Super OP coin with an incredible pedigree! I have been on the hunt for that same type. Here are a couple punic coins: John
Gorgeous examples, John! Between us we have a very attractive basic Siculo-Punic tetradrachm type set.
My two other wins in the Goldberg auction (sure wish it had been 96, Doug!) are not from Magna Graecia. Distracted again… I have wanted a nice Cretan stater ever since I started collecting again. They are usually overstruck or from crude or worn dies. This is a dramatic type with which I am very satisfied. There is some porosity on both sides and only a portion of Herakles’ club is on the flan, but a dynamic, artistic representation of nude Herakles. Phaistos, Crete, AR stater, c 300-270 BC, 10.99 g. OBV: Herakles standing left, lion's skin draped over left arm, striking at Hydra with club held in right hand; between feet, crab / REV: ΦAIΣTΩN, bull standing right. Svoronos 59; Le Rider pl. XXIII, 22 (same dies); BMC 9, 12. Purchased in Ira and Larry Goldberg Auction 96, 14 February 2017, lot 1679. From the Hanbery Collection. Ex Munzen & Medaillen AG, 22-23 October 1984, lot 192. From the catalog: “Despite the fact that the Cretan city of Phaistos was far removed from Lerna in the Peloponnesos, the obverse of this coin depicts Herakles engaged in the second of his twelve Labors - the slaying of the Lernaean Hydra. The Hydra was a monstrous swamp serpent with nine venomous heads and a terrible secret: When one of its heads was cut off two more would grow up in its place! Herakles would have been done for if not for his companion, Iolaos, who discovered that if the neck was cauterized with a torch after decapitation it would prevent new heads from appearing. Thus, Herakles would chop one head off while Iolaos stood by to sear the neck with a torch and in this way they killed the monster. Since this and the other Labors of Herakles were part of a larger plot by Hera to destroy him, she made the situation even more difficult by sending a giant crab to distract the hero while he struggled with the monster. It is interesting to note that while the engraver has been careful to include the detail of the crab on this coin there is no sign of poor Iolaos at all. It is unclear whether the bull reverse should be interpreted as a representation of Herakles' seventh Labor, the capture of the Cretan Bull. This animal was sent from the sea by Poseidon to test King Minos, who had promised to sacrifice anything that the god sent him. Thinking the bull too beautiful to kill, he sacrificed another bull in its place. This betrayal enraged Poseidon who caused the bull to rampage throughout Crete and beget the monstrous Minotaur on Pasiphaê, Minos' queen. The destructive wandering of the Cretan Bull was only ended when it was carried off to mainland Greece by Herakles.” If anyone else won lots in Goldberg 96, please post them. Also, let’s see your coins of Crete!
Congrats! That Phaistos stater is such a great mythological type and that's a wonderful example. It's high on my dream list. My best purchase last year was this 2-in-1 Gortyna Europa/Bull stater struck over a Knossos Minotaur/Labyrinth stater. If one isn't familiar with the types it's a little hard to figure out the whole worn mixed-up mess.
Waaaay too fine a coin to be called Cretan even if it was from Crete. How was it that that work acquired the negative meaning? Absolutely Byzantine! (Apologies to those whose English skills require a footnote for this one.) Zumby's coin was one of my favorites of all shown here last year.
Fantastic posts guys!! I have a Siculo-Punic pending (@Theodosius second TET) but none to post at the moment
Nice coin! My win is far more pedestrian, but an interesting type none the less. It was near the opening bid, I was a bit distracted and just bid on it. I thought it was an upgrade on one I have, but turns out not much of an upgrade see below. Roman Republican Denarius, Manius Aquillius., 109-108 BC, Rome Obv - Radiate head of Sol right; below chin, denomination. Rev – Luna driving biga right; above, crescent and three stars; below, one star; below MN.AQVIL, in ex ROMA. Cr 303/1; Rome; 109 to 108 BC; Dies, O/R = 42/52 BMCRR Italy 645 – 646; 90 BC Syd 557 RSC / Bab Aquilia 1 Sear 180 NMW 574 – 578 Albert 1094 It is interesting that Grueber assigns the mint to central Italy and later authors say the mint was Rome. Grueber’s date is later, 90 BC, and he says the moneyer is the son of Manius Aquillius, COS 101 BC. Crawford places the mint date earlier and assigns the coin to Manius Aquillius, COS 101 BC. Both place the coin next to coins of L.MEMNI Cr 304/1 on stylistic basis. Another moneyer by the same name issued coins in 71 BC, Cr 401/1. That coin shows his grandfather (COS 101 BC), who ended the slave war in Sicily, raising a fallen figure. Maybe someone will post their big headed Cr 304/1 or raising Sicily Cr 401/1.
