When I started collecting ancient Greek coins, I decided that one area I was going to focus on was iconic coins from iconic cities. I got my athenian owl early and that was my first such purchase, but while I was browsing around I kept running into one that also filled the above requirements. This was the Corinthian stater. A very beautiful coin from a very important city, probably only second to Athens in terms of beauty, financial power and prestige. It is a great shame when a great city is looted burned and destroyed, and unfortunately this is what happened when the Romans conquered the city in 146 BC. Totally unecessary in my opinion, there wasn't a good reason for completely destroying the city and slaughtering the population. It is as bad as what happened to Constantinople in 1204... Today's ruins are still impressive, but what the visitor sees today is mostly from the Roman and Byzantine era. Corinthian coins are probably one of the better designed coins of antiquity. Pegasus on one side and a helmeted Athena on the other, cannot go wrong with that. There seem to be plenty of those around, however the better ones tend to be pricey.. The cheaper ones can be a hit and miss, as sometimes the flaws take away from the coin's beauty. Usually, Pegasus is the main problem as he seems to be very eager to fly away from the flan. So when I found a coin with a more than decent Athena on one side and a whole Pegasus on the other with good enough details, I was delighted as the price was quite good for the quality. The coin arrived today, and it was a case where it looks better in real life than in photographs! I am very happy with it. Got it from ma-shops from a reputable German dealer. It came with a rather nice certificate of authenticity as well. Corinthian Stater, 330-300 BC Silver, 8.36 gr, 23mm Pegasus flying left with Koppa below, Athena with a gorgoneion head to her left. It was in the Calciati 427 catalogue. Funilly enough the dealer describes it as good to very fine. I thinK it looks better than that. What do you think? Show me your Corinthians and flying horses in general!
That looks like a very nice example! I especially like the aegis control device and how well-centered it is. Here's the best one I have from Corinth. Missing a bit of tail and the tip of the wing. CORINTHIA, Corinth AR Stater. 8.56g, 21.3mm. CORINTHIA, Corinth, circa 345-307 BC. Calciati 428; Ravel 1010. O: Pegasos flying left, Q below. R: Helmeted head of Athena left, helmet decorated with laurel wreath; A-P below, Chimaera to left behind. Ex John Hayes Collection My favorite, however, is this one from Ambrakia, one of the many colonies of Corinth that struck the types. EPEIROS, Ambrakia AR Stater. 8.22g, 21.8mm. EPEIROS, Ambrakia, circa 426-404 BC. Ravel ANS NNM 37 (1928), 75; Calciati, Pegasi 45 (these dies); HGC 3.1, 201. O: Pegasos flying right; A below. R: Head of Athena right, wearing Corinthian helmet; A to left; all within wreath of ivy leaves with berries. Ex Collection of Greek Coins of a Man in Love with Art Part I; ex Lanz 151, 2011, lot 390 Another favorite is not a stater, but a little diobol from Leukas, with a pegasi on each side. It's artistically noteworthy for depicting the pegasos on the reverse front-facing and rearing up on its hind legs, and also interesting for having the denomination spelled out (Δ-I-O). AKARNANIA, Leukas AR Diobol. 0.81g, 11.9mm. AKARNANIA, Leukas, circa 450-400 BC. BCD Akarnania 183. O: Pegasos right with curled wing; Λ, below. R: Δ-I-O, Pegasos facing slightly left, rearing up on hind legs, wings spread.
That’s a great new coin, poor old man. Congratulations! You have some quality coins in that collection now, that’s for sure. My coin of this type has a rather flat flying horse, and is not even from Corinth. A nice example of a Corinth stater is on the buying list, however. Anaktorion, Akarnania AR Stater. 350-300 BC Helmeted head of Athena left wearing Corinthian helmet over leather cap; AN monogram and filleted bucranium behind. KAE above./ Pegasos flying left, AN monogram below. 21 mm, 8.5g
My guess is the dealer meant "good Very Fine" or VF+, which describes a coin with some wear but otherwise beautiful. I think that describes your coin well. It's quite a stunner. Congratulations. Now I want one.
Pegasus on a coin from Corinth: Caligula, AD 37-41. Roman provincial Æ 20 mm, 6.74 g. Peloponnese, Corinthia, Corinth, Ae. P. Vipsanius Agrippa and M. Bellius Proculus, duoviri, AD 37-38. Obv: C CAESAR AVGVSTV, bare head right. Rev: M BELLIO PROCVLO IIVIR / COR, Pegasus flying right. Refs: RPC I 1173; Amandry (1988) XVII; BCD Corinth 405-6. Not Pegasus, not from Corinth, but one of Apollo's flying horses: Gallienus, 253-268 AD. Roman Æ Antoninianus, 19 mm, 2.81 g. Rome Mint 267-268 AD. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right. Rev: SOLI CONS AVG, winged horse right, springing heavenward, A in exergue. Refs: RIC 283K; Göbl 712b; Cohen 979; RCV 10362; Hunter 127.
