From the dawn of my collecting, before my preferences were crystallizing... just found this coin, that I bought from a Viennese Ebay shop exactly six years ago. It looks nice enough to me, with its graceful cow and foal. Illyria, Apollonia, AR Drachm, c. 200-80 BC. Magistrates Asklapiadas and Philistonos. Obv. Cow standing left suckling calf. AΣKΛAΠIAΔAΣ/ A over delta monogram below. Rev. / AΠOΛ ΦIΛIΣTIΩNOΣ around double stellate pattern. 18.5 mm, 3.08 gr. I wonder if it is possible to apply a more precise date to this coin.
There’s a few older catalogues of the type, but here’s a recent dissertation that synthesizes those with more recent info and dating: http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4335/1/2013RossMPhil.pdf
Nice coin - I really like these. There is a wonderful site that provides a full range of information, including dating. I think there is still a lot of competing opinions about these, but when I attribute mine, I generally use this site. http://asklapiadas.ancients.info/05cDrCl.html While I was typing this, SeptimusT posted - I had not seen that article - thanks Sept.T. Not sure what level of agreement there is between my link and his, but that's what makes it fun.
@Pellinore, I have one that has also been long ignored - a $23 purchase years ago. Thanks, @SeptimusT & @Marsyas Mike for the useful links. Illyria, Apollonia, AR Drachm Obv: Cow l., with head turned back towards suckling calf; above, moneyer’s name NIKANΔPOΣ (Nikandros); border of dots Rev: Curved, double-stellate pattern, vertical single device line, drumstick rays, triple dots, line border; AΠΟΛ (Apollonia) with magistrate’s name AN ΔPIΣ KOY (Andriskou) Type: Class A6Lc2a 59-54 BC Drumstick-shape ray
I have several of these - I think they were faked a lot in antiquity - there are certainly a lot of them of low weight and iffy-looking metal. Production quality control wasn't always top-notch either. The idea that they were cranking these out for the Pompey-Caesar Civil Wars is a compelling one - the later ones were roughly denarius size. Here is my favorite - it is awful, but I am very fond of it: Illyria - Apollonia Drachm - Class A7ALc2b (52 B.C.) (Niken and Autoboulos) NIKHN above cow standing left suckling calf / APOL AU[TO BOU LOU] around double stellate pattern. Ceka 88 (3.08 grams / 20 mm)
In addition to the Masters thesis and the Asklapiadas sites posted above, this PDF is very helpful and informative. I consider it the best analysis of the relationship between those persons named in the nominative case on the obverse and in the genitive case on the reverse. I have only one example of these: Illyria, Dyrrhachium. AR drachm, 2.95 g, 17.4 mm, 11 h. Moneyer Philotas, Mintmaster Zopyros, ca. 80-70 BC. Obv: Cow suckling calf, owl in right field before cow; ΦΙΛΩΤΑΣ above, head of Helios facing right, top. Rev: Square with double stellate pattern, ΔΥΡ/ΖΩ/ΠΥ/ΡΟΥ around. Refs: Ceka 451; Maier 221; SNG Cop 469; SNG Evelpides 1744; SNG Leipzig 715. Cf. BMC 7.70, 70-73.