Apameia Athena and Eagle Æ 23

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Roman Collector, Mar 16, 2020.

  1. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Post your coins from Apameia or anything you feel is relevant!

    I'm not superstitious, but when a fortune cookie gave me permission to expand my coin collection beyond the Roman sphere, I took its advice.

    20200316_052357.jpg

    "Maybe I ought to acquire a few more Greek coins," I said to myself as I clicked the "bid now" icon with the mouse. Moreover, the price (~ $13.00 including shipping and buyer's fees) was right. So now I'm the owner of this delightful little bronze of Apameia in Phrygia. Coins of the first and second centuries BC of this city come in four main types:

    i. Bust of Athena wearing a Corinthian helmet, r. /Eagle over Maeander pattern between the caps of the Dioscuri.
    ii. Head of Zeus wearing wreath, r./Cult statue of Artemis-Anaitis.
    iii. Turreted bust of Artemis as city-goddess, r./Marsyas advancing right, playing double flute.
    iv. Laureate head of Zeus/Crested helmet, r., over Maeander pattern.​

    These coins also bear the name of the city and the magistrate under which the coins were issued. A magistrate may appear on coins of different types, suggesting the coins were issued during the same time frame but represent different denominations. The magistrate on my coin, for example, is also known on the Artemis/Marsyas denomination, as SNG Copenhagen 194.

    Apameia Athena and eagle.jpg
    Phrygia, Apameia, ca. 88-40 BC.
    Greek Æ 23 mm, 7.71 g.
    Magistrate Philokratos son of Aristos.
    Obv: Bust of Athena to right, wearing aegist and crested Corinthian helmet decorated with griffin.
    Rev: AΠAMEΩN / ΦIΛOKPATOY APIΣΤΕOY, Eagle alighting right above Maeander pattern; to l. and r., eight-pointed star above piloi of the Dioskouroi.
    Refs: BMC 25.87, 105-108; SNG Cop 168-69.
     
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  3. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

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  4. shanxi

    shanxi Well-Known Member

    Nice example with beautiful patina.

    Here is another from Apameia:

    Apameia.jpg

    Apameia
    Asia Minor, Phrygia
    AE19, 133-48 BC
    Obv.: laureate head of Zeus right
    Rev.: AΠAMEΩN HPAKΛEI EΓΛO, cult-statue of Artemis Anaitis seen from front.
    AE, 8.14g, 19mm
    Ref.: SNG München 123; SNG Tübingen 3967
     
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  5. tenbobbit

    tenbobbit Well-Known Member

    Sorry RC I have nothing from Apameia but, I do have an interesting Athena which compliments yours.

    Macrinus, Seleucis Ad Pieria, Gabala
    27mm, 14.83g, BMC Galatia p.246.18

    34137_0[1].jpg
    Picture courtesy of www.navillenumismatics.com
     
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  6. old49er

    old49er Well-Known Member

    Picked this one up awhile back. No idea on the attribution. Just liked the coin. IMG_20200216_123221.jpg IMG_20200216_123237.jpg
     
  7. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

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  8. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Nice one, RC. I like the way the patina highlights the legends and devices.

    From what I can tell the Apameia "Marsyas" type is pretty common, although it is a challenge to scrounge a cheap one.

    I have a couple, and this is the best - which isn't saying much. I had some difficulty attributing it - there are a ton of magistrates/combinations and I don't have any of the references.

    Phrygia Apamaeia - Marsyas lot Oct 2019 (0).jpg

    Apameia, Phrygia Æ 15
    (c. 88-40 B.C.) Civic Issue
    Magistrate Dionysos(?)

    Turreted and draped bust of Artemis right / AΠAM[E] /ANT / ΔIΟΝ, Marsyas walking rt. blowing double flute.
    unattributed magistrate(s)?
    cf. SNG Copenhagen 190-94; HGC 7, 674.
    (4.30 grams / 15 mm)

    Attribution Notes:


    Possibly an unpublished magistrate's name? Types with "ΔIΟΝ" are common, but
    combined with "ANT" was not found online. (Oct. 2019)
     
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  9. Ed Snible

    Ed Snible Well-Known Member

    There were also silver issues during this time.

    apameia-both.jpg
    PHRYGIA. Apameia. circa 166-160 BC?. AR cistophorus (31mm, 12h).
    Obv: Serpent emerging from cista mystica; all within ivy wreath
    Rev: Bow in bow case ornamented with aphlaston, flanked by two serpents; AΠ monogram to left, facing gorgoneion head to right.
    Ref: Kleiner-Noe Series -. "An apparently unpublished symbol for this city"

    apameia-closeup.jpg

    The dating to 166-160 is because I believe the style indicates the gorgoneion symbol is of the same time period as the harpa symbol, which Noe dated to 166-160 BC. A more responsible cataloger would say 166-133 BC.

