Since Magna Graecia picked my interest I decided to pick up 2 coins. Sicily, Syracuse Æ Hemilitron – Reign of Tyrant Dionysius I (Ca. 405-367 B.C.) Obverse: Head of Arethusa left with elaborate hair bound in ampyx and sphendone, behind head two olive leaves. Reverse: Σ Y - P A in middle, dolphin swimming or jumping right, clam shell below in middle field. 3,37g/18mm I really like this coin, only unfortunate that the dolphin is not all the way clearly visible, but this is compensated by the amazing portrait on the obverse. I also have a question about this coin, some people place this during the reign of Dionysios I, and some place it at the end of the 2nd Democracy. Does anyone maybe know which one is correct? Sicily, Syracuse Æ – Under Roman Rule (after 212 B.C.) Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right. Reverse: ΣYΡAKO - ΣIΩN, simulacrum standing right in walking quadriga. 13,32g/26mm I like this one because of the artistic look of Zeus and the quadriga on the reverse. It is also a quite big bronze coin, 26mm and 13,32g. Sicily, Tauromenion Æ (275-212 B.C.) Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo facing left. Reverse: ΤΑΥΡΟ - ΜΕΝΙΤΑΝ, Tripod lebes. 5,47g/20mm I got this coin for free from the dealer since he made a mistake in the shipping costs, he gave me the overpaid amount back + gave me this coin as apology, well I can't complain. Tauromenion stood on Mount Taurus, near the town of Ancient Naxus. It is a Sikel town built in 396 B.C., however it got occupied by the inhabitants of Naxus in 358 B.C. and became an important Greek town. Its ruler, Andromachos, supported Timoleon, while he was occupied in liberating Sicily from her tyrants. Post any coins you find appropriate!
Lovely coins! I know the dealer probably isn't fond of the mistake, but it sounds like a reputable person (company) and you should advertise for them! Sounds like they're worthy of business.
I have a few Sicilian coins. They look like they were from the time of Carthage before or during 1st punic war
You might find the dolphin more pleasing if you reshot the photo but this time light it from the top of the dolphin rather than the bottom. As presented, the two sides look strange together. I wonder if the photographer thought the shell should be hinged side down when the photo was made and then just turned the photo around rather than reshooting with proper lighting. The dolphin would look more natural if the light were hitting his back rather than his belly. Dolphins are often shown circling in groups used as borders on Sicilian coins. In such cases, the belly lit ones will be swimming upside down and look OK that way. Just another Syracuse AE14 with dolphins:
Beautiful Sicilians right there! Some of my lil ladies from Sicily... Dionysios I Sicily, Syracuse Æ Hemilitron, circa 405- 400 BC. Head of Arethusa left; laurel branch behind / Dolphin right; cockle shell below, ΣVPA between. CNS 24; SNG ANS 417; HGC 2, 1480. 3.63g, 18mm Sicily Syracuse Roman Occupation, Bronze, After 212 BC, AE (g 7,04 mm 2o), Head of Zeus r., dotted border, Rv. ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, Isis standing l., holding istrum and sceptre. Dotted border. CNS II, n. 240 SNG Copenhagen 904 SNG ANS 1065
Beautiful coins! I do not believe the second coin is tooled. The artistic style is unusual, but I think it is typical of the time and place. It reminds me of my Roman bronze from Panormos (Palermo), which also has a slightly angular style: 20mm, 3.9g, 2nd - 1st century BC Obv: Laureate head of Janus Rev: Wreath without symbols inside; 6-rayed star/rosette above Calciati 106; SNG Morcom 656. Since we're talking about Sicily, I'll also share this 2nd Punic War era sextans, overstruck on a coin of Hiero II: Obverse: Head of Mercury right, two pellets above (undertype of Hiero II in hat) Reverse: Trireme right, ear of wheat above, KA monogram on right, ROMA below Struck in Sicily 211-208 BC, 5.78g, 20mm, Crawford 69/6a
Nice coins everyone! Yes I agree with you, I don't know why the seller decided to photograph with the lightning of below. Why do you think that? Just because of the free coin? The 1st coin is from Numismatik Lanz and the 2nd and 3rd coin from the new seller. A new coin just arrived from the new seller (I will post it later when i made pictures), and it had quite some yellow residue (I think some kind of oil) and a foul, almost rotten smell, all not visible in the pictures or the description, quite disappointed with this, I had to wash it with a lot of water and soap because it didn't go off. When I e-mailed him about this he denied this and said it could be from the previous seller. I asked him, what is the provenance then, and he answered quite vague on that. Eventhough that free coin is highly highly appreciated, I do think he did it just because he is a new seller and didn't want to create a bad reputation of the shipping cost mistake. But the last thing what happened is quite strange and I don't think I will do business with him again.
Great stuff! If I could only have ancient coins from one region, I reckon it would have to be Sicily. I have vivid daydreams of detecting there. Daydreams are all they'll ever be, for obvious legal and travel budget reasons, but I can assure you I've dug the place up so thoroughly in my dreams that the whole island would've resembled a WW1 battlefield had I not filled the holes back in! (Yeah, even in my dreams I'm nice enough to fill the holes in after extracting all those lovely buried amphorae full of treasure.)
One day I want another Akragas crab. Maybe a tet, if I can afford one. Loved this modest hemidrachm, particularly for the ketos monster grabbing the fish.
Great coins! It seems that we're both starting to delve into Sicilian goodies at the same time, I am particularly fond of the Syracuse under Rome bronze, that's a very interesting and appealing piece. I can't speak to tooling, but it does appear that the features were highlighted/scratched by some sort of needle tool along the grooves of the obverse design. No big deal if that's all it is. Sounds like old rancid Olive Oil or some other food oil that oxidizes and goes bad. A soak in some Acetone should dissolve what the soap and water didn't remove very quickly.
Nice acquisitions @Pavlos I have asoft spot for Syracuse bronzes. Here's one with dolphins 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 Q
Dooooaaahhh @Pavlos ! Nice Sicily coins. I enjoy Sicily coinage and have over 40 different varieties from Ancient times. Fun. Here are a few: Yeah, you know I have to toss out a Roman Republic: RR Anon AR denarius Roma 211-206 BCE ROMA incuse Dioscuri single horn-helmet Sear-- Craw 68-1b SICILY ISSUE RARE Yup, Sicily was Magna Graecia until Carthage started pushing in. Here is one from an Athens fan city. Sicily Kalakte AE unit 2nd C BCE Head Athena in Helmet - Owl rev RARE Sicily Gela AR Litra Horse-Achelous 0.63g 13mm 465-450 BCE HGC 2 p 373 Sicily Mamertini 264-241 BCE AE Pentonkion Zeus Warrior Shield Spear Merc Samnites- Messana Carthage Zeugitania AR ½ Shekel 17mm 3.8g 2nd Punic War 218-202 BC Sicily mint 216-211 BC Tanit l Horse r sun as double uraeus SNG COP 359
