Tiny Ancients (10mm and under)

Kolophon, Ionia, tetartemorion, about 430-400 BC. 7 mm, 0.24 gr. : Left, a stork. Obv. head of Apollo. Rev. left: a stork, right: monogramme TE: One of few ancient coins bearing the name of the denomination, TE(tartemorion)! Not easy to picture.

 

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Well, since we are photographing ancient coins on U.S. currency, there you go, my 7.8 mm Mylasa obol on a U.S. dime.

 

I love tiny coins!

My bro has a super tiny coin. It's a 1/96th electrum stater. It's a little over 4.5 mm.

Here's the seller's pic because that thing is just too small to take a decent photo of. Plus, my brother would kill me if I lost it.



Erin

 

Looks like you and I have the smallest at 4.5mm !

Amazing how incredibly tiny they are! I put mine into a coin capsule (yeah it will rattle a bit), then into a Safflip so that I can put it into my album and not worry about losing it. I dropped mine once, and freaked. But used a flashlite and the reflection popped out on the rug!

 

That is indeed tiny, and very easy to lose! I was so excited to see my first teeny tiny coin than I fumbled the flip when opening it and it went flying. ! I put the room on lockdown and it took a ridiculously long time to find it. Furniture was moved; there was much swearing. I took a picture when it was finally spotted. See how well it blended in to this carpeting? It was on edge in a crevice.

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MACEDONIA, uncertain
c. 500 BCE
AR trihemitetartemorion (trihemiobol), 5 mm, 0.26 gm
Obv: monkey squatting left
Rev: round shield or pellet within incuse square
Ref: "Uncertain Thraco-Macedonian Coins, Part II", Nomismatika Khronika (1998, Tzamalis), 67

Almost... on page one of this post AJ showed a rare 1/192 stater. It's 0.07 gm and 3 mm (No, I don't want to see everyone's fanams-- not ancient )

I tried a flashlight with no luck and eventually resorted to sweeping across the ridges with a stiff piece of paper. The coin "jumped" up a bit. Whew!!

​

 

WOW on 3mm! You can't even BREATHE around one that small!

Flashlite: I used one of those super powerful high beams (like what cops use). A regular flashlite did not work for me...

 

I wish I could be but the stress would do me in. The criticality of your work is commendable.

 

Good save, TIF! You must have been sooooooooo relieved!

I've seen that coin from AncientJoe. Wow is that small! My brother has mentioned that he would like to get a 1/192 stater someday. But, I would imagine that it would carry a pretty hefty price tag.

My smallest is a Mysia Kyzikos hemiobol that most people have. It's about 8mm on a really thin flan.

Of course, my fat thumb covers up half of the coin.



Snow day pj's ftw!

Erin

 

I have one that is lighter, although at 4mm diameter a bit larger:

This one was actually published. It is SNG Levante 251.

Cilicia, uncertain, 0.05g 4mm
O: Crab?
R: Gorgoneion, wide eyes, open mouth
SNG Levante 251 (this coin)
From the David P. Herman Collection of Facing Heads on Greek Coins.

 

Lesbos, 550 - 480 BC, Billon AR 1/48 stater

Ox: Two apotropaic eyes
Rx: Quadripartite incuse square

Obverse is struck slightly off center but it is definitely tiny at 6mm and 0.4gms

 

@Roman Collector - Did not know byzantine coins came that small.

@AncientJoe - Incredible picture and coins! 1/192!! WOW!

@TIF - Very cool trihemitetartemorion Monkey!

@Ed Snible - Do you know of a lighter coin?

 

In collection of the American Numismatic Society there are specimens attributed to Arados, head/tortoise, at 0.03 to 0.06. However I have never seen one on the market nor even a picture of them.

There are a few other 0.05g coins that are perhaps lighter, but the Arados is the only thing I know of in the 0.04g and lower category.

 

My smallest:

 

Here is a tiny Greek AE coin I found in an uncleaned lot. I have not figured out what it is yet (I know: lame). I am about 150 coins behind in attributing, I guess I enjoy the discovery of cleaning away the dirt and corrosion more than I enjoy looking them up.


ANTIOCHOS III AE, 223 - 187 B.C.E.
SNG Spaer 590, 11.9mm, 1.93 grams, Antioch Mint
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo to right
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY to sides of naked Apollo standing to left, holding arrow in extended right hand and resting left on bow
(Edited: added the attribution)

 

Theo, maybe you forgot... this coin was attributed when you posted it to CoinTalk last year
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-penny-for-your-attribution-thoughts-on-this-tiny-coin.286968/

 

@TIF, I had this funny feeling that maybe I had posted this coin before. I will write it down this time. Doh!

I will edit the post and add the attribution.

I really need to catch up on my paperwork with all the coins I have (good luck!) Now I just record them all in a big Word file along with their photo. When I retire I will make a nice catalogue out of them all.

John

 

Ooops, apparently "this" is the thread I was supposed to post these in?



Here are "10" of my random mini-bites ...

ISLANDS off THRACE, Thasos
AR Sixteenth Stater – Hemiobol
Circa 500-480 BC
Diameter: 8 mm
Weight: 0.56 grams
Obverse: Two dolphins swimming in opposite directions; pellets around
Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square





IONIA, Ephesos, AR Tetartemorion
Circa 500-420 BC
Diameter: 5 x 8 mm
Weight: 0.17 grams
Obverse: Bee
Reverse: Head of eagle right within incuse square




TROAS, Kebren, AR Diobol
5th century BC
Diameter: 8 mm
Weight: 1.16 grams
Obverse: Archaic head (of Apollo?) left
Reverse: Head of ram left within incuse square




TROAS, Kebren, AR Obol
5th century BC
Diameter: 7 mm
Weight: 0.61 grams
Obverse: Archaic head (of Apollo?) left
Reverse: Head of ram left within incuse square




CARIA, Idyma. AR Hemiobol
5th century BC
Diameter: 8 mm
Weight: 0.44 grams
Obverse: Land tortoise with segmented shell
Reverse: Leaf, pellet





IONIA, Erythrai. AR Hemiobol
Circa 480-450 BC
Diameter: 6 mm
Weight: 0.29 grams
Obverse: Rosette
Reverse: Simpler rosette within incuse square





PHOENICIA, Tyre. Uncertain king.
AR Twenty-fourth Shekel
Circa 393-311/0 BC
Diameter: 7 mm
Weight: 0.46 grams
Obverse: Dolphin leaping right
Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing; crook and flail in background





SATRAPS of CARIA, Pixodaros, AR Trihemiobol
Circa 341/0-336/5 BC
Halikarnassos mint
Diameter: 9.5 mm
Weight: 0.82 grams
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly right, drapery around neck
Reverse: Starlike floral pattern





MACEDON, Eion, AR Obol? (Tritartemorion?)
Circa 460-400 BC
Diameter: 10 mm
Weight: 0.37 grams
Obverse: Two geese standing right; ivy leaf and H to left
Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square




MACEDON, Mende. AR Tritartemorion
Circa 460-423 BC
Diameter: 10 mm
Weight: 0.62 grams
Obverse: Ass standing right
Reverse: Crow standing left within incuse square




=> little fricken works of art!!

 

My tiny is about 5 mm hemihekte of lydo-milesian weight.

 

I see an ancient coin honoring the famous Bulwinculus.

 

I have another I just got in the mail. I will post it in the next couple of days.