Beautiful Stater, @Only a Poor Old Man ... super details, and cool Gorgon Head... These guys all fought each other... I will toss out Pegasus AE's from three adversaries: PONTOS Amisos 85-65 BCE Æ24 12.2g Mithradates VI as Perseus r Phrygian helmet Pegasos grazing l Malloy 33b HGC 7 239 Roman Republic AE Double Litra 235 BCE 19.5mm 6.54g Rome mint Hercules r club - Pegasus r club ROMA Craw 27-3 HN Italy 316 S 591 Carthage Siculo 330-300 BCE AE 15 Palm Tree Pegasus SNG Cop 108
I've got a Gallienus example. There is some debate over whether it is Pegasus or one of Sol's winged horses.
Me? My thoughts are that this was one of Sol's flying Horses, just because of the times of Gallienus. Further, since they celebrated Sol on 25-December, this had to be the real RUDOLPH The Red-Nosed Horse! (before Macy's got ahold of this story...) RR Q Titius AR Quinarius 90 BCE PEGASUS Sear 240
I like all your coins too! That chimaera is exquisite! And that Athena from Ambrakia looks particularly pleased that she is surrounded by berries! But that front-facing Pegasus is the best! I wonder if that style is found in bigger coins. Also, I noticed that one of them was also featured in R. Calciati's book. I would love to get it one day, but nowdays it is more expensive than the coin! The Pegasus may be a bit on the flat side, but the Athena has very good details. I like it. It shouldn't be hard to find an upgrade if you want one as they are not that rare. An interesting variation that is even cooler than Corinth would be Syracuse 10 Litrai coins. They had very nice designs during Agathocles' reign.
A beautiful coin, @Only a Poor Old Man. Here's my Corinth stater. Like you, I admired that coin-type for a long time as one of the most beautiful examples of ancient Greek coinage, and it was the third ancient Greek coin I ever bought. (I still only have six!) Corinth AR Stater. Circa 375-345 BC. Obv: Pegasos flying left, Q below / Rev: Helmeted head of Athena left. Control-symbols behind head: N and Ares standing left holding shield and spear. Pegasi 376; Ravel 1056; BCD Corinth 121; SNG Copenhagen 121. 21mm, 8.46 g., 6h. gVF/VF, Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd. Auction IX 22 March 2015, Lot 168. I happen to think it's a beautiful example, and I think that Roma was being very strict in grading it as only a gVF/VF -- the first of those grades presumably referring to the obverse (which is actually the Pegasos despite the order of the seller's images). and the second referring to the reverse (the head of Athena).
Here's one from Hadrian. Hadrian (Augustus) Coin: Brass Dupondius HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS - Radiate head right, with slight drapery COS SC below - Pegasus running right Exergue: Mint: Rome (124-128 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 11.15g / 25mm / 180 References: RIC II 658 Cohen 436cf BMC 1330 Acquisition/Sale: adamfrisco eBay $0.00 02/18 Notes: Oct 10, 18 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection
Congrats looks like a beautiful coin. Here's a Roman Republican aegis: Mn. Cordius Rufus, 46 BC, AR Denarius, Rome mint Obv: Crested Corinthian helmet right, surmounted by owl; RVFVS upward to left Rev: Aegis of Minerva decorated with head of Medusa in center; MN • [CO]RDIVS around. Ref: Crawford 463/2; CRI 64; Sydenham 978; Cordia 4 Note: clashed die
Thyrrheion Ar Stater 320-280 B.C. HGC 919 Obv Pegasos flying left Rv, Head of Athena left Earring behind. Calciati 6 7.98 grms 21 mm Photo by W. Hansen
I’ve always thought it was unfortunate that the front-facing pose didn’t make it onto the staters. I’d like to get the Calciati book one day as well, but like you say, it’s pricey!
Nice coin. I like the depiction of Ares. Now, that is a god that you don't see very often on Greek coins. Perhaps it was regarded as a negative deity to have on a everyday object like a coin. People those days saw their cities being pillaged and burned way more often than they would like to, so maybe they didn't want a constant reminder of war. It would be a fitting theme for Sparta, but those guys didn't make any coins!