Agathokles AE Litra

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ajax, Oct 21, 2017.

  1. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

    I picked this one up a couple weeks ago and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite coins. I've always loved the bronze coins of Sicily and it took me a while to finally add one to my collection. My pictures don't do this coin justice.. it looks much sharper in hand. I managed to get this one for half of the priced of the one I had on my vcoins want list so that's a bonus.
    Agathokles.png
    Sicily, Syracuse. Agathokles. 317-289 B.C. Æ litra (22 mm, 9.72 g, 9 h). Ca. 306/4-289 B.C. ΣΩΤΕΙΡΑ, head of Artemis right, quiver at shoulder / ΑΓΑΘΟΚΛΕΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ, winged thunderbolt. SNG ANS 708

    Share anything Sicily.
     
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  3. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    Great coin, the nicest Greek coins come from Sicily, and your coin reinforces that view. 51049.l.jpg 356.jpeg 357.jpeg
     
  4. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

  5. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Nice! Don't have one of those but here's a smaller bronze, also an Agathokles with a thunderbolt on the reverse.

    Syracuse - Athena Thunderbolt 1587.jpg SICILY, Syracuse
    AE Trias. 2.57g, 13mm. SICILY, Syracuse, Agathokles, circa AD 317-289 BC. CNS 118. O: Helmeted head of Athena left. R: ΣYPAK-OΣIΩN, winged thunderbolt.

    The only other one I have in the time of Agathokles is a stater employing Corinthian types.
    Syracuse - Stater Agathokles.jpg SICILY, Syracuse
    AR Stater. 8.25g, 21.4mm. SICILY, Syracuse. Time of Agathokles, circa 304-289 BC. Pegasi 14; SNG ANS 560. O: Helmeted head of Athena right, helmet decorated with griffin, palladium behind. R: [ΣYPAKOΣIΩN], pegasos flying left, triskeles above, grain ear below.
     
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  6. nicholasz219

    nicholasz219 Well-Known Member

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  7. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    My only Sicilian but I love it just the same:

    Philistis.jpg
    Philistis, wife of Hieron II
    AR 5 Litrae; 4.46 gm, 18.1 mm
    Sicily, Syracuse, 270-230 B.C.E
    Obv: Diademed and veiled head, l., palm branch behind.
    Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑΣ ΦΙΛΙΣΤΙΔΟΣ, Nike driving biga to left, E (=5) in l. field.
    Refs: SNG ANS-893; SNG III (Lockett)-1017; Forrer 196; Burnett pl. 4, 50.
     
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  8. nicholasz219

    nicholasz219 Well-Known Member

    That’s very fancy^.
     
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  9. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Better than mine!
    g20610bb0123.jpg

    My Hiketas II 288-279 BC with Zeus and eagle (below) was struck over an Artemis / thunderbolt coin like yours but this one was the next period after Agathokles which we call the Democracy 289-288 BC. You can see the thunderbolt end left of the eagle but the sigma above it shows the undertype was not like yours but the Democracy
    type that replaced the king's name with the city name ΣYPAK/OΣIΩN split above and below the thunderbolt.
    g20605fd2824.jpg

    Two centuries before these bronze litra, Syracuse issued the same denomination in silver. These are relatively common today as well.
    g20400bb1852.jpg
     
  10. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Nice bronze, lovely portrait.
     
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  11. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    WOW!! Wonderful examples guys!!

    Here's a modest bronze of Agathokles:

    Ae-19mm under Agathokles, 317-295 BC., Syracuse mint on Sicily. Av. head of Kore left Rv. bull butting left: black patina, 6,20gr. SNG Munich 1230
    agaltoc;es syracue.JPG agathocles syracue reverse.JPG
     
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  12. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    AGATHOKLES:

    Sicily Syracuse 317-289 BC AE 23 Hemilitron Agathokles Kore Bull Dolphin.jpg
    Sicily Syracuse 317-289 BC AE 23 Hemilitron Agathokles Kore Bull Dolphin

