Possibly Unpublished AE13 of Teos, Ionia

Ionia, Teos AR Drachm
375 B.C. Hagnon, magistrate
Diameter: 16 MM
Weight: 3.4grams
Obverse: Griffin seated right, raising forepaw
Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square with granulated quarters and thick crossbars; ZHIΩN on horizontal crossbar, AΓ-NΩN on vertical crossbar
Reference: Kinns 11; SNG Copenhagen 1443



Ionia, Teos AR Hemidrachm
300 B.C.
Griffin & Kanthros

 

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Wow sorry, JA => man, that coin is fricken awesome!! (congrats)

yah, you know me => I saw Ionia Teos, so I merely tossed-out a couple of examples from there ... ummm, what's the question?

 

The question was post your coins dude!

 

cha-ching, brother!! (post-a-mondo!!)



... man, that slick kanthros-gryphon coin from Batman is one of my all-time feel good coins (it's a champ, eh?)

JA => I hope that your summer is rolling along nicely (I have all of August off ... chomp-chomp ... vacation is almost upon me!!)

 

I knew you had a couple from Teos. Fabulous coins! I'll pick up a few silvers eventually.

 

One more from my coins, with amphora this time.

When I first bought this coin it was heavily painted with some brown stuff. I had to clean it to the bone.

After that D.Smith advised me to leave it on the window sill for a couple years. Yep, it's coming along nicely.

 

It looks good. The fake patinization is deplorable - that coin didn't "need" anything. I'm curious, what did you use to dissolve the paint? Acetone, or something stronger?

 

Acetone only and light brushing, it worked pretty well.

 

Acetone has worked a few miracles for me as well.

 

Oh crap, amphora? ... really?

Ummm, is that the coin-target?

Hmmm, I think that I have a couple of 'em tucked away here somewhere?

... oh yeah, here they are ... yeeee-haaa=> amphora & kanthros

Let 'em buck!!

Boeotia, Thebes, AR Stater
363-338 BC
Shield & Amphora (incuse concave)


Sicily, Selinos, AE Cast Onkia (very cool)
450-440 BC
Kantharos & Selinon Leaf


Thessaly, Lamia, AR Hemidrachm
350-300 BC
Dionysos & Amphora + prochous


Thessaly Larissa
460-440 BC
Horse & Larissa with hydria lion fountain (incuse)


... ummm, did I mention that my wife is outta town?

SQUIRREL!!

 

Curious, JA ... is your coin one of these?

Thrace, Abdera: AE16
ca. 400-350 BC
Diameter: 16.2 mm
Weight: 3.40 grams
Obverse: Griffin seated right on club; caduceus right above; ]IΛIΣ[ below; EP before Reverse: Head of Apollo right in linear square, ABΔ-HPI-TE-ΩN surrounding.
Reference: BMC Thrace p75, 84 (see note below); AMNG II 227 (see note below); cf. SNG Copenhagen 374



cheers

 

Well I finally got an answer on this coin, which demonstrates that it's always possible to turn up a new variety or type in the world of ancients. This comes by way of Walter Holt...

"I consulted with a colleague of mine, and here is the response:

{edited} This particular Teos variety was not formally known until
about 2001, although I know of one collection containing no less
than six examples in varying conditions. They date to c. 400-375.

The reverse type is certainly curious, with the sideways chelys
behind, and the kantharos garlanded with ivy (leaves at foot,
berries at top).

There are no published examples, not an uncommon occurrence
with these small, earlier period bronzes, they were so very often
overlooked, so there is no formal reference.

However, it belongs closely with BMC 36, SNG Copenhagen 1450,
SNG Kayhan 608 and SNG Keckman II 316 - the same basic types
(griffin/kantharos in rectangle), but with varying details. {end}"

Here is my pic of the coin...

 

Here's an interesting tidbit from wiki...

Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present day southeastern Kazakhstan, or in Mongolia.

I wonder how many of the mythological animals derived from dinosaur fossils?

 

This is what I believe as well.

Perhaps some of the mythical creatures even stemmed from existing and exotic marine animals.

Sea Dragons and seahorses... hippocamps, Ketos, Skylla?





(all coin images from CNG's archives)

 

I can only imagine what someone would have thought, coming across a skeleton of Tyrannosaurus or similar, before the days of geology and biology. Dragons had to be real - there was empirical proof right there!

 

Yep - I agree. I know if I found a T-rex fossil I would be showing everyone the Dragon bones.

 

Yep. I'm on the fossil/mythological animal wagon too...It seems obvious that ancient people would make that 'logical' leap.

 

Your Onkia is awesome!! Never saw one before with a kantharos.