Metapontion Lucania AR Stater : Ear of Corn with Grasshopper ca. 510-480 BCE Obv: Ear of corn, grasshopper to left and META (retrograde) to right Rev: Incuse ear of corn XF example with clear details on both sides. Much scarcer type with the grasshopper on the obverse. 21mm, 8.1gms Thanks to @Brian Bucklan at Bargain Bin Ancients for this one! Dane at Wildwinds says hello Brian, she listed this coin. Stay safe down there in Florida please. from an acsearch listing: "The most interesting type of the incuse coinage of Metapontum certainly must be the issues which include the locust (or grasshopper) design detail, as here. There are a number of variations. Here it is paired with a dolphin in outline(not visible on this strike anyway). The locust would have been a serious threat to the agricultural community and likely the dolphin relates to Apollo who would have been seen as the God who eliminated a plague of these insects in the year this coin was struck. Post your plague related coinage or Lucanian issues:
This obol has something right of the grain on the obverse but what??? CNG sold a die dupe calling it 'head of a mule' but I don't see it on my coin or theirs. My favorite of the grain coins is this obol which replaced the usual ear of barley with a single kernel incuse.
I still question the interpretation that the grasshopper has something to do with the plague— I believe we’ve discussed this here before.
I use Wildwinds all the time as do many (if not most) of other Cointalk members. Since I have an online website I have given her free rein to use any coin pics and descriptions on there. I also hope other Cointalkers who have public websites have or will give her the OK to let her use any of their coins pics for that site. Thanks Dane!
Nice coin Mike and that grasshopper is fantastic! Lucania, Metapontion. c. 300-250 BC. Ae13 Obv: Radiate head of Helios facing. Rev: Three barley-grains radiating from center, M E and race torch within segments.
While I most certainly would be happy for Wildwinds to use any of my images, my website is not a sale site and uses photos to illustrate a point rather than having the full catalog information that most people prefer. I have computer files with such information but it is not formatted in a way that allows cut and paste as needed for a catalog site. If there is a problem with Wildwinds and the other catalog sites it is that the listings will perpetuate the mistakes from the original listings and require constant editing to correct the mistakes that are so common in some parts of the input material. Dane does a wonderful job of what I consider a thankless task.
..that's a very kool coin!...it obviously was struck for some bad happening...anytime you have locust on a crop, there is a problem...
Metapontion Nomos 470-440 B.C. Obv Ear of barley to right facing downwards grasshopper. Rv. Ear of barley in incuse. Noe 258 8.22 grms 20 mm photo by W. Hansen