This recent acquisition is not a very scarce type but, at least in my eyes, quite beautiful: Caria, Rhodes, AR plinthophoric drachm, 88–84 BC, magistrate: Nikephoros. Obv: head of Helios, radiate, r. Rev: NIKHΦOPOΣ; rosebud and ethnic R-O in incuse; in field l., hand holding grain ear. 14mm, 2.81g. Ref: Jenkins, Rhodian, Group E, 249; HGC 6, 1461. Ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachf., auction 297, lot 107 (1979). Rhodian plinthophoroi were with some certainty introduced around 190 BC and continued for a century until the end of the first Mithridatic War in 84 BC. At this point, the reverse design changed to a full-blown rose viewed from above. My drachm thus dates to the very end of the plinthophoric series. The term plinthophoric used to describe this period of Rhodian coinage refers to the characteristic square incuse on the reverse of this series: Greek πλίνθος translates as "brick" or "ingot." Rhodian plinthophoric drachms usually aren't hard to find. Yet, I very much like the toning and style on my example, and it came with a good 1970s pedigree. Please post your Rhodian coins and common but beautiful ancients!
Excellent! I also added a budget Rhodes coin with a rose design exactly for the ... rose. CARIA. Rhodes AR Hemidrachm, ca 404-390 BC Head of Helios facing slightly right. Rev: P - O - Rose Ashton 13-24; SNG Copenhagen 725; SNG Keckman 367; HGC 6, 1426. 1,68 g, 12 mm
CARION ISLANDS: RHODES Hemidrachm OBVERSE: Radiate head of Helios 3/4 facing REVERSE: Rose with magistrates name above, caduceous left all within uncuse square Struck at Rhodes 167-88 BC 1.6g; 12mm Sear 5065v
@Orielensis.....That's a lovely looking coin!....Beautiful reverse detail.... ... No Rhodian coins here but I do have a very common Licinius I and for me at least the two-tone colouring makes it a sweet looking coin..
That's a beauty...I love the toning! Congrats on a great pick-up! I have a similar drachm from Rhodes: Islands off Caria, Rhodes, circa 88-84 BC, AR Drachm (16 mm, 2.58 g), 'Plinthophoric' coinage, Maes, magistrate. Radiate head of Helios to right. Rev. ΜΑΗΣ / P - O Rose with bud to left; to right, headdress of Isis; all within incuse square.
There are some Rhodes heads which don't resonate with me, especially on tetradrachms where the style is too... Sylvester Stalone. However, this drachm jumped out of the tray when I saw it. I haven't found a tetradrachm I like more so, for the foreseeable future, this is my Rhodes:
Nice coin @Orielensis . The reverse in particular is great. Here is my rose of Rhodes. Islands off Caria Rhodes AR Hemidrachm, struck ca. 166-88 BC Dia.: 13.5 mm Wt.: 1.2 g Obv.: Head of Helios right Rev.: P-O to either side of rose, ϺΑΗΣ above, crown of Isis at lower right, all within incuse square Ref.: BMC XVIII 268-270 (Var. Hemidrachm)
I love this: State, City: Rhodes Coin: EF Silver Drachm - Radiate head of Helios right ΑΝΑΞΙΔΟΤΟΣ P O - Rose with bud, snake on omphalos in left field Mint: (190-170 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 2.55g / 15mm / - References: Jenkins 1989, 15 HGC 6, 1457 BMC 247
Beautiful coins! Here's my plinthophoric drachm: Islands off Caria, Rhodes, AR Plinthophoric Drachm (ca. 188-170 BCE), Artemon, magistrate. Obv. Radiate head of Helios right / Rev. Incuse square containing rose with bud right, Isis crown in left field, APTEMΩΝ above, P - O across fields. Jenkins, Rhodian, Group A [ca.188-170 BCE], No. 20 [Jenkins, G. "Rhodian Plinthophoroi - a Sketch" in Kraay-Mørkholm Essays (1989), pp. 101-119, pls. XXIX-XXXIV); HNO [Historia Numorum Online] 1999 (temp.) (see http://hno.huma-num.fr/browse?idType=1999); BMC Caria 253 at p. 253 [Head, Barclay V., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Caria, Cos, Rhodes, etc. (London 1897)]; SNG Keckman 640 [Westermark U. and Ashton R., Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Finland, The Erkki Keckman Collection in the Skopbank, Helsinki, Part 1: Karia (Helsinki, 1994); SNG Copenhagen 813 var. (symbol of shield on rev.) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Volume 5: Ionia, Caria & Lydia (Parts 22 - 28) (West Milford, NJ, 1982).)]; HGC 6, 1457 [Hoover, Oliver D., Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegean, and Carpathian Seas (Excluding Crete and Cyprus), 6th to 1st Centuries BC, Vol 6 (Lancaster/London, 2010)]. 16x17 mm., 3.04 g. I find a lot of the coins showing Helios facing forward to be rather unattractive, even the ones that don't have the nose smooshed -- it seems that rendering an attractive forward-facing view was beyond the skills of many engravers at the time. So I gladly bought the one I did even though some of the design is off the flan: Islands off Caria, Rhodos, Rhodes, AR Didrachm, ca. 340-316 BCE. Obv. Head of Helios facing slightly right, hair parted in center and swept to either side / Rev. Rose with bud to right and grape bunch to left [stem connecting bud to rose on right is off flan, as is “E” beneath grape bunch on left], POΔION [RODION] above, all within incuse square. Ashton 98 [Ashton, R., "The Coinage of Rhodes 408-c.190 BC" in Money and its Uses in the Ancient Greek World (Oxford, 2001), pp. 79 - 115, pls. 6.1 - 6.6.], HGC 6, 1433 [Hoover, Oliver D., Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegean, and Carpathian Seas (Excluding Crete and Cyprus), 6th to 1st Centuries BC, Vol 6 (Lancaster/London, 2010)]; HNO [Historia Numorum Online] 813 (temp.) (see http://hno.huma-num.fr/browse?idType=813). 16 mm., 6.55 g., 12 h.
I have a stater with a similar image of Helios. Rhodes Ar Stater 340-320 BC Obv Head of Helios three quarters facing to the rignt. Rv Rose Ashton 98 HGC 1433 6.88 grams 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen
I agree with Joe. This tetradrachm is one of the first 'pricey' coins I bought. Really wanted a coin from Rhodes, and this was a decent price, but I don't think it's particularly fine Style. Joe's Didrachm is way more attractive. But I still like it, and CNG's photo doesn't do it any favours either.
Nice coins! I've owned a few Rhodes types, but sadly parted ways with all. This was my favorite - a hemidrachm under Thrasemenes Also had a didrachm, but can't seem to locate the pictures right now- they are probably in my backups on my PC
I just won a didrachm from Rhodes this morning. The surfaces may be a deal breaker to some, but to me they’re interesting. Crystallization in spots and corroded right through in another. Somehow the eye appeal remains intact with good style and nice old cabinet tone Caria Rhodes, didrachm (6.58 g), 394-304 BC Av: Helios head facing slightly right. Rev: rose bloom with bud, left bunch of grapes and \\E\". SNG from Aulock 2790, from a Rhine private collection. Acquired in the 1980 / 90s in the Rhine coin trade Another, later issue didrachm from my collection acquired a few years back Caria, Rhodes. 250-229 BC. AR Didrachm Obverse: Radiate head of Helios, facing and slightly angled. Reverse: Rose with bud on right, Athena Nicéphore standing on the left accompanied with the letters P and O. 6.58 g 20.5 mm 12h Ashton 208 - SNG Keckman 537 - HGC.6/1439 Acquired from Odysseus Numismatics
