Got Crab? - Akragas Crab & Eagle Tetradrachm - Yum

Here’s a big chunky crab tetradrachm that recently crawled into my collection.
SICILY, Akragas.
AR Tetradrachm.
472-420 B.C.

16.88 grams, 25 mm
Obv: Crab as viewed from top
Rev: Eagle standing left with city name
AKRA(C)-ANTOS (retrograde N)
Grade: aVF or nearly so including nice
centering, ancient fabric & cabinet tone
Other: Sear #741 pg 78. SNG.Cop.41,
BMC 37 From Classical Ancient Coins 1/16


The island of Sicily is located off the SW coast of modern day Italy. How about we all post some coins from Sicily? I’ll go first:

 

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Awesome, would love of those in time.

 

How much did the crab cost you?

 

$100,000 per pound?

 

I'll send you a quick PM. The didrachms are more readily available than the Tets I think.

 

Man, I wish I had a crab!

Fantastic pickup, Collect89!

Erin

 

Nice crab! Something crabby is on my shopping list. Someday

If my collecting had to be limited to one small geographic area, I would choose Sicily. Here are five of the ten or so in my collection.


Agathokles tetradrachm, Syracuse


Selinos litra


Kamarina tetras


Syracuse tetras


Himera litra

 

That is one awesome crab! Wow! So you only have about 2 dozen coins left to have one of each city on Sicily. I can see a collecting theme for you, did they make coins?

 

Awesome coin. I love some of these ancients... ahhh. "Must save money, must save money...."

 

Technically speaking I am not happy with listing the N as retrograde. Actually all of the legend left of the eagle is read right to left alternating from the left to right legend behind his back. This is called boustrophedon or as the ox plows writing and was common in early Greek. You can tell which lines get read right to left by which way the letters that differ point. Here only the N and the Sigma at the end change when they are reversed. It is a nice coin!

My didrachm is smaller and abbreviates the legend but the second part is reversed AK above and PA backwards below the eagle.


The little litra has the same split but shows the archaic Greek form of R that looks like our R rather than our P. Of course the R is backwards.

 

Very interesting, thanks! I did not know that.

 

I agree with TIF but would extend the range to include all of Magna Graecia.

 

Nice Akragas crab, C89 ... very cool addition!! (congrats)

oh, and awesome coins all the way around, gang!!

 

The coins that TIF posted start to fill the map nicely.
My laptop is going to the laptop doctor right now so my photoshop fun is over for now.

Edit to add Bing's Gela.

 

Thank you Doug!

 

Love the crab. Congrats.

GELA, SICILY
AR Litra
OBV: Naked horseman galloping left holding spear & shield
REV: Forepart of man-headed bull right
Struck at Gela, Sicily, 425BC
0.36g; 13mm
SNG Cop 275, BMC 52, Jenkins 405; HGC 2 374

SICILY, SYRACUSE, HIERON II
AE19
OBVERSE: Head of Persephone left, wreathed with corn, wearing earring and necklace
REVERSE: Bull butting left
Struck at Syracuse, Sicily 275-265 BC
4.3g; 17mm
BMC. Sicily, p 219, 624

SICILY, SYRACUSE, HIERON II
AE19 OBVERSE: Head of Poseidon left
REVERSE: IEP-ONOS, ornamented trident of Poseidon
Struck at Syracuse, Sicily 275-216 BC
6.5g; 19mm
SG 1223

SICILY, KAMARINA
Æ Tetras
OBV: Helmeted head of Athena left
REV: KAMA, owl standing left, head facing, grasping lizard; three pellets in exergue
Struck at Kamarina, Sicily, 420-405 BC
2.9g; 15.2 mm
Calciati 33; BMC 40; SNG ANS 1229; SNG Cop 169

CARTHAGE/SICILY-PUNIC
AE20
OBVERSE: Date palm tree with fruit
Rev: Horse head
Struck at Zeugitana, Carthage or Siculo-Punic, 3d-4th Century BC
8.2g, 20mm
SNG Cop-103

 

My last post with photos until Monday I think:

 

=> yeah, my favourites!!

Ummm, I have "Kainon" Sicily ... I don't see it on your map? (good enough?)



http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/sicily/kainon/i.html




Man, it would be nice to have "this example" eh? (below, sadly not my coin)

 

I believe Kainon means new and the legend is not intended to give the city name. These were attributed to Alaisa or a mercenary camp mint depending on who you read.

 

"Missed it by that much"



wow, thanks Doug => that's even more cool .... this stuff never gets old, eh?

=> my name is stevex6 and I'm a coinaholic!! ... and lovin' it!!

cheers