Well, maybe not the most exciting of collecting pursuits (when it comes to the purely geometric types anyway), but I've always found the varieties of incuse stamps quite interesting. Here's a half-siglos of Byzantion with a stamp that gets described as "granulated quadripartite mill sail pattern."
I know Steve has a ton of good ones. I have quite a few too IONIA, Samos. 510-500 BCE AR drachm, 13.7 mm, 3.2 gm Obv: forepart of winged boar left Rev: facing lion scalp with dotted square, within incuse square Ref: SNG Cop 1673 ARGOLIS, Argos 330-270 BCE AR Triobol or Hemidrachm, 14mm, 2.4 g Obv: forepart of wolf left, retrograde Σ above Rev: large A; Π–Ρ above, club below; all within shallow incuse square Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 1083.3; HGC 5, 667 ex Dr. Georgios I. Michael Collection ARGOLIS, Argos 330-270 BCE AR Triobol or Hemidrachm, 13mm, 2.5 g Obv: forepart of wolf left Rev: Large A; triskeles below; all within shallow incuse square Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 1075.2; HGC 5, 667 from CNG e-auction 315, Nov. 2013 ex Dr. Georgios I. Michael Collection CARIA, Mylasa 450-400 BCE AR hemiobol, 7 x 9 mm, 0.5 gm Obv: facing forepart of lion Rev: scorpion within incuse square Ref: SNG von Aulock 7803; Klein 429 (Milet) CARIA, Kindya 510-480 BCE AR tetrobol, 2.18 gm, 11 mm Obv: head of Ketos right Rev: geometric pattern within incuse square Ref: Kagan and Kritt, 'The Coinage of Kindya,' NC 1995, 1 var. (head left); SNG Keckman 920 var. (same); SNG Kayhan 815; "Asyut Hoard" 688 KINGS OF LYDIA, temp. Ardys - Alyattes 630-564 BCE Electrum trite, 4.8 gm, 13.4 mm. Sardes mint. Obv: head of roaring lion right, sun with four rays on forehead Rev: two incuse square punches Ref: Weidauer Group XV, 64; BMC 2 ... plus a whole bunch of rather plain punch reverses (Klazomenai winged boars) and one super duper new coin I haven't yet shown
When it comes to fancy incuses, any of the Magna Graecia group is hard to beat. This Stater is from Sybaris before 510 BC.
Cool OP-score, JA ... yah, I love these sweet archaic types (they're old as dirt!!) Lydia AR Siglos Islands Off Thrace Thasos, 1/16th Stater Thasos, AR Stater Caria, Kindya, Tetrobol Lesbos, Obol (TIF graphics) Persia AR Siglos Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte - Sixth Stater Macedon, Akanthos, Tetrobol
Mysia, Kyzikos, Obol Ionia Ephesos Tetartemorion Troas, Kebren AR Obol Troas, Kebren AR Diobol Thessaly, Pharsalos, Hemidrachm Ionia Erythrai, Hemiobol Ionia Miletos, Obol
Thessaly, Thessalian League, Obol Thessaly Larissa, Obol Macedon, Mende AR Tritartemorion MACEDON Eion, Tritartemorion MACEDON Eion, Trihemiobol Caria, Mylasa, Obol Rhodes AR Rose, Hemidrachm Sorry JA ... sometimes I just can't stop myself (these archaic incuse examples are so fricken cool ... it's hard to stop once I get searching through my stuff, ya know?)
well ... why stop now, eh? (the damage is already done) Chersonesos, Thrace, Hemidrachm Thrace, Maroneia, Tetrobol Ionia, Teos Gryphon, Drachm Bithynia, Kalchedon AR Siglos Bull Thrace, Byzantion, Hemidrachm Hey JA => that last example is kinda like your OP-coin (your new OP-example is probably a bit nicer than my humble example ... congrats again on your sweet new addition) ... thanks for letting me get all jiggy with my incuse-stamps!! (it feels good to stretch the ol' legs every now and then)
Looking at your collection @stevex6 , one might think you specialize in coins with incuse stamps. Great stuff!
thanks, my Nabotaneezer coin-friend Yah, I love these archaic sweeties, but we all know that my main-theme is merely ancient "animals" ... I try to snag 'em wherever I can!!
nice surf cow! i wish i had more of these, kind of one of the many week spots in my little collection.
Lucania, Metapontum, 510 - 470 BC Silver Stater, 25mm, 7.71 grams Obverse: Ear of barley with six grains either side. Reverse: Incuse of obverse. Noe202 // HN Italy1482
