I acquired this set of tiny but charming Greek bronzes recently courtesy of Forum. It amazes me how well rendered these tiny coins are. The skill of Greek celators really fired up my passion for ancient coins, the fact that all of these will fit easily in one flip just adds to my respect for these ancient artist's skills. I will shoot individual photos and fully attribute and catalog each one, but for now I just wanted to showcase their designs and size. Can you recognize what each coin represents? There is a tripod, eagle, bee, flying horse, rose, goat's head, sphinx!, wheat kernel in wreath, forepart of a horse, bunch of grapes, trident, and amphora. Some well known Greek cities are represented. The other sides include various gods, goddesses, some wearing crested helmets, palm tree, another rose, bull, and owl?. The coins are resting on the insert from a 2x2 flip, on top of a matchbox that is about 3x2x1 inches. This is how I photographed them. Hope you enjoyed getting small. Please post your tiny and artistic ancient coins. John
That's a cool group of little Greek AE's! Here are my little Greek bronze coins...I have one near match with you. Magnesia, Ionia. c. 400 BC Obv. Laureate head of Apollo left. Rev. Cuirass, M - A in fields. SNG Kayhan 393. 7 mm 0.5g Pisida, Selge; 2nd-1st century BC o:Hercules, club over shoulder; r: winged thunderbolt, bow right, Σ-E below;SNG 263; 12 mm x 1.7 g Troas, Skepsis. Circa 197-188 BC O: forepart of Pegasos left. R: fir tree within linear border,Σ | K across fields. SNG Copenhagen 477; BMC 82. 10 mm, 1.7g
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.
Wow, a facing head portrait only 7mm. That is nice. In case people are curious, this collection was only about $10 per coin. John
Amazing coins, so small. Just curious, Did they have some type of magnifying glass or such to engrave these dies back then? Or just really good eyesight?
You have some great tiny bronze coins. I especially admire the goat head. Nice camera setup also. I also enjoy tiny bronzes. I have a few of the same types as yours. I also have one that is said to depict Alexander the Great: CARIA, Kaunos, 3rd cent BC, AE10, 1.29g (Minted under the Ptolemies) Obv: Head of Alexander the Great right. Rev: K and partial AY monogram; Cornucopia Sear 4823; Lindgren and Kovacs 628 I don't know why this is believed to be a portrait of Alexander.
Those are nice Greek fractions. I have several small Greeks, but not that small. They must've been the Mother inventors of the coin purse
That's an incredible deal on an awesome set. (I guess I should be frequenting Forum more often...) Here is my newest and most artistic tiny Greek: hemiobol, 8mm 0,43g; issued in Caria: Kasolaba (400-340 BC) (I just couldn't resist that ram. I think the reverse will look better if I lessen the toning on the face a bit; it's also quite artistic IMO.) My tiniest is this tetartemorion from Lampsakos, c. 400 BC (6mm, 0.18g):
I really love those pictures. And that group looks like an excellent one too. I don't know how you beat that for $10 a pop. I struggle a lot with photographing my smallest coins, so I have many that I don't have pictures of. Here's one that's not my tiniest but packs a lot of art onto a flan that's 10mm at its widest. CALABRIA, Tarentum Circa 275-212 BC AR Diobol. 0.98g, 10mm. Vlasto 1460-1461; HN Italy 1068. O: Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet, decorated with Skylla. R: Herakliskos Drakonopignon: the infant demigod Herakles strangling two snakes; ΦIN monogram to left, [ΛE (ligate)] in exergue. Ex E.E. Clain Stefanelli Collection
