerian Greek. Again something to read into on a rainy Sunday. Thanks for showing !

 

I don't know. I think they are both crappy coins!

HA! Gotcha! Both are decent bronzes and a homer reverse is highly desirable. Congrats Mikey.

 

Well, I doubt many would actually consider the first a 'Greek' coin although the Greek influence was certainly there and by the time of Micipsa a growing Roman presence that would dominate the region.

 

Yeah, Bing, you did have me there for a second or two..

 

Two very desirable coins! The bust of Micipsa is nicely detailed, and so is Homer. If one is patient and astute, "nice" Greek bronzes don't have to cost a fortune.

 

Nice coins. I just put "Homer" into Vcoins and was quite surprised!

 

nice budgets greek AE MZ, i'd take either...but that homer reverse is very cool.

 

i like the 2e one

 

Me too, cool finds.

 

Very nice!! A Homer bronze is on The List

 

Both very nice! I'm still looking for some Numidian pieces.

Homer pops up on coins on several different cities, but the issues from Smyrna are the easiest to get.


IONIA, Smyrna
Circa 125 - 115 BC
AE Homereum
10.05g, 21.4mm
Phanokrates (magistrate). Milne, Autonomous 194a.
O: Laureate head of Apollo right.
R: ΣΜΥΡΝΑΙΩΝ, ΦΑΝΟΚΡΑ-ΤΗΣ, the poet Homer seated left, holding scroll.

 

Wow Mikey-Z => those are a couple of winners (congrats)

Ummm, I have an example, but somebody went and stamped all over it!!

Kings of Numidia Micipsa AE27
148-114 BC
Micipsa & Horse with counterstamp

 

Nice coins. I picked up a Numidian coin coin recently. I have wanted one since reading The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome) by Colleen McCulloug a few years ago.
Numidia, Massinissa and successors, after 209 BC
AE 27, 15.1 grams
Obv - Laureate head
Rev - horse galloping
SNG Cop. 507
Note - the tag says VF, dark green tone ..... but I think fine is a generous grade. I also do not see green in the dark patina, but that might be because I am a bit color blind.

 

Very Nice posts all !!!

And, I think I can see some green patches here and there, although I have a touch of that red/green color blindness too---perhaps it also toned a bit more since that was written??

 

Great bronzes, like the second especially.

 

Here’s a Greek bronze I bought recently, very modest and inexpensive...but still fun to own.

Zeugitana, Carthage (Sardinian mint) 300-264 BC
AE21 - 5.31gm
Obv: Head of Tanit left, wreathed in corn, wearing necklace and ear-ring.
Rev: Head and neck of horse right, with large pellet before horse's neck
Ref: Ex H. Wallace collection, MAA.57e, SNG Cop 169, SR6524

 

I love it !!! For a number of reasons it 'speaks' to me