Ancient => Callin' all Syracuse Sicily Coins (it's sprue-time!!)

Close enough ... Greek tail!!

=> WC => thanks for the awesome history footnotes (you rock!!)

=> A-Noob => yah, the Green-chick is always a winner!!

... I'm gonna take-off for a bit

I love you guys

Coin-on!!

 

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I was close

ARETHUS was a nymph...

Another Syracusian leader who fought with Carthage (those two didn't get along)

This one was also struck during one of the Sicily Wars... between Carthage and Syracuse over Sicily

 

Was this coin seriously $85,000 ??? Did you really buy this, or did you pull this off the website?


http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=634771

 

Yes, that's my coin (that price doesn't include the 15% buyer's premium), although the images are closer to the ones I posted that I took in-hand. The original auction is here: http://images.goldbergauctions.com/php/lot_auc.php?site=1&sale=72&lot=4022&lang=1

 

Call it $100,000. That's serious. I thought maybe 20 grand but 100 grand. You my friend are way over the top.

I think I am in the wrong line of work... for sure...

 

It's worth every penny!

 

It is my most expensive, and I certainly can't do that every auction (I work in software which does have its perks, but it is far from limitless). Dekadrachm prices have pulled back a bit in the last few years and I've been waiting to jump on one that had everything I was looking for, and I luckily managed to get it a few increments beneath my maximum, despite having to anxiously bid against several others who were still in the running up until the end.

 

I am totally 1000% impressed Joe! That is serious- your blood pressure must have been all over the place during the auction. Mine would have been also, even from the sidewalk across the street.

 

Blood pressure my arse. I would have had a heart attack. Heck, I would have a heart attack just thinking of bidding on something this serious.

 

Yeah I was hanging out at AncientJoe's house the other day. You should see his bathroom...

 

Given my succinct dislike of Andrew Jackson I find that using his portrait as buttwipe is nothing less than completely appropriate. Where can I buy some?

 

AncientJoe => my house isn't worth as much as your coin!!

Hey, I just showed my wife and now she thinks that "I rock" because I only spend hundreds of dollars on coins ... you sir, should be a marriage counselor!!

:high5:

 

I'm glad I could help! Hopefully this may help someone else:

Quick and dirty "family photo" I took at the bank under their lighting:



A side-shot - it doesn't quite capture how high-relief it is, but gives you an idea:



And a more polished family photo with proper lighting (and more coins):

 

Wow all together thats nuts!!

 

You ARE out of control AncientJoe, lol! :thumb::thumb:

 

Even though I will never be able to afford such, I can appreciate them from afar. Thanks AJ for posting. Incredible!

 

That Syracuse dekadrachm is one beautiful coin! I knew it was expensive, but that's not the point--it's a real work of classical Greek art. I recently saw one in a museum that didn't approach the details or patina on yours--congratulations!

 

Nicely played, AncientJoe ... nicely played!!

=> the good ol' side-shot for coin-depth was certainly "de piece de resistance!!"

 

What is that gold monster in the centre?? a medallion.....?

 

Whoa, thanks for bumping this old thread, YOC! It was before my time and I'd missed it.

LOVE all of these! Gotta get more Syracuse coins. As usual, Steve-- every single one of your coins is on my find list.

Not great condition but the hippocamp and octopus are neato. AE tetras, ~425 BC


AE tetras, Dionysus I, ~390 BC. Head of nymph facing / octopus