    A FEW OF MY AE SYRACUSE:

    upload_2017-10-21_10-1-23.png
    SYRACUSE 2nd Democr 466-405 BCE Æ Tetras 2.7g 15mm c.425 BCE Arethusa dolphins - Octopus 3 pellets SNG ANS 376 Calciati II.21.1

    upload_2017-10-21_10-2-12.png
    SICILY Syracuse Hieron II 274-216 BC Æ26 15.9g hd Hieron II L - ΙΕΡΟΝΩΣ Horseman galloping r holding spear HGC 2 1547 CNS II 193

    Sicily Syracuse Hieron II 275-269 BC AE 15 Persephone Bull RIGHT Rare.jpg
    Sicily Syracuse Hieron II 275-269 BC AE 15 Persephone Bull RIGHT Rare

    Sicily Syracuse ca 410 BC AE 19 Athena Wreath Hippocamp.jpg
    Sicily Syracuse ca 410 BC AE 19 Athena Wreath Hippocamp

    Sicily Syracuse Hieron II 275-215 BCE AE20 Poseidon Trident Dolphin.JPG
    Sicily Syracuse Hieron II 275-215 BCE AE20 Poseidon Trident Dolphin

    Sicily Syracuse Timoleon Third Deocracy 344-317 BCE AE Hemidrachm Zeus Thundrbolt.JPG
    Sicily Syracuse Timoleon Third Deocracy 344-317 BCE AE Hemidrachm Zeus Thundrbolt

    upload_2017-10-21_10-6-20.png
     
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  13. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    That is a very fine bronze, Ajax, nice score!

    Here is my Syracuse bronze for today:

    Syracuse Bronze 4a.jpg
    SICILY, Syracuse. Hiketas II. 287-278 BC.
    AE 25, 7.25g; 25 x 20mm.
    Obverse: Zeus Hellanios
    Reverse: Eagle on thunderbolt.
    References: BAR issue 39; CNS 168; SNG ANS 797-802.

    John
     
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  14. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    Lovely addition, and great coins all. 562216_499084520128464_1946448363_n.jpg
     
  15. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

    Awesome coins everyone!
     
  16. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    That's a beautiful bronze @Ajax
    I really love those Syracuse bronzes (I wouldn't mind a silver one either). Sorry for the poor pictures

    First is the same as yours


    [​IMG]
    Syracuse Agathokles 317-289 BC
    Bust of Artemis right. SOTEIPA in right field
    AGATHOKLEOS BASILEOS, thunderbolt
    8.43 gr, 22 mm
    Ref : Sear #1200


    [​IMG]
    Syracuse Agathokles 317-289 BC
    SYPAKOSYWN. Head of Kore left
    Bull butting left, two dolphins and linked VA in field
    6.0 gr, 20 mm
    Ref : Sear #1195 var


    [​IMG]
    Syracuse Hiketas 288-279 BC
    Head of Zeus hellanios right
    ΣΙΡΑΚ ΟΣΙΩΝ. Eagle left, wings open, star and A in field
    8.95 gr, 23 mm
    Ref : Sear # 1212


    Q
     
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  17. nicholasz219

    nicholasz219 Well-Known Member

    @Cucumbor The detail on your three coins is amazing. In particular first obv, second and third reverses.
     
  18. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    Browsing through ongoing auctions, I found several Hieron II - Horseman coins like the one shown above by Alegandron.

    Some, but not all of them, are called "hemilitron" and they can be found in coinarchives.com under Sicily, Syracuse Hieron II e.g. https://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotv...&Lot=168&Val=65022a006e45c0ed3a74fa1ad7107ff3

    sold by Bertolami Fine Arts - ACR Auctions > E-Auction 60 Auction date: 9 July 2018, Lot number: 167
    Lot description:
    Sicily, Syracuse. Hieron II (275-215 BC). Æ Hemilitron (25mm, 14.83g, 1h), c. 230-218/5. Laureate head l. R/ Warrior on horseback rearing r., holding transverse spear. CNS II, 193; SNG ANS 933; HGC 2, 1547. VF

    I googled hemilitron and found out that it weights about 1/2 litra which is much less then the 14 g :oops: so Apparently hemilitron is being used for Sicilian coins of very different weights ??

    Anyone of you have an explanation for hemilitron ?
     
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