I Need Help with 2 Greek Bronzes, and Coin Animals in General.

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Marsyas Mike, Oct 9, 2019.

  1. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    I recently bought an undescribed lot of Greek AEs - 9 of them. I figured out 7 of them after a lot of random Google Image searches, ransacking acsearch, head-scratching and guessing.

    To illustrate how little I know, I went from thinking this one was an Roman Alexandrian AE of Hadrian with a hippopotamus but finally figuring out it was a Spanish AE from Bolskan...still learning as they say. (It is a fat horse! Flip the reverse upside down and it looks like a hippopotamus, sorta. Or a bear. Or Sasquatch.):

    Spain Boskean - Head & Horse AE  Oct 2019 lot (0).jpg

    Viola! A hippopotamus! With a "Greek" legend at top.

    Spain Boskean - Head & Horse AE  Oct 2019 lot UPSIDE DOWN (4).jpg

    Here are the two that stump me and I need help with. The first appears to be Artemis or Europa is riding a bull (or a goat or a panther - I obviously don't know my coin animals). A horseman is on the left. The closest I came was a Caligula from Macedon, but mine are facing the wrong way. The wretched condition does not help matters. I just don't know (20 mm 5.57 grams):

    Unknown - Europa or Artemis & horseman  Oct 2019 lot2.jpg

    Unknown - Europa or Artemis & horseman  Oct 2019 lot (2).JPG

    This one I am not even sure which side is up. May not be Greek. I have no clue (17 mm and 3 grams):

    Unknown - AE  Oct 2019 lot2 (0).jpg

    Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
     
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  3. shanxi

    shanxi Well-Known Member

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  4. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Thank you, shanxi! A lion from Stratonicaea with the tail of a dog. No wonder I was confused. I wish my Iberian Bolskan looked as nice as the one you linked - definitely not a hippopotamus on that one.

    Much obliged!
     
  5. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Thanks to shanxi pointing out the prow, now I am wondering if it is a Spanish imitation of a Roman semis? Or just an ugly semis (Spanish mint?) I found some on Vcoins. Some of these have a crude S - retrograde on the obverse of mine.

    I don't know. But I feel closer...here it is more or less right-side up, I think.

    Unknown - AE  Oct 2019 lot2 (0).jpg
     
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  6. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    My first thought was "Spanish Imitative" as well.
     
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  7. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Thanks chrsmat71 - this sort of material is a new area for me, but from some of the photos I've seen, "Spanish Imitative" does seem to be a definite possibility.
     
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