Medusa and other monsters

This is a fascinating type Chris. And your examples are of top quality. Unfortunately they are still not complete. I have not been able to find a specimen that would clearly show all the legends. Is there any in a museum collection perhaps?

 

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http://www.britishmuseum.org/resear...x?assetId=624968001&objectId=3071481&partId=1

 

WOW!!! Especially that second coin---Just gorgeous @Carthago !!

 

Thanks! The only one sold in the past 16 years that's complete was RBW's for 60,000 CHF hammer.

 

Here is another centaur (Chiron according to seller) playing a tune. I don't have this one yet as I got it in the last Naumann auction - seller's pictures as I may not have this in hand for while.

Kings of Bithynia Prousias II Kynegos 182 - 149 BC Nikomedia
Draped bust of Dionysios right
Centaur (Chiron?) advancing right playing kithara
5.69g 21mm
SNG Copenhagen 638

 

Do winged humanoids count as monsters?

I mean, when was the last time you saw a human with wings?

 

i think this is some kind of monster....



ancient amphibian?

 

It is believed to be a snow leopard, but usually just called "beast". http://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=40181

 

Wow, Carthago => remind me not to pose-down beside you!!










.... *whatev* (I can still take ya)

 

OMG that's funny!!

 

LOL !!! Yep, there's only one @stevex6 ....

 

The Zeno link has good discussion of why it is probably a leopard down in the comments at the bottom. In short, during the time and place the coin was issued, snow leopards were the common beast. They make the point of the coin being rare because of its size being greater than most but the type is well known. I'd say he example they have has quite a bit of spare metal and the issue is produced by casting so weight control is not always precise. Maybe it is a different denomination, maybe not. This is one I first found in my treasured little book The Ancient Coins of Central Asia by Rtveladze (1987) where it is #54. It is the only coin book I have seen that is trilingual Russian, English and Uzbek. The " newly published book about Chach coins" Zeno mentions is Shagalov and Kuznetsov (2006) listed under 6/8/2. I recommend S&K to anyone who likes these scrappy little things or gets a kick out of English translations by someone for whom English was not the primary language.
Mine:

 

@Carthago The Haeberlin/RBW coin was indeed remarkably complete, but that completeness came at the cost of spread devices and a rather weak strike overall.

Here it is:



Here's your new coin:


In most aspects, your coin is unquestionably superior.

 

When Volodya gives you the good coin keeping seal of approval, you're golden.

Many thanks! And with that, good night!

 

How come everyone has the lighthouse denarius (Steve has three) and I don't have any? not fair.

 

Beautiful coin!!!

 

I think just the first one is Steve's in his pose-down post, and the other two are Carthago's.

As to why everyone has one... the centering on these are so poor that we need as many examples as we can get to properly show all the elements of the design on a thread like this. I think mine has got the clearest... uhm, rudders?



We take what we can get. Personally, I would kill for windows on the lighthouse!

 

Yes the galley is nice on yours, pretty nice example overall.

 

These last few coins are perfect examples of the reason so many of us do not like grading ancients with the standard 'fine and friends' system. How do you allow for a missing galley as opposed to missing windows? Still the galley free coin is by far the most well done on the lighthouse and reverse. Not all coin types run into problems like this to the degree of this one but the question comes up with alarming frequency. Certainly the answer many of us will support is owning more than one coin to show the entire design. I do know that a single specimen of this type combining the best features of each coin shown here would be a huge hit in the salesroom. I tend to favor the Triton V coin despite its worn away windows but its style is not the equal of the Carthago coin. Lets face it: I'd love one like Zumbly's.

 

For the record, here's mine. Hardly a wonder coin, but I've had it a long time and I'm fond of it: