LESBOS, Mytilene. Circa 521-478 BC. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (11mm, 2.51 g, 11h). Gorgoneion / Incuse head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress; rectangular punch to left. Bodenstedt Em. 19.1; HGC 6, 944. VF, lightly toned. I LOVE it! Post your gorgons!
There have been quite a few of these on the market recently and I wanted to grab one before the source dries up. I was going to buy an early silver Apollonian gorgon in similar archaic style but the price was right and I've got gold/electrum fever!
@Nicholas Molinari It is a good time to have gold fever. They will not be at these prices forever. I have a feeling that the desirability of gold coins, particularly the Byzantine examples, is on an upswing.
Incredible OP and lovely coins all..... I'll pile on with my tiny formerly slabbed Gorgan...and a Republican struck by Plautius of Medusa: Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome. L. Plautius Plancus. 47 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.03 g, 5h). Rome mint. Facing mask of Medusa with disheveled hair; coiled serpents flanking / Victory (or winged Aurora) flying right, head slightly left, holding reins and conducting four rearing horses of the sun. Crawford 453/1a; CRI 29; Sydenham 959; Plautia 15. VF
Great coin @Nicholas Molinari APOLLONIA PONTICA AR Drachm OBVERSE: Gorgoneian facing with snakes for hair and a protruding tongue REVERSE: An anchor flanked by letter A and a crayfish, which represents the minting city of Apollonia, the major fifth century BC Greek colony on the west coast of the Black Sea, modern Sozopol in Bulgaria Struck at Apollonia 450-400 BC 3.13g, 14-15mm BMC IX, Black Sea 150-151
There's a book in Italian that catalogs the iconography on ancient coinage but I can't remember the name. "Facie horrible" or something like that. If anyone knows what I'm talking about please chime in!
WOW! LOVE that Gorgon @Nicholas Molinari ! WOW! My assorted Gorgons... Ionia Klazomenai 480-400 BC AR Drachm Pentobol 3.5g 13mm Forepart winged boar r gorgoneion incuse sq Cf SNG Copenhagen 12 Rare SICILY Kamarina Æ Onkia 13mm 1.5g 420-405 BC-OLDEST Gorgon tongue - KAMA owl r lizard in claw pellet in ex SNG Münch 411 Etruria Populonia 3rd C BCE AR 20 As 8.1g Metus Blank HN 152
All great! Just stumbled across Reid's page on the type, adapted from a Celator article: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Articles/Medusa.html