Ok, since @Theodosius broke bad and posted just "Punics", I will post a couple NON-Siculo type Punics... Carthage AR 2/3 Shekel Tanit-Horse Obv-Rev Sear 6491 SNG COP 143var Carthage - Zeugitana AR Shekel-Didrachm 360-264 BCE Tanit Horse r head l palm Bruttium Hannibal-Carthage occupation AR Half-Shekel 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLARdisc HN Italy 2016 Bruttium Hannibal-Carthage occupation AR Half-Shekel 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLAR-O HN Italy 2016 SNG Cop 361-3 Carthage - Zeugitana AV 1/10th Stater-Shekel 350-320 BCE 0.94g 7.5mm Palm- Horse Head Carthage Zeugitana 350-270 BCE EL Dekadrachm-Stater 18.5mm 7.27g Tanit Horse 3 pellets in ex MAA 10 SNG COP 137 SNG Sicily 975 Ex the Eclectic @Ancientnoob collection
Outstanding specimens gentlemen! Congrats on those winning bids. I also participated on that auction. Lost several lots, as usual. I wasn't fond of their online bidding interface as I accidentally bid on one lot and won . Since I was the only bidder, it wasn't too bad, but I am not really fond of it : Trajan. Æ (11.50 g), AD 98-117. Laodicea ad Mare in Syria, CY 162 (AD 115/6). AYTOKP NEP TPAIANO? API?T KAI? ?EB ΓEP ΔAK ΠAP, laureate bust of Trajan right, slight drapery on far shoulder. Reverse: IOYΛI[EωN] TωN KAI [ΛAOΔIKEω]N BΞP, turreted, veiled and draped bust of Tyche right; in right field, monogram. BMC 40; SNG Copenhagen 344; RPC 3796.2 However, I was specifically looking to grab the following beauties and glad I won them: Thracian Kingdom: Lysimachos (306-281 BCE) AR Tetradrachm, Abydos? (BMFA 839; Müller 342) Obv: Diademed head of deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΛYΣIMAΧOY; Athena seated left, holding Nike and resting elbow on shield at side, spear leaning against far shoulder; in inner left field, eagle standing right Macedonian Kingdom: Alexander III ' the Great' (336-323 BCE) AR Tetradrachm, Babylon (Price 3722) Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion's skin headdress Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; in left field, monogram in wreath; below throne, AX monogram
Beautifull tets Quant.Geek , great patina on the Lysimachos , congrats. @rrdenarius said "" maybe someone will post their big headed Cr 304/1"" at your service
The last of my three Goldberg wins is another non-Magna Graecia coin I have been looking for. The Pegasus/Athena staters of Corinth (and other cities) are among the most common of ancient coins. The archaic staters of c 500-480 BC are decidedly scarcer. They usually come with problems, but this example appealed to me. A small pit and some roughness on the obverse, but one of the nicest reverses I have seen. Most of the estimates in the Goldberg sale were very low (one coin, estimated at $3,000, sold for $17,500). I was willing to go double the estimate on this Corinth and was pleasantly surprised when I won it for 80% of estimate! It is now the least expensive coin in my collection. Corinth, Corinthia, AR stater, c 500-480 BC, 8.59 g. OBV: Pegasos flying left; koppa below / REV: Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet and pearl necklace; within incuse square. Ravel 138; BMC 12, 56; Pegasi 65; BCD Corinth 21; Sear GC 1867; HGC 4 1821 (Scarce). Ira and Larry Goldberg Auction 96, 14 February 2017, lot 1659. From the Hanbery Collection. Purchased privately from Frank L. Kovacs in the 1980s. Post your archaic Corinthian coins!
The reverse of that stater is really quite exceptional. Congrats! I have an archaic obol. CORINTHIA, Corinth Circa 550 - 500 BC. AR Obol. 0.44g, 8.7mm. Weber 3652; cf. BCD Corinth 11 (Pegasos left). O: Pegasos flying to right; Q below. R: Quadripartite incuse square with swastika pattern.
Hey gang, I'm not 100% sure about this cool Secret Santa addition (thanks again, Gandalf) ... ummm, does it qualify as "close-enough" for this category? (I love this new addition) Bruttium, Carthage Occupation, AR Half-Shekel Circa 216-211 BC (2nd Punic War) Minted under Hannibal Diameter: 18 mm Weight: 3.71 grams Obverse: Wreathed Tanit, left Reverse: Horse standing right; solar disk above, Punic letter 'ayin' below. Reference: SNG Copenhagen 361-3; HN Italy 2016 Other: Fine … awesome Xmas gift from Gandalf