A celebration of the coinage of ancient Sicily

In all of the ancient Greek world, no place was blessed as much with consistently beautiful coin themes as the island of Sicily. Blessed by the bounties of the Mediterranean Sea, and the fertile fields of this paradise island, the ancient Sicilians drew inspiration from their surroundings and created some of the most visually striking coinage in all of antiquity.

Today I acquired my second Ancient Sicilian specimen, a silver litra. If you are a fan of heavily toned silver, this beauty really delivers. Here's my bird and crab combo, with delicious jet black toning.


Silver litra
Akragas (Agrigentum, Sicily, Italy) mint. Weight 0.552g, maximum diameter 10.2mm, die axis 45o, c. 450/446 - 439 B.C.; obverse AK-RA (clockwise from upper right, reversed Latin R), sea eagle standing left on Ionic capital; reverse crab seen from above, ΛI (mark of value below). SNG Cop 47; SNG ANS 989; SNG München 76; BMC Sicily p. 9, 50; HGC 2 121 (R1). EF, dark glossy toning, obverse double struck, some die wear.

That little beauty is something to behold, and goes nicely with the aquatic theme of my other ancient Sicilian beauty, a stunning little bronze Onkia.


Sicily, Syracuse, c. 425-415 BC. Æ Onkia (12mm, 1.47g, 6h). Head of Arethusa r. R/ Octopus; pellet below. CNS II, 9; SNG ANS 383; HGC 2, 1434. Dark green patina


In order to help me celebrate my new dark silver Sicilian gem, let us host a celebration of the incredible beauty that is Sicilian coinage. Show me your ancient Sicilian beauties.

 

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Nice examples @Sallent, but I'm surprised there are no Gordian IIIs

 

There may possibly be a new Gordian III ant joining my collection shortly, which would make it 19 silver Gordie's for me.

 

I share the appreciation of Sicilian coins and Akragas is my favorite town but I'll show a few that are different.

Katane, AR litra, (also black) Selinos / winged thunderbolt


Gela AR litra


Messana AR litra


Syracuse AR litra


The coin above is the most common Sicilian silver litra but my favorite is the half litra below showing six dots for the denomination.

 

Sicilian coins don't have to be Greek! A few from my collection, all Roman and all from Sicilian mints:

1. AR Didrachm-Quadrigatus. 225-214 BCE. Crawford 42. Rare!



2. This may technically count as TWO Sicilian coins - An anonymous version of a Corn-Ear AE Quadrans from a Sicilian mint, overstruck on an imitative Ptolemaic bronze by Hieron II (Zeus' hair visible beneath bull). Crawford 42.


3. A rare early Republican, ROMANO - ROMANO struck bronze from a Sicilian mint, circa 240BCE. Cr. 23/1.



4. Finally, a Roman Imperatorial denarius of Sextus Pompey, likely struck on Sicily while he controlled the island in the 30s BCE..

 

An example coin from all three Byzantine mints in Sicily can be seen on this photograph of a display from DO. I don’t think they’re that beautiful.

 

I might have said Greek, but who can say no to such stunning RR Sicilian coins? That's an amazing collection you've got there.

 

OK, admitting they don't have to be Greek, can we also show some that are not Roman either? I believe this is Carthaginian overstruck on an Akragas AE.

 

Awesome crab, @Sallent ! Mouthwatering!

 

The only Sicilian coin in my whole collection:


Philistis, wife of Hieron II.
Greek AR 5 litrae.
Syracuse 270-230 BCE, 4.46 gm, 18.1 mm.
Obv: Diademed and veiled head, l., palm branch behind.
Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑΣ ΦΙΛΙΣΤΙΔΟΣ, Nike driving biga to left, E in l. field.
Refs: SNG ANS 893; SNG III (Lockett) 1017; Forrer 196.

 

I completely agree . It's hard to beat the beauty of ancient Sicilian coins and your new litra is fabulous.

Here's another heavily toned litra.


