It's grape season here and although not enough to make amphorae of wine, it's nicely complimented by a stater from Soloi. The variety is called Crimson Seedless. I just wonder if the guy who struck this coin in southern Anatolia some 2400 years ago have ever thought that this coin, after 1000s of year in the future would end up 1000s of mile away on yet an unknown land, that too on a bunch of grapes!?
Nice job with the viticulture! Here's the only coin I have with grapes as a major design element. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman provincial Æ 15 mm, 1.62 g, 6 h. Decapolis, Abila, AD 162/3 (year 226 of the Pompeian era). Obv: ΦΑYϹΤЄΙΝΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: ϹЄΛЄYΚ ΑΒΙΛΑ ϚΚϹ, bunch of grapes. Refs: RPC IV.3 6509 (temporary); Spijkerman 6; Rosenberger 5a; Sofaer 8. And here's one where grapes are merely an accoutrement of Dionysus. Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman provincial Æ tetrassarion, 13.76 g, 26 mm. Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum; Legate Aurelius Gallus, AD 201-204. Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟ-ΜΝΑ CΕΒΑ, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: VΠ ΑVΡ ΓΑΛΛΟV-ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ | ΠΡΟC ΙCΤΡΟ, Dionysos standing left, naked except for boots, holding bunch of grapes and thyrsos, panther at foot left. Refs: AMNG I 1456; Varbanov 2897; H&J, Nikopolis 8.17.8.1 corr. (rev. legend); Mionnet Sup. 2, p. 134, 457 and pl. III, no 6.
I saw your post earlier on reddit and thought it was a really great picture! Those grapes look delicious and so does that stater Here are my 2 coins with grapes:
I really like those grape types. Here are a couple: Septimius Severus Æ 17 (193-211 A.D.) Thrace, Philippopolis AV KAI CEYHΡOC, laureate head right / ΦIΛIΠΠOΠOΛEITΩN, bunch of grapes on small stem. Varbanov 1261; SNG Cop 777; Moushmov 5254. (4.43 grams / 17 mm) eBay Jan. 2020 This one is kind of hard to see - a bunch of grapes countermark. This is actually fairly common, for a countermark. The ones I've seen all have the dolphin countermark on the reverse: Byzantion Æ 19 (c. 3rd - 2nd Century B.C.) Demeter head veiled right / YZAN[TIΩN], cornucopia, [EΠI M]ENEK[P]. Countermarks: Obv.: Grapes w. tendrils forming monogram. Rev.: Dolphin in 9 mm circle. Host: SNG BM Black Sea 68. CM: SNG BM Black Sea 69. (10.97 grams / 19 mm) eBay June 2019 Here it is enhanced (grapes countermark obverse, on left):
Macedonian Kingdom: Alexander III 'the Great' (336-323 BCE) Æ Hemiobol, Tarsus (Price 3030) Obv: Head of Herakles in lion's skin headdress to right Rev: AΛEΞANΔPOY franked by bow in case and club; above club, grape bunch on stern and N Dim: 17.5 mm, 6.84 g, 8 h Ancient Judaea, Procuratorial: Valerius Gratus (15-26 CE) Æ Prutah, Jerusalem, RY 4 of Tiberius (Hendin 1336; TJC 326) Obv: IOY ΛIA; vine leaf and small bunch of grapes Rev: Narrow-necked amphora with scroll handles; across field, L Δ
