...And thought I'd share. It's bronze and not silver (prices were just a little too high for my wallet). Bronze, Mesembria in Thrace Obv: Crested Corinthian helmet facing. Rev: META in the four quarters of a radiate wheel. Sear 1675; SNG BM Black Sea 272; SNG Stancomb 225 15mm, 2.42g The obverse is a little disfigured, but the its a nice, clear strike!
I love coins that depict weapons and armor. Cool addition @Justin Lee . How about a right facing helmet... Thrace, Mesembria. Æ21, 6.0g, 12h; 450-350 BC. Obv.: Crested Macedonian helmet r. Rev.: METAM-BPIANΩN; Shield seen from back with handle and supports projecting from the central boss.
That's pretty cool @Justin Lee !! It's unfortunate that the obverse didn't survive as well as the reverse. I wonder if anyone can tell if that disfigurement is pre or post strike??? But they are really old (circa 400 BC)!! I picked one up from FORVM: Silver diobol, SNG BM 268 ff., SNG Cop 653, SGCV I 1673, gVF, toned, Mesambria (Nesebar, Bulgaria) mint, weight 1.219 g, maximum diameter 10.3mm, c. 450 - 350 B.C.; obverse crested Corinthian officer's helmet facing; reverse M-E-T-A (T = archaic Greek letter sampi = ΣΣ) counterclockwise, in the four quarters of a radiate wheel (solar disk?).
Yea, it is unfortunate. But I still like it. ^^ Your coin is gorgeous! Aged and weathered, yet SO clear!
Agreed! They are so neat! I don't have too many. Mysia, Pergamon. After 133 BC. Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right Rev: Trophy of Armor, ΩΠΠE monogram at lower right SNG Cop 393; SNG France 1875. 20mm, 6.72g Ionia, Smyrna. Struck 190-75 BC. Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right. Rev: ZMYNRNAIWN Two forearms and hands in caestus (Boxing gloves), flanked by two laurel branches. BMC 61-63 Scarce 15mm, 3.63g Phrygia, Abbaitis. Circa 2nd-1st Century BC. Obv: Head of Herakles right, in lionskin Rev: Lionskin draped over club, ABBA and MYH monogram below, all within wreath BMC 8 18mm, 4.19g
Definitely interesting Doug!! It seems the countermark, when enlarged, suggests a 'face' on the left portion of the H....and an 'animal' on the right
My coin was bought from CNG in 1998 (before the cutoff for their online resource. They claimed the mark was a collector's cachet applied by an owner back when that was fashionable. They suggested it was a Cyrillic N. They failed to mention the retrograde E (did not notice?). I always wondered if the N was short for Nyet or No as in no good. I have not seen another like the coin or mark. Fake? Property of a Czar? Who knows?)
