The idea of Greek silver fractions that miniaturize larger, well-known coin types has always appealed to me because, well, who doesn't like Mini-Me, right ? I was therefore really pleased to be able to capture this tiny turtle of Aegina a short while ago. I believe they come smaller than hemiobol size, but as it is this fella (all 7mm of him) is smaller than a button and twice as cute. ATTICA, Aegina AR Hemiobol. 0.52g, 7mm. ATTICA, Aegina, circa 480-457 BC. SNG Cop 512-3; HGC 6, 453; SNG Delepierre 1521. O: Cutest little sea turtle ever. R: Large square incuse with skew pattern. Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection And here he is swimming alongside his adopted mama ... Please feel free to share your Mini-Mes or turtles and tortoises of Aegina!
Wow, that denomination is tough to find and yours is adorable! I have the far more common obol and stater-- not really a Mini-Me set because one is a turtle and the other a tortoise. Looks like I need more coins tortoise stater: ISLANDS off ATTICA, Aegina. 456/45-431 BCE AR stater; 20mm, 12.32 g Obv: land tortoise, head in profile, with segmented shell Rev: large square incuse with skew pattern Ref: SNG Delepierre 1774ff; BMC Taf. 24.11 sea turtle obol: ISLANDS off ATTICA, Aegina. 475-470 BCE AR obol; 0.97 gm Obv: sea turtle with single row of dots on back Rev: windmill-shaped incuse punch Ref: SNG Delepierre 1511; SNG Cop. 505
That is a little cutie @zumbly and I would like one (I used to have one of those tiny pet turtles when I was a kid a couple of centuries ago).
Well, they're the same family, so I'd say it counts, but don't let me stop you from getting more coins .
I did as well, and gosh, now that you've jogged my memory, it seems like an awfully long time ago too, if not quite a couple of centuries. I recall he really liked to eat chicken...
I had a couple as well. Not centuries ago, but this picture is from almost a half century ago (yikes! time flies). Children of the forum (those of you under ~30 ): this photo is called a "Polaroid". I don't expect most of you to know what that is (A note regarding my ridiculous "jacket": it was a fringed top from a recent dance recital. I loved the way the fringe few around when I moved so I wore it frequently that summer )
Sure we do - this is how we shake it according to OutKast... (Just kidding - I grew up with Polaroids, and am also over 30...) Wish I had something to contribute, but nice looking turtles all!
When I was a small child in Cuba my grandfather had a turtle named Elpidia which he had pulled out of a river as a baby turtle, and raised as a pet. Don't know what species it was, but that turtle lived in the backyard, with a plastic pond for swimming and a steady diet of raw meat, for around 40 years before it passed away. I doubt too many of those pet store turtles here in the US live to 40 years of age.
Z-Bro => congrats on scoring that cute lil' tortoise (winna-winna) I only have one tortoise ... it's a wee hemiobol as well (0.44 grams) CARIA, Idyma. AR Hemiobol 5th century BC Diameter: 8 mm Weight: 0.44 grams Obverse: Land tortoise with segmented shell Reverse: Leaf, pellet Reference: SNG Ashmolean 228; SNG Kayhan 1627 = CNG 72, lot 803; Klein 522 *edit* Oooops, apparently you want "turtles" ... I have a humble one of those as well (Yertle) ... Yertle is a nice big AR-Stater (Attica Aegina)
I'm 20, and I've had my picture taked with a few polaroids. I also see them all of the time in antique shops (just in case you wanted to feel old. ).
Great coin Z! I love the photo of baby swimming with mama! Yeah, it's depressing to go to an antique shop and find all the toys you played with as a kid: Polaroid cameras, tape recorders, typewriters, etc. Sigh.
Not only see the TOYS, but the VALUE of those toys now! Cripes, if I would have saved even a FOURTH of my toys, I would be a millionaire now with the stoopid antique prices they have on some of the stuff! Matchboxes... ugh, how many did I buy, destroy (yeah, gasoline, kerosene, M-80's, pellet guns, .22's, etc.), and now find how MUCH they are worth... Oh, well, BIG fun then!
Here's my first Polaroid, taken by US Immigration Authorities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on November 29, 1995 (6 and a half months into my Guantanamo stay). I accidentally closed my eyes when they took the picture, so they let me have it as a souvenir.