Hope I got this correct. I really liked this coin as soon as I saw it. Sorry about the slightly blurry photos. Late 6th, Early 5th Century BC AR 1/12th Stater Obv.: Forepart of a lion right, head turned left. Rev.: Stellate design within square incuse.
I had one of these I sold about 7 years ago. I must have deleted the image as I can't find it, but this is what I had it identified as: IONIA, MILETUS AR Diobol, 1/12 Stater OBVERSE: Forepart of lion left REVERSE: Floral star pattern in incuse square Struck at Miletos, 510-494 BC 1g; 7.5mm SNG Cop. 952 ex Saint Paul Antiques, LTD
Here's mine. Also part of the blurry image club! Ionia, Miletos (600 B.C.) AR 1/12 Stater O: Lion forepart R: Star pattern .6g 9.5mm
Nice coins! I have a few tiny coins from Ionia, but none with the lion. This is my smallest one, at 0.10g: IONIA. Uncertain. Circa 520-480 BC. Hemitetartemorion (Silver, 4 mm, 0.10 g). Rosette on raised disk. Rev. Cruciform incuse with pellet in center and in each arm. Klein 433. SNG Kayhan 740. Nicely toned and very well centered. Slightly rough, otherwise, good very fine.
Got this one in 2023 from HJB for $30 - blurry image as well: AR 1/12 Stater Ionia, Miletos (near Balat, Turkey) late 6th Century BC from about 550 BC to 494 BC when Miletus fell to the Persians. 9.1 x 9.3 mm, 1.15 g; Grose 8213 – 8215; Sear 3533; SNG Kayhan 476 ff; SNG von Aulock 2081; BMC Ionia p. 185, 14 ff; SNG Copenhagen 944; SNG München 707; SNG Keckman 273; Klein 424; SGCV II 3532; Pfeiler, Nr. 2, Group I,2 Type A/2, p. 23 Ob.: Lion protome, head to l., foreleg in front of mouth. Rev.: 4-rays stellate pattern (sun ornament) within incuse square, pellet at center. On some of the oldest coins of Miletus, and other cities-countries the lion/sun (or lion/star) combinations are found. The lion was associated in many cases with the god Apollo, patron of Miletus and the nearby sanctuary of Didyma. The only previous systematic attempt to arrange the Milesian silver coinage of the sixth century is that of Ernest Babelon. He differentiated two groups of silver coins. The first contains pieces which weigh between 1.15 and 1.24 g and thus seem to represent 1/12 of a Milesian stater of 14.00 g. On the obverse they show a lion protome left or right, while on the reverse there is a flower-ornament within a square incuse. The assignment of these pieces to Miletus is assured. The 1/12 staters (Milesian Obol) play a special role. Compared to the other Milesian coinage, they are represented in relatively large numbers in collections and in the coin trade. It seems, therefore, that they were struck in large quantities. The apparently plentiful striking and the official character of this type, which, furthermore, could only painfully be exchanged against other Milesian silver coins, lead to the conclusion that they played a special role in Milesian financial policy: they were struck for international payments. All 1/12 staters do show a flower ornament in an incuse square on the reverse; this particular form seems to be characteristic for Miletus. Although these twelfth staters were minted almost exclusively in silver, a few rare electrum examples are also known. Note that in most if not all of the coins of this type the obverse is actually a lion protome rather than just a head, with the foreleg and a portion of the trunk present, although this is frequently unclear or off the flan. So, this left-facing issues may be more fully described as showing “a lion protome right with head reverted to face left.” Quoted from https://rjohara.net/coins/references/pfeiler-1966. “Pfeiler, Bärbel. 1966. Die Silberprägung von Milet im 6. Jahrhundert v. Chr. [The silver coinage of Miletus in the 6th century before Christ. Schweizerische numismatische Rundschau, 45: 5–26.
