A friend has asked me to help ID a number of coins he acquired some years ago. Most I have cracked, but a few are giving me a headache - can you help? Last one - this appears to be a small Greek silver coin, but which state and approx date? Measures about 13mm and weighs about 2g.
You can date this quite closely but you have to research what era was used on the coins of that city. The date reads right to left rho (100) mu (40) theta (9) or 149. I did not find the answer in the first place I looked so it is up to you to keep trying. I did find a different coin listed as Arados, Phoenicia. Year 166 (94/93 BC) so yours is 111-110 BC. Keep looking and you will find: http://www.moneta-coins.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1596&title=phoeniciaarados&cat=536 A hint: Learn the Greek number system. They used a different letter for each place so our 111 was AIP. Anytime you see three letters with one under I and one over Q with the middle letter falling between I and Q, think it might be a date. My tetradrachm below is EOP or 165 (93-92 BC.
Hi @PaddyB, @dougsmit is spot on. One additional thing to keep in mind is that dates from the Levantine areas might read the same numbers left to right or right to left. Greek readers versus Semitic readers. -Broucheion
Thanks for all that! I believe an approximate date of circa 110 BC is more than adequate for my friend.
