Post your LITRAs, please!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Alegandron, Oct 3, 2020.

  1. Alegandron

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

    I realized that I have a few of these little gems, the Litra. However, when I read more about them, they are a very interesting denomination:

    WIKIPEDIA:
    A litra (plural: litrae; Ancient Greek: λίτρα) is a small silver coin (or unit of measurement for other precious metals) used in the colonies of Ancient Greece in general and in ancient Sicily in particular. As a coin, the litra was similar in value to the obol[1] and weighed one-third of a Roman libra, i.e. 109.15 g (3.850 oz).[2] In silver, the coin weighed 0.87 g (0.031 oz) and was equal to one-fifth of a drachma.[2]

    Post your LITRAs, please!

    Here are a few of mine:

    CARTHAGE in Sicily
    upload_2020-10-3_12-50-0.png
    Carthage - Sicily
    AR Litra
    4th C BCE
    9.5mm 0.65g
    Palm Tree Horse Head
    SNG Cop 74 EE
    Clain-Safanelli
    RARE


    SELINUS Sicily

    upload_2020-10-3_12-52-13.png
    Sicily Selinus
    AR Litra
    400 BCE
    10mm 0.67g
    Nymph on rock touching serpent Selinon leaf -
    Man-faced bull
    Mildenberg 27


    GELA Sicily

    upload_2020-10-3_12-54-17.png
    Sicily Gela
    AR Litra
    Horse-
    Achelous
    0.63g 13mm
    465-450 BCE
    HGC 2 p 373


    Post your LITRAs, please!
     
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  3. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Sicily, Gela
    Coin: Silver Litra
    - Bearded horseman galloping left carrying spear & sheild
    CELAS - Forepart of Man-headed bull.
    Mint: Gela (430-425 BC)
    Wt./Size: 0.54g / - /
    References:
    • Sear SG 797
    • Jenkins 405
    • BMC 52
     
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  4. PeteB

    PeteB Well-Known Member

    A bronze litra:
    Agathokles.jpg
    SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles. 317-289 BC. Æ Litra (23mm, 8.35 gm, 1h). Period 4, circa 295 BC. ΣΩTEIΡA, head of Artemis Soteria right, wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace, quiver over shoulder / AΓAΘOKΛEOΣ BAΣIΛEOS, winged thunderbolt. Calciati II pg. 279, 142/25; SNG ANS 708; Favorito 34.
     
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  5. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Sicily Gela.jpg
    GELA, SICILY
    AR Litra
    OBV: Naked horseman galloping left holding spear & shield
    REV: Forepart of man-headed bull right
    Struck at Gela, Sicily, 425BC
    0.36g; 13mm
    SNG Cop 275, BMC 52, Jenkins 405; HGC 2 374
     
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  6. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    WoWiE!!! Wonderful thread idea and coins Gandi!
    I'll add 3 sicilians to the fray:
    739c94a3083de7f7892e762031b023f180ec2378678f84543bb5fc20eeb5beaa.jpg

    20190326_100616_23B2AF21-7047-4765-81C1-E1694880F4C5-406-0000006F832BF807.png
    Sicily, Katane
    AR Litra. Circa 415/3-404 BC. Head of Silenos to left, wearing ivy wreath / ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ Winged thunderbolt between two shields. Boehringer, Kataneische LI 6-7. Rizzo pl. XIV, 18 var. SNG ANS 1266. 0.71g, 10mm, 6h

    20190327_140002_3024D3FA-3368-4599-9260-8953BAEDACED-469-0000007AA8888AEF.png
    Sicily, Syracuse
    Deinomenid Dinasty (485-425), Litra, c. 470 BC, AR (g 0,78 mm 10), Laureate head of nymph Arethusa r., wearing earrings and necklace, dotted border, Rv. Σ-V-R-A, wheel with four spokes. Boehringer 402 SNG Copenhagen - SNG ANS 124-126.
    Rare
     
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  7. Alegandron

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

    Great Litras, everyone! LOL on the meme, @Ryro ...

    I have SCADS of AE Litrae, thanks for busting a great one out, @PeteB !

    ROMA

    upload_2020-10-3_17-45-37.png

    RR AE Double Litra 235 BCE 19.5mm 6.54g Rome mint Hercules r club - Pegasus r club ROMA Cr 27-3 HN Italy 316 S 591


    upload_2020-10-3_17-47-13.png
    RR Anon AE Litra 230-226 BC Mars Club Galloping Horse Cr 27-2 S 596


    upload_2020-10-3_17-47-56.png
    RR Anon AE Double-Litra 275-270 BC Apollo Lion S 590 Cr 16-1a
     
  8. scottishmoney

    scottishmoney Buh bye

    sirakusa7.jpg Circa 410 BC. Hemilitron (3.21 gm; 18 mm x 14 mm). Head of Arethusa left, hair in ampyx and sphendone, in field right, laurel twig; whole in linear circle / ΣΥΡΑ Dolphin right, below, pecten. Calciati II, 55, 24. SNG ANS 418.

