Greek Colonies // Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus, Panticapaeum

From about the 8th to 6th centuries BC, during a period known as the Second Greek colonization, many Greek city-states planted colonies throughout the region along the coasts of the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Black Seas.

My newest coin, received this week, began its journey in Panticapaeum, which was a colony founded by mother-city Miletus, a Greek city on the western coast of Asia Minor.


Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus, Panticapaeum. Ca. 304-250 B.C.
Æ20 (20 mm, 7.05 g).
Obv: Head of Pan or of a satyr left.
Reverse: Arrow pointing right below strung bow, ΠAN (Pi + AN) below.
SNG BM Black Sea 894; MacDonald 116/1
Ex. BAC Numismatics

I'd like to see what you all have - so post up your PANs
or any coin from the Black Sea Region
or any Greek coin for that matter.

Some Reading:
Panticapaeum
Miletus
Greek Colonization
-First Greek colonization
-Second Greek colonization
Bosporan Kingdom

 

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Cimmerian Bosporus. Pantikapaion Æ20 Pan / Lion

Date: late 4th century BC
Obverse: Head of Pan left, wreathed in ivy
Reverse: Π-A-N, Head of lion left, sturgeon below

A few years ago (OK, 1991) a group of these hit the market with large countermarks on both sides. The obverse was a star and the reverse was a bowcase. The interesting part was that many of the coins (my second below) were obviously casts including the countermarks. I was told at the time that they were all ancient and have not seen anything more recently on that subject (anyone?). I have seen but do not have the same cm's on the OP type but the star was on the bow side rather than on Pan.

 

Later, the city Panticapaeum changed its name to Caesarea and, in 14-12 BC, issued the AE21, 5.43g coin below with Aphrodite and the new city name. At the bottom of the reverse is a denomination letter H = 8. The thing on the reverse is described as a scepter terminating in pomegranate flower. That requires more imagination than I can muster on the subject.

 

Very nice @dadams

 

Cool OP-addition, dadams (congrats)

Man, ya gotta love the PAN coins, eh?

 

I'll add mine!


Cimmerian Bosporos, Pantikapaion
AE17, 4.6g, 6h; c. 325-310 BC.
Obv.: Head of Satyr left.
Rev.: Π-A-N; Head of bull left.


immerian Bosporus, Pantikapaion
Æ20, 5.6g, 12h; 304-250 BC
Obv.: Head of Pan left, wreathed in ivy.
Rev.: ΠAN, Bow and arrow.

 

Thrace Pantikapaion 4th C BC, AE 20 Bearded head of Pan / Forepart of griffin, fish below BMC 869

 

Super examples, gang

Hmmm, I may as well toss-in my cool example, eh?

=> gryphons rock!!

 

These images are 3D when viewed with blue/red 3D glasses. I did the image in 2013 after taking a class by the artist Gerald Marks. He teaches a technique to create stereoscopic images using a flatbed scanner and photo editing software.


PANTIKAPAION AE Tetrachalk, 21mm, circa 314-310 BC.
Obv: Head of old Pan right.
Rev: PAN; Legend around forepart of griffin left, sturgeon below.
Anokhin Bosporus 111.

 

Let me go find my 3d glasses...

 

Sorry I was out of the loop for a couple days but thanks for posting some great coins.

Specifically for @dougsmit I found a pretty good article you'll have some interest in:
http://www.pontos.dk/publications/articles/stolba_monetary-crises-2005.pdf

The article talks about the 3rd Century BC monetary crisis that hit the Greek cities along the Black Sea coast. There is specific mention of coin weight reduction, alloy changes, and the cessation of non-bronze coinage. The coins that remained in circulation were "subjected to overstriking with new types and countermarking, often more than once."

Further, "The Bosporan hoards of this period are completely devoid of coins of precious metals. The first coin type closely associated with the monetary crisis represents the head of a beardless satyr on the obverse and a lion's head with a starry sturgeon beneath on the reverse. Being one of the most widespread variants of the Bosporan coins it served as a basis for a number of countermarkings and overtrikings. Countermarking of the type with a '12-rayed star' and a 'gorytos' [bow-case] applied, as in the case of Olbia, with the linked punches evidently ran parallel with its continued striking, but henceforth with the countermarks already carved into the dies."

See what you've done - now a countermarked example is on my want list.

 

Great coins all.

 

Here is a Pan head:

Kings of Macedon
Antigonus II Gonatas
AR Tetradrachm
B.C. 277-239(struck 271/0)
17.00 gms, 30.8 - 31.4 mm
Obv: Horned head of Pan left,
lagobolon (pedum) over shoulder,
in the center of a Macedonian
shield decorated with seven
6-pointed stars within crescents.
Rev: BAΣIΛΕΩΣ ANTIΓΟNOY Athena
Alkidemos advancing left
brandishing thunderbolt and
holding shield. Helmet symbol
below left and monogram below r.
Grade: aVF very well centered coin of
good silver w/ nice convex shape.
Other: Alpha Bank 987, Sear 6783.
From Harlan J. Berk 9/2015 lot 400988327311.

This is a "pan head" screw. The curved shape is similar to the curved coin in this case.

 

That is what we are here for. Thanks for the article. I note the part of increasing lead content which is in line with the observation that many of these have surface problems associated with the leeching out of poor metals. I upgraded my original c/m coin to improve the surface. Some people hate wear. I am harder on unsmooth surfaces.

 

LOL!!!