I have several coins with banker's marks, but I'm fairly certain this is my first and only coin with a countermark. I would love to be able to research the countermark, but I have no idea where to begin. I would greatly appreciate someone, anyone, providing me a starting point for research of countermarks. Anyway, this is also my first coin from Side. The coin was inexpensive, but I wanted the countermark. PAMPHYLIA SIDE Æ16 OBVERSE: Head of Athena right, in crested Corinthian helmet, winged thunder bolt countermark REVERSE: SIDHTWN, Nike advancing left, holding wreath; pomegranate to left Struck at Side, 2d-1st Century BC 2.72g, 16mm SNG Cop 408, BMC 66 Post your coins from Side or any countermarked coins in your collections.
That's a nicely-detailed countermark. If you want research on Greek countermarks, you'll have to do it yourself. I don't know of even a catalog of Greek countermarks, much less an analysis. Nothing similar to Howgego's catalog of Roman marks. Legio VII Fulminata used a thunderbolt countermark, but it is of a different style, found on Roman coins of a later period, and occurring considerably East of Side.
Very cool coin Bing!! I'm as lost as you are when it comes to countermarks although I have a couple myself. A countermarked bronze of Antioch during the reign of Cleopatra and a coin of Side; Athena and Nike:
I have no countermarked ancients, only one token that was countermarked. I do have a couple coins featuring the thunderbolt.
I have four Side coins, one countermarked. AR tetradrachm c.200BC with Seleucid anchor c/m. Sear comments on the fact that these are often countermarked. They come with a number of field letter variations. AR obol fourth century BC (Sear 5431) http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=877692 AE15 3-2nd century BC Skipping a few centuries is this Salonina Provincial AE 30 10 assaria
I have had very little luck finding anything out about countermarks. Lycia, Termessos Minor Coin: Bronze - Apollo laureate head within dots and countermark of winged insect TERMHS-SEWN - kithara Mint: Oinoanda (1st C AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.44g / 19mm / - Rarity: Rare References: BMC 276, 7 (Pisidia) SNG von Aulock 4458 Notes: Nov 13, 14 - Nice bee countermark. Alexander I State, City: Seleucid, Apamea Coin: Bronze AE20 - Alexander I Balas diademed head right ΑΠΑΜΕΩΝ - Zeus standing left, holding Corinthian helmet and scepter; monogram and date in left field. Countermark: palm within rectangular incuse Mint: Apamea (152-145 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 8.02g / 20mm / - References: SC 1804a HGC 9, 904 Pontus, Amisos Coin: Bronze - Bow case with strap and two countermarks (helmet within circle and trident). - 8 pointed star. Mint: Amisos (130-100 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 9.42g / 20mm / - References: SNG BN Black Sea 976 This coin I keep for the dolphin countermark Antoninus Pius Coin: Bronze As Unreadable - Laureate head right Unreadable - Genius standing left, holding cornucopiae and a patera over a burning altar. (Possibly) Wt./Size/Axis: 13.80g / 30mm / - References: Similar to RIC 568c
I already posted these 2 coins in 2 different threads or replies. The first was struck in Tyre. It's Seleucid and has a Palm tree on reverse.The obverse has Apollo and a countermark of Tyche or Artemis. The second coin is an Anonymous Byzantine of the Well-known series Basilei..But the obverse has the face of Jesus vanished and countermarked. I might shoot better photos if necessary tomorrow. t
Very cool countermark addition, Bing!! (congrats) ... man, it took ya long enough!! PAMPHYLIA SIDE, eh? Hmmm? => I have two examples from PAMPHYLIA, Side ... oh, and they're way-way-way different time-periods (600 years apart!!) ... one has a countermark and one doesn't PAMPHYLIA, Side, AR Obol Circa 370-360 BC Diameter: 9 mm Weight: 0.64 grams Obverse: Head of lion left Reverse: Helmeted head of Athena right, wearing necklace Reference: Atlan 121–6 var. (unlisted dies); SNG France 739; SNG von Aulock 4775 Other: 3h … VF, toned, some porosity, a few light scratches PAMPHYLIA, Side. Gallienus, Æ 11 Assarion 253-268 AD Diameter: 30 mm Weight: 14.25 grams Obverse: Laureate and draped bust right above eagle standing right, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; IA obliterated by c/m of Є within circular incuse Reverse: Athena standing facing, head right, holding spear and [thunderbolt], with shield at side; pomegranate to left Reference: SNG France –; BMC 104; for c/m: Howgego 805 Other: 6h … VF, brown surfaces => congrats again on busting your countermark-virginity!!
