Lucania Stater: Plague Reprieve?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Mike Margolis, Jul 7, 2020.

  1. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    Metapontion Lucania AR Stater : Ear of Corn with Grasshopper
    ca. 510-480 BCE
    Obv: Ear of corn, grasshopper to left and META (retrograde) to right
    Rev: Incuse ear of corn
    XF example with clear details on both sides. Much scarcer type with the grasshopper on the obverse. 21mm, 8.1gms
    Thanks to @Brian Bucklan at Bargain Bin Ancients for this one! Dane at Wildwinds says hello Brian, she listed this coin. Stay safe down there in Florida please. upload_2020-7-7_18-12-58.png
    from an acsearch listing: "The most interesting type of the incuse coinage of Metapontum certainly must be the issues which include the locust (or grasshopper) design detail, as here. There are a number of variations. Here it is paired with a dolphin in outline(not visible on this strike anyway). The locust would have been a serious threat to the agricultural community and likely the dolphin relates to Apollo who would have been seen as the God who eliminated a plague of these insects in the year this coin was struck.
    Post your plague related coinage or Lucanian issues:
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2020
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  3. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    This obol has something right of the grain on the obverse but what??? CNG sold a die dupe calling it 'head of a mule' but I don't see it on my coin or theirs.
    g10082fd2500.jpg

    My favorite of the grain coins is this obol which replaced the usual ear of barley with a single kernel incuse.
    g10080bb2360.jpg
     
  4. Nicholas Molinari

    Nicholas Molinari Well-Known Member

    I still question the interpretation that the grasshopper has something to do with the plague— I believe we’ve discussed this here before.
     
  5. Brian Bucklan

    Brian Bucklan Well-Known Member

    I use Wildwinds all the time as do many (if not most) of other Cointalk members. Since I have an online website I have given her free rein to use any coin pics and descriptions on there. I also hope other Cointalkers who have public websites have or will give her the OK to let her use any of their coins pics for that site. Thanks Dane!
     
    Alegandron and Mike Margolis like this.
  6. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    Nice coin Mike and that grasshopper is fantastic!


    meta2.jpg Lucania, Metapontion. c. 300-250 BC. Ae13
    Obv: Radiate head of Helios facing.
    Rev: Three barley-grains radiating from center, M E and race torch within segments.
     
  7. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    While I most certainly would be happy for Wildwinds to use any of my images, my website is not a sale site and uses photos to illustrate a point rather than having the full catalog information that most people prefer. I have computer files with such information but it is not formatted in a way that allows cut and paste as needed for a catalog site. If there is a problem with Wildwinds and the other catalog sites it is that the listings will perpetuate the mistakes from the original listings and require constant editing to correct the mistakes that are so common in some parts of the input material. Dane does a wonderful job of what I consider a thankless task.
     
  8. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ..that's a very kool coin!...it obviously was struck for some bad happening...anytime you have locust on a crop, there is a problem...
     
    Mike Margolis likes this.
  9. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    Ok thanks- i will search out previous threads on this.
     
    Nicholas Molinari likes this.
  10. Terence Cheesman

    Terence Cheesman Well-Known Member

    Metapontion Nomos 470-440 B.C. Obv Ear of barley to right facing downwards grasshopper. Rv. Ear of barley in incuse. Noe 258 8.22 grms 20 mm photo by W. Hansen metapontum17.jpeg
     
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