ANCIENT - Thessalian League - Double Victorianus - Sosipatros and Gorgonas

I managed to sneak in one last coin, I bought this about a week ago but it has yet to arrive.

This I picked up in the wake of the First Meris tetradrachm. There seemed to be a few of these for sale for not alot of money compared to others that have sold. This denomination is called a double Victorianus. Approx. 6.3 g x 23 mm the coin features The head of Zeus left. On the reverse the names GOROGANES and SOSIPATROS with the likeness of Athena advancing right with shield and spear. The coin is fine silver minted in the second century BC by the Thessalian League in central Greece. Thessaly was annexed by the Romans after the defeat of Macedon in 196 BC until becoming part of the Province of Macedonia in 146 bc.


Here I share with you the sellers photo, as always I can't wait to take my own.

 

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Nice ... that's a fantastic coin, A-Knob!! (super-cool!!!)

Yup, as I stated in Bing's thread => man, the three of us are buying-up coins like they're water and we're three beached whales!!! (and lovin' it!!) ... again, that's a great coin (congrats)

:thirst::thirst::thirst:

 

Yup thats right gettem' while there hot.

 

As someone I know might say, that is PHAT! That reverse is gorgeous. Do you have a reverence?

 

Master Noob, Phat is the word of the day, you and Steve are tearing up the Ancient coin's, very very nice, well done my young Friend...:thumb::thumb:

 

Hahaha Bing, thanks. The sellers lists it as BCD Thessaly 862.2...there are similar on wildwinds, ac search.

 

Very nice! I'm surprised how cheap some Thessalian coins go for, theres allot of nice ones out there.

 

man, i hate waiting on coins to arrive...or do i like it?....nothing like opening that mailbox and seeing that package in there....it like its christmas 81' all over again and i see that package and i KNOW that my empire strikes back snow speeder in there...WIN!

great coin!

 

I wonder maybe a large collection of these came to the market or a hoard was found. Its interesting to see how some coins seem to pop up and then all but disappear.

 

You have NO idea! Within the past two years a truly massive collection HAS come on the market: the BCD Collection of Thessaly. Thousands of coins have sold, with even more still sitting in safes awaiting auction. Nothing I can say can adequately relate the enormous size of this collection. It's enough to make the British Museum collection look pitiful! And the collector himself is a wonderful man, a true delight to talk to about coins. I've never known anyone to be so passionate about his coins. I urge you to pick up a copy of the main part of his collection.

Btw, BCD THessally 862.2 is the correct attribution. But it is more properly called a stater.

 

Excellent Coin AN!!!

 

Phat and In hand!

I received this coin in the mail about 20 minutes ago and I must say I am more than impressed. The coin is in beautiful condition and has bright minty fields. I can never get used of the coin being heavier than it looks and this is no exception. I am very pleased and happy to add this to my collection. If I didn't know better I would say the coin was made yesterday. The devices and images are in nice high relief. I went as far as to take my own measurements and photos (as always)


here they are 20.8 mm x 6.29 g

 

Spectacular coin.

While we know why these coins are on the market, I do find it interesting also how hoards appear from time to time. Heck, I never used to see a quadrans with Herakles on the obverse, and a boar reverse, but there are like 6 for sale right now on Ebay. However, in a few months when these are gone, it will be a rare coin again.

Best you can do is remember a rare coin is rare, buy them when you can. All hoards get dispersed and become rare again. Heck, my first CICF they had gold Koson coins EVERYWHERE. Literally every dealer had them the hoard was so large. They were selling for around $500 or less. Today that is a $2000 coin if you can find one. Even this small little silver coin I like to buy from Colchis, (a friend lives where the ancient town was), is a terrifically scarce coin today, yet I read they found a hoard so huge 100 years ago they used them for shotgun filling for a while!

So, like I said, buy what you can buy, WHEN you can buy it. Way too many people see a hoard and think, "well those are common coins, I will buy one someday when I get around to it". The market absorbs them, then you cannot find them for sale anywhere. I could write pages on all of the coins I have seen hoards hit the market and I meant to buy one and missed it. I never said I am good at this, just offering advice I wish I would take more myself as well.

 

Beautiful!!

 

@Ancientnoob
I picked up one of these (today). Not as nice as yours, but it gets me into the 'club'.
(Seller's description.)

ANCIENT GREEK Thessaly Thessalian League 196-146BC Silver Double Victoriatus .S-2232 with multi color patina 5.30g

 

A nice one.