Christmas Coin #1 Phoenicia Sidon Ba'alshillem II 401-366 BC, 1/16 SHEKEL

I never even seen a 1/32 shekel anywhere from a casual glance but I will definitely look into this. So, you have a copy of HGC, JA?

I don't have this coin in hand yet. When I do I will be measuring and weighing the coin. So, I should list this as a 1/32 Shekel then?

 

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Yes, 0.4g makes it a 1/32 Shekel. 'Abd'ashtart I struck some tetradrachms on the Attic standard, but other than that, all Phoenician silver is struck on a local standard, c. 13.75g to the shekel, reduced to c. 12.9g after 365 BC.

Believe it or not, your coin isn't the smallest Phoenician denomination. They also minted 1/64 shekels at c. 0.2g and 1/128 shekels at c. 0.1g (!) It's difficult to imagine how such tiny coins were handled in commerce.

 

=> I hear ya!! => I have that super-cool "Ionia - Bee & Stag Tetartemorion" ... it is 5mm and 0.17 grams (I clear everything off of my desk and layout the white paper whenever I'm gawkin' at that lil' gem!!)

... but you're correct, JA => how on earth did they ever use these tiny coins efficiently in trade? (I recall Doug saying that they kept the small denominations in their mouths!? ... obviously, this could be detrimental and lead to periods of digestion and waiting for the cash to work its way through the pipeline and out the business-end!!) .... I'm pretty sure that's where "keep the change" came from?

 

Well, the mouth story is largely apocryphal - I'd like to see some scholarship on that. But it does make a certain amount of sense if you image tucking the coins under your gum like chaw. The coins aren't going to go anywhere if you're careful, and since your mouth is so sensitive, you'll always know they're there.

At any rate, these coins were bigger in the ancient world than they are today because homo sapiens was considerably smaller. Our predecessors weren't hyped up on vitamins and growth hormones as we are today. Anyone who doesn't believe me can go to a show in a theater built in the 19th-century. You'll spend a few miserable hours trying to get comfortable in seats made for pygmies.

 

I think after all, that we need Astarte the Phoenician goddess of love to wish us all a merry Christmas. Cheers..
Charles

 

Did not know that people are getting larger now days due to growth hormones but I have seen a older theater here in town where they done plays and not movies. The seats were smaller and uncomfortable come to think of it now.

 

=> okay, you got it!!

Phoenicia, Sidon. AE-23
Year 227 (AD 116-117)
Diameter: 23 mm
Weight: 10.56 grams
Obverse: Turreted, draped and veiled bust of Tyche right, aphlastron behind, star before
Reverse: Car of Astarte, baetyl within, date ZKS below

 

Thank you very much S6. I adore Astarte.. I promise to post a gorgeous scan of her statue in the coming days. Happy Holidays..

 

Very nice guys. This thread ended up pretty good and a more enjoyable experience for the coin.

 

I would very much like to collect more Phoenician. So far, I have only one coin, of Arados, which is currently being treated for bronze disease, but it is doing well, and I expect it to make a full recovery. It's an excellent coin in my opinion and deserves to be saved...

 

Hold on, I also have this Seleucid ae of Tyre, which someone at FORVM was kind enough to ID for me...

Seleucid Kingdom, Antiochus III
Dilepton; Tyre mint: 222-187 BC.
Obv.: Laureate head right.
Rev.: Palm tree with two bunches of dates.
Reference: cf. SNG Spaer 678-80; Houghton CSE 729; SC 1081 .

 

As I promised , here's the best picture I could have so far of a statue representing Astarte. The statue was unearthed and found out in Sidon. It dates back to the third century BC. Merry Christmas from Her to everybody.

 

I love her Christmas outfit

 

Which part of.. Steve ?
Charles

 

I'm a knee man ...

 

Then you might worship her knee, she's a goddess after all. And goddess of what ??

 

She's the goddess of sex and she's ready to PARTAAAY!

Don't ban the messenger.

 

Rather the Goddess of Love. There's quite a difference therein. The most I liked about Her is the Expression of the Eyes. Merry Christmas.. Cheers
Charles

 

And war also. Love and war - for some reason they always seem to go together.

 

=> make-up sex