Superb Tertartemorion from Kolophon (6th Cent. BCE)

Oops, I did it again. I never seem to learn that mixing my fat fingers with ordering or bidding on coins on my cell phone is not a good idea. I have blundered twice in the past this way...Make it three as of today.

I accidentally bought this coin trying to buy a much cheaper coin...but not surprisingly, I'm not upset at all. So I blew my budget for the month yet again, but it was a happy accident. Look at the coin, how can one be mad at this?

Ionia, Kolophon
AR Tetartemorion.
Late 6th Century BCE.
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo facing.
Reverse: TE monogram within incuse square.
References: SNG Cop 133; SNG Kayhan 356.
Size: 7mm, 0.25g.

That's right, only 7mm and 0.25 g. But just look at the mind blowing details on this tiny Greek beauty minted on the eve of the Persian invasion of the Anatolian Greek city-states and mainland Greece.

And Kolophon was not some backwater either. It was the most powerful of the cities in the Ionian League, one of the oldest military alliances in the Ancient Greek world.

 

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That is a really cool type. I'd be happy with accidentally buying it as well I think.

 

Thanks. I was trying to buy a 1/2 Miletos stater, the one with the lion that many people here seem to have. But this is a good mistake to make.

The bad part is that I almost had it shipped to @TypeCoin971793 by accident. Apparently I still have his address on vcoins from a previous gift I sent him. So if I hadn't caught that mistake @TypeCoin971793 would be wondering in the next day or so why he got a 2,600 year old ancient Greek fractional coin in the mail he never ordered.

 

I've always been fond of the little ones with marked denominations (hemiobol and tetartemorion). There are may variations. Later ones abandoned the facing head and turned the TE monogram around to read left to right. You have to like the one with added cicada.

 

That is a great tiny Greek beauty.

This little coin was cheap (from one of John Anthony's sales). I thought that it was small at 9 mm, 0.65 grams but that is almost three times the size of your tiny Greek beauty.

CILICIA, Tarsos
AR Obol
379-372 BC
9 mm, 0.65 grams

 

I have a pretty cool rare Kolophon, and its about 10mm.
Love the green/black patina.

 

A nice accident

 

What a beauty. When I first started collecting I was after Greek drachms and tetradrachms. I used to think bigger was better. I'm happy to say I was mistaken. Most of my favorite Greek coins in my collection are what I'd refer to as fractional coinage (smaller than a drachm).

Any skilled celator could have done an amazing job on a tetradrachm, but to do such detailed work on a tiny coin only 10mm or less, now that's real talent and skills worth appreciating. Especially considering the tools they had to work with.

 

NICE job on the boo-boo @Sallent! THAT is a great coin, looks good: did you take the photo? Mine is so blurry after several attempts, so I resorted BACK to @John Anthony 's pic...


Ionia, Kolophon, 6th-century BC
AR tetartemorion, 0.15g; 4.5mm; 530-520 BC
Obv.: Archaic head of Apollo left.
Rev.: Incuse punch.
Reference: SNG Kayhan 343

 

Sallent, I think your accident was a good thing! These Kolophon fractionals are very interesting Also, is this your first facing portrait?

Collect89-- gorgeous little Tarsos obol.

 

I have two other Greek coins with facing portraits, but they are substantially larger coins. Although it wasn't on my list of coins to get, it's nevertheless a great addition. I have other fractional Greek coins in my list of coins to get...and ultimately I'd love to have one that's 6mm or less (below 5mm would be perfect).

 

Nice even for an accident. I do not have any coins from Kolophon. I love large coins, but I love these tiny coins just as much. I showed all my tiny coins in another thread recently, but this one is my smallest at 6mm and only .2g (just slightly smaller than your new coin purchased with fat fingers):

MYLASA, CARIA
AR Tetartemorion
OBVERSE: Lion's head left with reversed foreleg below
REVERSE: Lion's scalp facing, flanked by leg on both sides, in incuse circle
Struck at Mylasa, 392-376 BC
.2g, 6mm
SNG Keckman I 837-846 (lion left)

 

When selecting coins in this category, we can have trouble finding examples with both good style and good preservation. I have long been fond of my .2g Hektatomnos because of its well drawn 3/4 facing head but exfoliation has ruined half the surface.

Hektatomnos, Satrap of Caria, tetartemorion 395-377 B.C., .2g

The CNG example below is more evenly textured but not as fine style. Finding an example from my dies with surfaces as mine has on the cheeks may not happen soon. Ever?
https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=22903

It seems easier to find nice examples of staters than of tiny fractions but demand is much higher for the big coins.

 

Why are the small coins so rough most of the time? I've noticed that too.

 

You'd be rough too if you were carried around like a wad of chewing tobacco.

 

Thats a good mistake, for such a little coin its got nice details. Never knew about Kolophon either.

 

Great job messing up Sallent!

Maybe it was your subconscious guiding you.

 

IMHO, a lovely accident.

 

Sweet!!

Lawyer, I love your new tiny addition ... oh, and the cool retrograde TE is bonus-points (yours too, Doug)

... I have a whole bunch of wee examples (hopefully I'll find time a bit later to bombard you with some of my Lilliputians!!)

 

He has no conscious. He's a lawyer!