    Fixed
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2020
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  9. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    @Alegandron, that Carthaginian silver is enviously nice, as is the @Ryro Silenos.
    This Sicilian Litra isn't the prettiest of coins but it weighs in at 31.8 grams of bronze - does it even matter what it looks like?
    Sicily Litra v3.jpg
    Sicily, Syracuse, Civic issue, Time of Timoleon, 344-336 B.C, AE litra
    Obv: [ΣYPA], head of Athena left in crested Corinthian helmet bound with olive wreath
    Rev: Starfish or 8-pointed star between two swimming dolphins
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2020
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  10. Alegandron

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

    FANTASTIC mongo-Litra! That one is fun to have!
     
  11. Alegandron

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

    Wow, nice one! Great detail. Really like the flan shape of the coun
     
  12. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    BRUTTIUM Rhegion - AR Litra Rabbit REC ex Clain 3982.jpg BRUTTIUM, Rhegion
    AR Litra. 0.57g, 9.2mm. BRUTTIUM, Rhegion, circa 480-462 BC. Anaxilas, tyrant. SNG Cop 1926; HGC 1, 1649 (R1); Sear Greek 497 (as obol). O: Hare leaping right. R: REC (retrograde).
    Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection

    Sicily Abakainon.jpg SICILY, Abakainon
    AR Litra. 0.58g, 12.5mm. SICILY, Abakainon, circa 450-400 BC. HGC 2, 18. O: Bearded head with shaggy hair right. R: ABA, Boar standing left; acorn before.
     
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  13. IanG

    IanG Well-Known Member

    2 small litras.

    Sicily, Syracuse, Litra, circa 470-450 BC.

    Litra 1.jpg

    Sicily, Kamarina, Litra, circa 461-435 BC.

    Litra 2.jpg
     
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  14. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Lovely little coins, all! Some of these tiny bit of metal pack a surprising amount of artistic details.

    [​IMG]
    SICILY, Selinos
    Circa 410 BCE
    AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h
    Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above
    Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right
    Ref: Potamikon, p. 116 figure 152 (this coin); HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare.
    ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich;
    ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404;
    ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript


    Must be losing my mind because I can't find pictures of another one I wanted to show. Recently I bought a Kamarina litra like the one shown by @IanG and swear I took pictures of it and a few others that arrived at the same time but I can't find the folder.
     
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  15. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    A great coin, @TIF, and amazing iridescence.
     
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  16. scottishmoney

    scottishmoney Buh bye

    sirakusa8litrai.jpg

    SICILY, Syracuse. Reign of Agathokles, c. 317-289 BC. AR 8-Litrai (6.85g). Head of Athena wearing Corinthian helmet left / Pegasus flying left, triskeles below. SNG ANS 684. A fascinating aspect of this coin is it's remarkable similarity to the well known Corinthian Staters from the same era. Like their modern descendants, ancient minters knew a good thing when they saw on it, and if they could improve upon the design all the better. What distinguishes this piece from the Corinth issues is the presence of the Sicilian "Triskeles" on the reverse of the piece under Pegasus. This "Triskeles" is symbolic of the island of Sicily.
     
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  17. Edessa

    Edessa Well-Known Member

    Sicily, Syracuse. Hiketas, 287-278 BC. Æ Litra (23mm, 9.15g, 2h). Struck circa 283-279 BC. Obv: ΔIOΣ EΛΛANIOY; Youthful head of Zeus Hellanios right. Rev: ΣYPAK-OΣIΩN; Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, with wings spread. Ref: CNS II, 167; SNG ANS 789-796; HGC 2, 1449.

    zzzb.jpg
     
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  18. Kavax

    Kavax Well-Known Member

    I am a big fan of sicilian litrai! if I had to post them all, I would fill several pages of this discussion :D . here is a selection:

    Syracusa
    SyracFace.jpg
    Rhegion
    Rheg2.jpg

    Kamarina

    kamarina1.jpg
    Zancle
    zancle10.jpg
     
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  19. Roerbakmix

    Roerbakmix Well-Known Member

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  20. Michael Stolt

    Michael Stolt Well-Known Member

    HalfLitra2.png

    Anonymous.
    Ca. 235-231 BC. Æ Half-Litra (12mm, 1.37 g, 7h). Rome mint.

    Obverse: Head of Roma or Minerva(?) right, wearing Phrygian helmet.

    Reverse: Dog standing right, left forepaw raised in pointing stance; ROMA in exergue.

    Reference: Crawford 26/4.

    Provenance: Heritage Auctions, Weekly auction 231923 (29 May 2019), Ex Goodman collection, Triton I (2 December 1997), lot 842; Ex Virgil Brand (1862-1926) collection, Part VII (Sotheby's , 25 October 1984, lot 478 (part of). Ex Niklovitz collection, Leo Hamburger (19 October 1925), lot 221.
     
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  21. PeteB

    PeteB Well-Known Member

    Wow! What a provenance! What a great coin!!
     
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