Let's see if the board can ID this! (Greek)

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Billy Kingsley, Sep 24, 2009.

  1. This is a Greek Coin I bought...I wanted to have a Greek Coin, and the price was right...practically free. The fact that it's not attributed is only a minor detail, right? :)

    This is probably going to require some skill...I bought it from an ancient collector (and these are his images, used WITH permission) and it was not IDed...

    Ideally I'd like to find out when it was issued, where it was issued, and who issued it....but I am not going to hold my breath either!

    I wish us all luck on this one! (The cent is for size comparison)
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. andrew289

    andrew289 Senior Analyst

    This is comical.
     
  4. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    There's a reason it was practically free...
     
  5. Ardatirion

    Ardatirion Où est mon poisson

    Is that a thunderbolt on the reverse?
     
  6. stainless

    stainless ANTONINIVS


    Actually, the attribution is everything. Without the attribution, it is impossible to know what it is, and what the coin signifies.


    stainless
     
  7. cherylkubucko

    cherylkubucko Grandma Froggie

    http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?vpar=1102&pos=0#Greece

    Epirote Republic, c. 234 - 168 B.C.[​IMG][​IMG]Epirus remained neutral in the first two Macedonian Wars but split in the Third Macedonian War; the Molossians siding with the Macedonians and the Chaones and Thesproti siding with Rome. The outcome was disastrous. Molossia fell to Rome in 167 B.C., 150,000 of its inhabitants were enslaved and the region was so thoroughly plundered that it took 500 years for central Epirus to fully recover. 34658. Bronze AE 15, BMC Epirus p. 91, 51, aVF, weight 2.289 g, maximum diameter 14.9 mm, die axis 180o, Molossia? mint, obverse laureate head of Zeus right; reverse APEIRWTAN, thunderbolt;


    Epeirote Republic Before 238 B.C. AE 15 mm. Head of Zeus Dodonaios r., wreathed with oak / Thunderbolt.

    http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/epeiros/SNGCop_106v.jpg
     
  8. stainless

    stainless ANTONINIVS


    I'm hesitant to say that attribution is correct. The OP's coin shows so little detail, and there are so many diffferent types, it will be hard to tell - if even possible - what the full attribution is.


    for instance, it could be this one: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/ca...9&fld=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins/

    stainless
     
  9. Ardatirion

    Ardatirion Où est mon poisson

    The OP's coin does not have a bust of Zeus. His appears to have a bust of Apollo.
     
  10. cherylkubucko

    cherylkubucko Grandma Froggie

    I am working on learning these coins, I will continue. I typed in Greek coins in the
    web search and just looked at the coins
     
  11. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    I'm impressed. Even if its not exactly the right one, cheryl appears to have gotten pretty close.
     
  12. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    I think I see a thunderbolt too, made me think Syracus , but not really sure
     
  13. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Something like this, maybe, but smaller
     

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  14. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    yeah, thats what i was thinking
     
  15. Ardatirion

    Ardatirion Où est mon poisson

    I really don't think its Syracusan...
     
  16. You folks are good....

    Stainless, in the part you quoted, that was a joke :)

    It does appear to have been a thunderbolt on the reverse.

    It does seem to resemble the coin Cucumber posted! I will wait some more time to see if I get any more responces on it. But...I will point out that a member on the FORVM forum came up with the same basic design as Cucumber posted....I think that is a good sign towards possible attribution...And I am comparing the pictures and there do seem to be depressions in the face where the eye was, and also a lump behind the bust that COULD have been a quiver...

    It looks like the obverse was struck off center and that the chin and lips may have been basically cut off the coin...what do you think?

    So...we as a group have been able to figure out it probably looks a lot like the coin posted...but it's smaller and lighter. So, does that mean it would be from a different date? Or perhaps a different city state? Did they even use the same designs in different city-states? Or would it just have been a smaller denomination?

    Either way, Thanks!!
     
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