Bing - nice coin. Post anything you find on countermarks. I received this on last week. I attempted to make a better pic of the mark. My eyes tell me there are 4 to 5 dots and a fish that looks like the Tunny fish. Coins of Spain (Gades), Sicily (Akragas), Luciana, Mysia, and probably more have similar fish. I showed my new coin to several dealers at shows I attended. One suggested that coins from Sicily circulated in Spain and the tunny fish was used there. He said to look for an article by Clive Stannard. I have not had any luck finding any info on the mark. Hope you have more luck. Sicily, Syracuse, 400-390 BC. Æ Litra Obv - Head of Athena l., wearing Corinthian helmet decorated with wreath, to left of helmet – ΣYP[A], [two dolphin]; c/m: tunny fish r and 4 or 5 dots. Rev – Hippocamp, left ??? Sear 1193 Green patina, Fine , 18mm, 5.80g, 6h I found a few similar looking coins on Sixbid / acsearch.info. One from ACR is shown below.
that's a cool counterbmark bing! i have a couple coins i picked up recently that have countermarks as well. a greek... CILICIA, Tarsos. 164-27 BC. O: Turreted head of Tyche right; R: Zeus seated left holding scepter; 20 mm, 7.9g it's clearly countermarked, but he countermark isn't clear. i think it's a bow and quiver, that is one found on these coins sometimes at least. i'm pretty sure someone here has one with that countermark, maybe @John Anthony ? i know i found one on the forum while i was researching this coin. and a coin from "philly"... Philadelphia. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Time of Titus, 79-81 CE O: Demeter, countermark (male head?), R: grain, 19 mm, 7.0 g i'm pretty sure it's a male head with the nose pointing up and right.
I hope you don't mind me pulling up a post from the foggy past, Bing. But I recently got a Pamphylia Side AE, same host as your post, with a countermark. And I too am having trouble finding any information on it - just as you were a couple years ago. Astragalos (sheep knuckle bone)? Pomegranate? Owl? These coins were extensively countermarked, from what I can tell, but I've yet to find a systematic description of them. So just in case anybody out there can shed light on the mysterious countermarks of Pamphylia - here it is - same host as Bing's - but a different countermark. Below the photos are my efforts at attribution: Side, Pamphylia Æ 12 (205-191 B.C.) Helmeted head of Athena right / ΣIΔHTΩ[N], Nike walking left, holding wreath and palm branch, pomegranate in left field. BMC 66; SNG France 740; SNG von Aulock 4806; SNG Cop 408; Sear 5440. (3.37 grams / 12 mm) Countermark: Astragalos (sheep knuckle bone)? 6 x 4 mm obverse. I found this countermark on this host in several places (auctions, eBay), although I could not find any solid attribution information. Some describe it as an owl or a pomegranate.
Awesome post. I have this coin to share. One littered fully with countermarks as part of their montage design. Kobadien Huns. Central Asia Tocharians. BI Dirham imitating the Sassanian designs. Circa 7-8th century.
Wow! I really like that. Central Asia has some interesting countermarks, but I don't have any in my collection (yet!).
Central Asian or silk road coins are very interesting. I focus on that as well.. Some had secret symbols, multicultural designs etc..
SIDE Pamphylia-Side AE 15mm Minerva R - Nike L wreath Sear Grk 5440 SNG Cop 408ff COUNTERMARK Cilicia - Tarsos turret counterstamped Bow Pompey Pirates AE 19 164 BCE Tyche-Zeus seated Augustus As four countermarks 25-23 mm 9.8g TICA AVG probably for Tiberius Augustus CE14-37 Dolphin Ex: @Valentinian
Probably you know already all of this; I am just trying to point at some possible references, although I have not been lucky researching a few countermarks on my coins: Maybe the Fulminata countermark was made by the Legio XII Fulminata on a Greek coin? The countermark on your's looks like the ones shown here http://www.romancoins.info/CMK-legionary-East.htm#fulminata and probably can be researched in Howgego, C.J. Greek Imperial Countermarks. RNS, Special Publication No. 17. (London, 1985). There is also an article by the French numismatist Robert Mowat who has researched countermarks on Greek coins and is mentioned here on page. 87 https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43573328.pdf
