Collecting Greek Bronzes

I'm curious how people collect Greek coins, especially bronzes, since there are so many different types. Do you collect by theme? by region? ruler or dynasty?

How about all you collectors of Greek coins telling us what your particular collecting interest is?

 

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Greek bronzes are a great series to collect! There are so many of them, they generally have interesting devices, and they can be very reasonable in price.

I am working on collecting them in two ways: every bronze type from cities and cultures I like such as Syracuse (many types exist), Rhegion, Terina, Elis, Punic; and one per city for the rest (also many, many types).


Syracuse


Rhegion


Terina


Elis


Punic


Smyrna

John

 

There are also the little guys:




A whole collection of these will fit easily in a wombat foreskin pouch:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/it...-secret-saturnalia.305362/page-9#post-2935592

John

 

Absolutely!!

As a 'generalist', I also find Ptolemaic or 'Persian' examples to be irresistible:

Cilician Stater---

CILICIA, Tarsos. Mazaios. Satrap of Cilicia, 361/0-334 BC. AR Stater (24mm, 10.93 g, 6h). Baaltars seated left, holding eagle, grain ear, grapes, and scepter; TR (in Aramaic) to lower left, M (in Aramaic) below throne / Lion attacking bull left; monogram below. Casabonne Series 2, Group C; SNG BN –; SNG Levante 106. EF, toned.





AR Tetradrachm of Ptolemy II (285-246 BC)

 

A new collecting area for me , thanks to Theo!




Thanks,
Jacob

 

I agree whole-heartedly lordmarcovan. I do not collect ancients, but mostly world coins and as I bought coins I liked, I found myself buying more of a particular country or variety. So I now have tons of modern Polish commemoratives and a nice lot of maundy pennies!

 

When I first realized that I could actually buy and hold in my hand ancient Greek coins, I was pretty much willing to pick up anything that sparked any interest at all. But after a while I realized that I was getting quantity and not so much quality. So I have narrowed it down (mostly) to three areas of focus: places I've been (Rhodes, Athens, etc.); coins with dolphins (since I used to do wild dolphin research); and coins with mythological themes (as a former English major). All that said, every now and then I come across something that I just really like that fits none of the above but comes home with me anyway. I definitely agree with one of the above posts that suggested you start more generally and see what turns out to be your area of interest. Enjoy!

 

Does anyone recognize this as a Pontus issue? Or from where?

 

Tipically my greek bronzes sub-collection sticks to @lordmarcovan's motto "buy what you like".
I have no direction at all about them, just buy a coin when it screams "buy me" !











Q

 

Like Q and Marcovan I buy what catches my eye and have the budget for. Although there is some historical and or geographic preferences, and I have more Greek silver than bronze.
But here are a few of my bronzes.
Note- I don't have access to all my coin info so most is memory ( which may be some what flawwed )


Boeotia, Thebes 379-338 BC, AE10, 1.24g: Obv: Boeotian shield Rev: Trident. Lindgren 1517 (This coin). Lindgren plate coin


Kolophon, Iona
Apollo -Lyre, palm

Lydia
Apollo - winged thunder bolt


Komama, Pisiada
Apollo - lion breaking spear with mouth KO in exergue


Thessalian League

 

Bosporus. Not enough cell signal to say more

 

I couldnt have expressed my approach to collecting anything, any better.
Well said

 

[QUOTE="Smojo, post: 2937650, member:
View attachment 714761
Thessalian League[/QUOTE]

This coin is very similar to a coin that I just posted in another thread, in need of attribution. I thought Tessa stood for Thesaloniki, but it seems I was wrong. On my coin letter in right lower field beneath the spear is P and on your coin is K.

 

I really do not collect Greeks, but enjoy having some of their Bronzes:

SELEUKID:

Seleukid Demetrios I Soter 162-150 BCE AE 17 serrate 16.8mm 3.9g Antioch on Orontes mint Horse Hd L - Elephant Hd R- SC 1646 SNG Spaer 1299-1304


Seleucid Seleucus I 312-280 BCE AE 20 Athena-Elephant Spaer 129

ANATOLIA:

Pamphylia-Side AE 15mm Minerva R - Nike L wreath Sear Grk 5440 SNG Cop 408ff
Ex @Valentinian

SICILY:

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 Kainon AE Tetras 20mm 6.7g Griffin - Horse Prancing SNG COP 133


And bunches more from all over the Med. I do not consider Thrace, Iberia / Spain, Carthage, Etruria, etc. as Greek... Even Makedon were there own people.

 

Sweet, and now I know where to start with my attribution!

Thanks,
Jacob

 

Thanks @TIF I guess it is one of these dudes- the MH in the wreath is Bosporus. i am figuring it out. From acsearch:
Rhoemetalkes, 132-154. Aes. BACILEWC POIMTALKOY Diademed bust to r., Trident in field. Rev. MH in the center of oak-wreath. 12.54 g. SNG cop. 58. Laffaile 408. Brown patina. Very fine.
KINGDOM BOSPOROS
SAUROMATES I., 93-123


d = 28 mm

Bronze ("Forty- Eighties "), 108-115. [TI IOULIOU BASILEwC CAUROMATOU Drap. Bust nr, diadem in long hair. Rv. Value (?) MH (= 48) in a wreath. 12.00 g. Frolova 121 and Tf. X, 15 (stgl.). MacDonald, Bosporus 76, 398. Dark, olive patina.

 

[QUOTE="lordmarcovan, post: 2937291, member: 10461"The last one in a slab cost me about 16 bucks raw, so the silly slab I put it into cost more than twice what the coin did, but I had just begun my "Eclectic Box" (at the time a box of 20), and was trying to get enough slabs to fill the box up.

View attachment 714559 [/QUOTE]
Seriously? They did not even mention that broken edge? A few scratches get a VG downgraded to 2/5 for surface but chip off 10% of a coin and you get ChVF??? I guess that is what makes it a 'Silly' slab.