    No one knows what the symbols mean. Magistrate? Silver supplier? Noe published 30 different symbols. There are 21 examples on acsearch.info of Cistophoric tets from Apameia with unpublished symbols. These unpublished "series" are about 10% of the Apameia examples.
     
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  10. Justin Lee

    Justin Lee I learn by doing

    I've got one like your's RC but of a different magistrate:
    [​IMG]
    Phrygia, Apameia
    AE22, Circa 100-50 BC
    Kokos as magistrate

    Obverse: Bust of Athena right, wearing high-crested Corinthian helmet and aegis.
    Reverse: AΠΑΜΕΩN above, KΩKOY below, eagle alighting on basis with meander pattern, caps of the Dioscuri, surmounted by star, flanking, star above.
    References: SNG Cop 161-162, BMC 78-82
    Size: 22mm, 7.5g
     
  11. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    @Roman Collector... nice coin, cool fortune, and nice to see you branching out.

    [​IMG]
    RI Augustus 27BC-AD14 Æ20 5.5g 12h Apameia Phrygia Magistrate Attalos c 15BC Two corn-ears above maeander Labyrinth pattern RPC I, 3125 SCARCE
     
  12. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Nice one, RC!

    Last summer I had the pleasure of doing some ancient coin cataloguing and photography for an auction company that deals in estates. Most were uncleaned (and mostly uncleanable) junk but ones of these Phrygian bronzes was among the handful of nicer coins. You can even see the gorgon on the aegis. The estate is tied up in probate so I don't know when they will actually be auctioned. Here's the coin:

    J10-AS-Phrygia-Apameia-Athena-Eagle-RT.jpg
    PHRYGIA, Apameia. Circa 100-50 BC. Bronze, 22 mm, 8.69 gm. Antiphon and Menekleos, magistrates. Obverse: Bust of Athena to right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet and aegis. Reverse: AΠΑΜΕΩN / ΑΝΤΙΦΩΝ | ΜΕΝΕΚΛΕΟΥΣ; Eagle, with spread wings, flying right, and landing on a maeander pattern flanked by the caps of the dioscuri, each surmounted by a star of eight rays; above, a star of eight rays. Reference: SNG Copenhagen 164. EF. Ex CNG Web Auction, 28 Feb 2001.
     
  13. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Very nice addition @Roman Collector it can be fun to step outside the usual. Here's mine:

    [​IMG]
    Apameia, Phrygia; BC 133-148
    AE, 6.73g, 23mm; 2h
    Obv.: Bust of Athena right wearing high crested Corinthian helmet and aegis
    Rev.: AΠAMEΩN; eagle alighting on base with meander pattern flanked by caps of the Dioskouroi, star above
     
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  14. eparch

    eparch Well-Known Member

    Glad you have succumbed to the Greeks

    upload_2020-3-17_8-42-48.png

    PHRYGIA. Apameia. Circa 100-50 BC.


    (Bronze, 19.5 mm, 6.17 g, 1 h), Attalos, son of Bianor.


    Turreted head of Artemis right; bow and quiver over her shoulder. Rev. AΠAMEΩN ATTAΛOY BIANOPOΣ Marsyas advancing right on a maeander pattern, playing a double flute.


    BMC 62. HGC 7 674v. SNG Copenhagen 192.
     
  15. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    How could you go wrong with the handsome Greek bronze for $13? Nice score, RC! I especially like the clear maeander pattern.

    Here's a provincial struck about two centuries after yours.

    Hadrian - Apameia Kibotoi.jpg
    HADRIAN
    AE22. 4.10g, 22mm. PHRYGIA, Apameia, AD 117-138. SNG von Aulock 3492; SNG Copenhagen 211; BMC 155. O: AΔPIANOC KAI CЄB, laureate head right, with slight drapery. R: AΠAMЄΩN MAPCVAC KIBΩTOI, Marsyas reclining left within cavern, holding cornucopia and double flute; five chests above.
    Notes: Apameia was also known by the sobriquet Kibotos, or The Chest, alluding to either its great wealth as a trade emporium, or perhaps more likely, for the ubiquitous wooden packing crates that were used by the city's trade middlemen to re-pack goods bound from Egypt and Asia to Greece and later, the Roman Empire.
     
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