Akragas hemilitron: Anybody seen this die combination?

Akragas, Sicily, AE hemilitron, 25 mm, 16.15 g, 2h. c 420-406 BC. Eagle with wings raised, standing right on hare, head lowered / Crab, holding snake in claw; conch shell and octopus below, six pellets around. Purchased from the J. Swithenbank collection, Roma Numismatics e-auction 5, London, February 18, 2014, Lot 86.

There are examples with this obverse, but reverse with other symbols below the crab: crayfish, hippocamp, octopus ONLY [and barleycorn on obverse]. Also, examples with this reverse, but the obverse is eagle (left or right) with its head up, screaming. However, this die combination is not in Sear or SNG ANS or Hoover, Handbook of Coins of Sicily, Volume 2, published in 2012. Help in locating another example would be appreciated!

 

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mmmm => man, that coin is awesome!! (I love Akragas coins)

 

I haven't seen that combination before which is one of the reasons I almost bid on your coin . The main reason was that it is just a cool coin.

 

So, TIF, did you get anything in that auction? I got 6 coins, but I'm selling the other 5 and keeping only this one, until someone shows me it's not unique!

 

Can't say I've seen that combination but there are a lot of different varieties. Thats a nice coin.

 

i don't know about the die combinations...but that's a 5 animal coin...and that is awesome.

 

No, I ended up not bidding on anything in Roma e-5 because I was saving for a big bid on an Agathokles tetradrachm which was up for auction a couple of weeks later.

 

I've been wanting one of these, but still waiting for the right price. Congrats.

 

=> hey big-spender, I'm pretty sure that our coin-friend, Eng, can probably find ya this example for less than twenty-bucks?

 

Great coin. You may have an unpublished variant. As most collectors of ancients can testify, it happens.

 

i'd go with the crabbie patties..yum..

 

I can find plenty of these here in Florida.

 

Steve with the octopus it will cost more than twenty dollars.

 

Sear, ANS, and the Greek Handbook series are not comprehensive references for this series, but the ANS is close. Check out Corpus Nummorum Siculorum: La Monetazione di Bronzo

 

Great story about bidding for the Agathokles. You had me biting my fingernails and laughing at the same time! I usually have an agent represent me in the European sales, but I have also bid online for expensive coins and it can be very nerve-wracking. Winning a coin in an auction is good news - bad news. GOOD: YES!! It's mine and I love it! BAD: OMG...I was the only bidder willing to pay that much for it!

 

Their internet live bidding platform (Coretech) was plagued with problems-- Coretech is still plagued with problems. It was indeed nerve-wracking but if Coretech had been working properly there's a good chance I would have been outbid .

I definitely learned some lessons with that adventure. In the future if I come across a "must have no matter what" coin I may use an agent.

 

I came across an interesting die study of these coins in AJN (Second Series 7-8), author is Michael Ierardi. I'll post the highlights in your original thread, and see if I can find dies from the study that match your coin. Just haven't had time to do it yet. The article has some interesting theories about mintage numbers as well.

 

I assume you used http://www.sixbid.com/ as have I. Have you ever tried http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb ? I don't know if they use Coretech or not.

 

Never mind! I guess saleroom.com does not include coin auctions!

 

TheSaleroom does host some coin auction houses. In their last disastrous auction, ACR had big trouble with Coretech after the auction started. They emailed their customers and told them to bid through TheSaleroom. If you hadn't already created an account with Saleroom it was too late to bid though.