SICILY, Selinos.
Circa 410 BCE
AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h
Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above
Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right
Ref: Potamikon, p. 116 figure 152 (this coin); HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Rare.
ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich;
ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404;
ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/selinos-litra-this-tiny-coin-has-it-all.258915/

Many gorgeous coins were struck under the tyrant Agathokles:


SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE)
struck 310-305 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm
Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?)
Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram
Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-adventures-in-bidland-agathokles-tetradrachm.243930/

As Doug pointed out, the Carthaginians struck some coins while occupying parts of Sicily:


SICILY, Entella. Punic issues
c. 300-289 BCE; AR tetradrachm, 24 mm, 16.8 gm, 12h)
Obv: head of Melquart-Herakles right, wearing lion skin
Rev: head of horse left; astragalos (cut over poppy) to left, palm tree to right, Punic MHSBM (approximate meaning is "quaestors" or financial controllers) below
Ref: Jenkins, Punic 366 (O115/R298), series 5b
Ex Gorny & Mosch 138 (7 March 2005), lot 33

A more modest coin but high on my list of favorites:


Sicily, Syracuse. Dionysos I
390 BCE
Æ tetras, 14 mm, 1.8 gm
Obv: head of nymph facing slightly left, wearing necklace
Rev: octopus
Ref: CNS 29; SNG ANS 385

A beautiful hippocamp:


SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysius I (400-345 BC)
Æ 20 mm, 8.23 gm
Struck c. 390 BCE
Obv: head of Athena left, wearing wreathed Corinthian helmet pushed back on head
Rev: hippocamp left
Ref: Calciati 35. SNG ANS 426
Formerly slabbed.

 

Great little coin Sallent, one of the nicest I have seen.

 

..just stunning!...i've just today got in the mail some coins i'm going to attribute to you and your coins..#influence

 

That's an cool eagle/crab combo on that litra @Sallent !

I have a couple from Sicily, here is one I need to reshoot. Man, was I drunk when I painted the background????



Sicily, Syracuse, 4th Republic, Late 3rd Century BC

O: Zeus Hellanios R: Eagle on thunderbolt, SNG Cop 788, 21 mm, 16.4 g



Hieron II, Syracuse, 275-215 BC

O: Poseidon, R: Trident between dolphins, ΙΕΡΩ−ΝΟΣ below, 20 mm, 6.6g, Calciati-197

 

O that's kool!..i still need to get a Herion ll!

 

..that's a killer crab coin @Sallent!.. i've been trying to acquire one, but so far its been empty baskets

 

That new Akragas litra is very nice!

I'll contribute a few from Sicilian mints not yet represented.

SICILY, Segesta
AR Didrachm. 8.16g, 21.9mm. SICILY, Segesta, circa 440/35-420/16 BC. Hurter, Didrachmenprägung 129 (V39/R73); HGC 2, 1135. O: Hound standing left. R: Head of Segesta right, within linear circle.

SICILY, Himera (as Thermai Himerensis)
AE Hemilitron. 6.72g, 23.2mm. SICILY, Himera (as Thermai Himerensis), circa after 252 BC. CNS 22; SNG München 370; Sear 1113. O: Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headress; club on shoulder. R: ΘΕΡΜΙΤΑΝ, Three nymphs standing facing.


SICILY, Abakainon
AR Litra. 0.58g, 12.5mm, SICILY, Abakainon, circa 450-400 BC. HGC 18. O: Bearded head with shaggy hair right. R: ABA, Boar standing left; acorn before.

SICILY, Panormos (as Ziz)
AR Litra. 0.72g, 10.3mm. SICILY, Panormos (as Ziz), circa 405-380 BC. BMC 24; Jenkins, Punic, p. 75, 13. O: Head of horned youthful river god to left. R: ['sys'] (in Punic), Forepart of a bearded man-headed bull to right.

 

Sorry folks, but it appears I spread some fake news in here:



Apparently I forgot I owned a third Sicilian coin. Can't believe I left this one out.


SICILY. Kamarina.
Æ Onkia, 13mm, 1.2g, 2h; c. 420-405 BC.
Obverse: Facing gorgoneion.
Rev.: KAMA; Owl standing right, head facing, holding lizard in talon; pellet (mark of value) in exergue.
Reference: CNS 4; HGC 2, 552.

 

Sallent, Wow, all the Sicilian coins are coming out of the closet. Here's one from my collection. A Carthaginian tetradrachm struck at the Entella Mint, c. 300-289 BC, 26 mm, 17.15 gm. It's the same type as another in your thread only this one has a caduceus in the left field.