FINALLY!! A Man-headed Bull......

Ironically, it's usually the reverse that seals the deal for me but the opposite seems to be true lately. In this case, the reverse is more than a bit off-center and part of Nike and the left side of the man-headed bull are off flan but the obverse of the nymph Parthenope is so exquisitely beautiful, so artistically rendered, that I couldn't let yet another example slip through my fingers. The fact that this coin is of 'Magna Graecia' (Neapolis), a didrachm and struck during the era when Rome first began expanding across the Italian peninsula and at a time when they would be engaged not only in the First Punic War but also would be confronting various Greek rulers as they ventured beyond Italy just added to the charm of this lovely, toned silver coin.

Please feel free to post any examples of the type, or any other you may have of Magna Graecia or of a didrachm.....In short, please share any coin you feel is in any way relevant.

Silver Didrachm, struck circa 326-290 BC; Neapolis, Italy
7.35 grams, 22 mm; SNG ANS 340.
Diademed head of the nymph Parthenope right,
wearing pennant earring and pearl necklace.
Artemis standing holding two torches (control symbol) behind neck
APTEMI below 'truncation'

Man-faced bull standing, head turned right facing,
Nike flying above placing wreath on bulls head, retrograde N below.
NEONOAITON in exergue

 

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That is gorgeous. No man headed bulls here unfortunately.

 

Nice coin and my kind of toning. I like the portrait most.

 

Wow Mikey awesome, need to get man faced bull some day.great coin.

 

Wow @Eng

That examples is way better than most examples that one can easily buy on the internet good choice.

 

Great coin!

 

great winner you here my coin friend very nice indeed

 

That's one of the things I appreciate about collectors of ancient coins.

Six replies to a thread about a "man-headed bull" and, so far, not one person has tried cracking any jokes about "bull-headed men".

I guess because there really is no such thing ;-)

 

You've seen the pretty side of Neapolis... here's what you get on the other side of the tracks...


CAMPANIA, Neapolis
Circa 270 - 250 BC
AE Litra
6.05g, 20.3m
Sear 557; HN Italy 589.
O: NEOΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, laureate head of Apollo left, E (?) behind.
R: Man-faced bull walking right, head facing, crowned by Nike flying right above; beneath bull, IΣ.

Love the new acquisition, Mikey.

 

Great coin! The reverse inscription is NEAPOLITWN.

Yours is nice too, Zumbly. It is MSP I, 328 (Gamma behind Apollo/IS below bull, X monogram in ex). Taliercio IIIa.6; Sambon 656; SNG France 986. Taliercio recorded only 13 examples.

 

Excellent! Thanks for your help with that, Nicholas.

 

The MFB is usually the money side of the coin, but I think the portrait is really nice too! Congrats!

 

You are right about the portrait. Gorgeous!

 

Wow congrats!! wonderfull coin! a piece of art

 

@Mikey Zee NICE!!! I am at the Raleigh Show now, so I cannot post. When I return, I will contribute a couple Achelous! Well done on your capture!

@zumbly love yours too! Like those AE Litrae!

 

A very expressive coin, Mikey. Nice catch!

 

Actually, it looks like NEWPOLITWN, not NEAPOLITWN.

 

That is a lovely obverse! I selected both of mine because of the centering favoring the head of the MHB dispite other problems (wear on the first, fourree on the second). Mine is no better centered since the bull is missing the other end but centering is not usually a great feature of these. Did I mention how much I like your obverse?

 

A very lovely coin and I agree with the others - the obverse is the star of the show!

 

If the reverse were struck about 3mm to left the coin would fetch a few thousand. But you still get a lot of man-face. The obverse is one of the nicest I've seen, especially with that old toning.