These two less-than-lovely coins come from Akko-Ptolemais, on the northern coast of Israel. (The modern city is Acre, and you can read its history on wiki here.) The smaller one is a semi-autonomous city coin minted during the Seleucid era, the larger a provincial issue under Hadrian. Do you collect for eye-appeal or rarity? The answer to that question depends on many factors, and one of those factors is whether eye-appealing coins in a particular series actually exist. Bronze coins of the Levant were the workhorses of many economies, and circulated heavily. Then they had to withstand the sands of time, quite literally, in harsh, arid climes. The Hadrian is quite rare. Heritage sold one in 2004, and another in 2014. Both of those coins are nicer than mine, but rather than hold out ten years for another example to appear, I decided this coin was pretty darned good for the price. (There are two on vcoins now in much worse shape.) Hadrian's portrait is decent although some of the legend is clipped, and the reverse is all there including the important inscription COL PTOL. The autonomous issue was an unidentified coin in a dealer's pick bin. These Dioskouri/Cornucopia types are common in Denomination C, but scarce in Denomination D. At least one of the heads is clear, and the reverse is centered with some of the inscription visible. 1. Akko-Ptolemais, Phoenicia. Hadrian (117 - 138 AD). AE19, 6.15g. Obv.: IMP TRA HADRIANO CAESAR; Draped bust of Hadrian r., laureate. Rev.: COL PTOL (Colonia Ptolemais); Tyche standing facing, looking left, resting on rudder and holding cornucopia. Reference: Sofaer pl. 8,142. Kadman 107, Rosenberger I p. 26, #49. 2. Akko-Ptolemias, Seleucid Era. AE12 (Denomination D); 126/5 BC. Obv.: Jugate heads of the Dioskouri r., wearing laurel wreaths, surmounted by stars. Rev.: ANTOXEΩN TΩN / EN ΠTOΛEMAIΔI IEPAΣ; Cornucopia; Monogram to left. Reference: Hoover HGC 10 #26; Seyrig 6. There is my contribution of crusty Levantine coins for the day. These are dealers' images - I will update them. Let's see your Judaean city coins! (or any Judaeans for that matter - I know they're not the most popular item at the five-and-dime)...
Atta-boy, Crusty!! => JA, I always love seeing your sweet coin-finds (very cool) Ummm, but heads-up => Phoenicia. Hadrian (Okidoki is "not" gonna be impressed that you're stealin' his coins!!)
The smaller of these coins arrived today, and it's a thousand times nicer than the seller's pic. I wasn't going to post it until the Hadrian came, but things seem pretty slow around here today. I'm growing to intensely dislike huge pics of tiny coins, so here's a small pic of a tiny coin...
indeed, those are cool JA...I love a good "pick bin" score! I've got a prutah, my only Judean coin....and I can't get my pic to work!
Judean coins? ... hmmm, well why didn't ya say so? => I have a couple to add onto your sweet thread ... Alexander Jannaeus AE Prutah (Widow’s Mite) Date: 103-76 BC Diameter: 13.0 mm Weight: 1.1 gr Obverse: Anchor Reverse: Star of eight rays Herod Agrippa I AE Prutah Date: 41-42 AD Diameter: 17.2 mm Weight: 2.5 grams Obverse: Canopy, legend around Reverse: Three ears of grain
I only have one coin from Akko Ptolemias Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy II Soter, Silver Tetradrachm Obv:– Diademed head of Ptolemy I right wearing aegis Rev:- PTOLEMAIOY [SOTERWS], eagle standing left, head left, on thunderbolt, wings closed, PT and ME monograms left, date AL and Q right Minted in Galilee, Akko Ptolemais, Year 31. B.C. 255 Reference:– BMC.112 var. Svoronos 774 pl. XXV/10 (4 ex.) SNG Cop.470. Delepierre- Gülnar 2/4074 pl. 129(6 ex.)
Gorgeous coin, Martin! The Hadrian came in today, and the dealer's pic was pretty accurate. Here are the two together, in chronological order...