Nice captures at a wonderful price @Theodosius ! VERY nice! I have a few Tetatemorions that I have accumulated: ARCHAIC Iona Kolophon AR Tetartemorion 530-520 BCE Archaic Apollo Incuse Punch 0.15g 4.5mm- SNG Kayhan 343 COOL BULL Uncert West Asia Minor Karia 5th C BC AR tetartermorion 5mm 0.15g Female - Frprt Bull r Kayhan 968 exc rght MY SMALLEST: Ionia AR Tetartemorion 4mm 0.13g 530-500 BCE Rosette - Incuse sq punch 5 pellets SNG von Aulock 1807 MY LARGEST TETATEMORION Aeolis Elaia AR Tetartemorion 460 BCE Athena L - Olive Wreath 7.8mm 0.16g SNG Cop 166 BIRD - LION LEFT Ionia Miletos AR Tetartemorion 5.6mm 0.21g Roaring Lion Hd - Bird Klein 430 SNG Kay 941 BIRD - LION RIGHT CARIA Mylasa 525-495 BCE AR Tetartemorion 0.28g 6mm Hd roaring lion R - Bird stndng L pellet incuse sq SNG Keckman 922 SNG Kayhan 944 SMALLEST to LARGEST: Carthage AE 15-Shekel 45mm dia 7.5mm thick 102.6g vs Ionia AR Tetartemorion 4mm 0.13g dia 11 to 1 Wgt 789 to 1
Pardon me @Theodosius ! I kinda missed the boat a little, and only posted AR's. I have a few small Greek Bronzes too... Athens 224-198 BC AE 12mm Athena 2 Facing Owls RARE Agora 71 Pamphylia-Side AE 15mm Minerva R - Nike L wreath Sear Grk 5440 SNG Cop 408ff Ex: @Valentinian Sicily Akragas AE Onkia 16mm 3.8g 425-406 BCE Eagle r fish fly - Crab conch SNG ANS 1062 var SICILY Kentoripai Æ Hexas 16mm 3.0g 344-336 BCE Persephone r grain ear plow w bird two pellets Calciati III BMC Sicily 12ff SICILY Kentoripai Æ Hexas 16mm 3.0g 344-336 BCE Persephone r grain ear plow w bird two pellets Calciati III BMC Sicily 12ff Sicily Kamarina AE 15mm 3.4g 420-405 BCE Athena Owl Lizard 3 dots Sear Gk 1063 SICILY Kamarina Æ Onkia 13mm 1.5g 420-405 BC Gorgoneion tongue - KAMA owl r lizard in claw pellet in ex SNG München 411 Thrace Lysimachus AE 14mm 306 BC Apollo forepart of Lion (Here are a couple little Carthage guys, that I would not classify as Greek) Carthage Zeugitana 400-350 BC AE 13mm 2.3g Tanit Horse std Palm Carthage Iberia 218-208 BC AE 13mm 1.4g Calco Barcid Military Mint 2nd Punic Tanit Helmet
I do have a TINY Egypt PTOLEMY which is odd for me, as most of my Ptolemies are MONSTERS in size: Egypt Ptolemy III 245-222 BC AE 12mm 2.0g Chalkous Zeus-Ammon Eagle Tbolt SV 840 Righetti Col
It is a bizaar coin, when you think of all the monster-sized Ptolemies, then you get a wee-thing that is a denomination! I should take a pic some time of the larger Ptolemies against this babe-in-the-woods! THIS one is a AE17... probly a dichalkon? Egypt Ptolemy II 285-274 BC AE 17mm Eagle Cornuc SV 762 And this is an Obol at 20mm and 6.7g (small too!): Egypt Ptolemy II 285-274 BC AE Obol 20mm 6.7g Alex III Eagle Tbolt SV 601
Awesome coins everyone. The Greeks sure made some beautiful coins. These are my two newest smaller ones Ionia. Ephesos circa 390-380 BC. Obol AR 7mm., 0,75g. Bee, E-Φ flanking / Forepart of stag right, E-Φ flanking. SNG Cop 241 Seleukid Kingdom. Sardeis. Seleukos I Nikator 312-281 BC. Bronze Æ 12mm., 2,62g. Winged head of Medusa right / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΣΕΛΕΥΚOY, bull butting right, ΣΙ between back legs. SC 6.1; HGC 9
Another small pony joins the herd: Aeolis, Kyme AE12, 1st Century BC, 1.8g Obverse: KY; Forepart of a horse right. Reverse: ZΩI – ΛOΣ; Bow and quiver. References: SNG Copenhagen 109 This one is courtesy of John Anthony. These little guys are addictive once you see them in hand. John
