Hello everyone! As I mentioned in my previous top 10 list, this has been a great first year of collecting. I thought I'd create a separate list of my favorite bronzes, since it isn't fair for them to compete against the shinier tets, even though most of these are far rarer. #1 Pleistarchos/Kassander Although the type is relatively common, this is one of the best examples I've come across. I originally attributed it to Kassander, but it was probably minted by one of his generals, Pleistarchos. It seems to advertise "Kassander - certified bad ass." Kassander, 305-298 BC. AEStruck under Pleistarchos 301-298 BCE #2 Macedonian interregnum This isn't a rare coin by any means, but I love the look of the gorgon(?) in the center. This was minted during a troubling time and he just has the look of "blech!" Macedonian InterregnumMacedonian mint 288-277 BCE 3.95 g Sear 6781 Ex Numiscorner #3 Uranopolis/Alexarchos Alexarchos has to be the most interesting guy during the Hellenistic age that we know so little about. Supposedly he was the wacko (but Kassander's wacko brother) who insisted the entire town follow a religion and language that he made up. He may have been the first Trekkie. The coin itself is also notable because Aphrodite is sitting on a celestial sphere. Macedon, Uranopolis c. 300 BCE. Æ 15mm, 3.33g Star of eight rays. R/ Aphrodite Urania, holding sceptre, seated slightly l. on globe. SNG ANS 914-8; AMNG III.2, 4; HGC 3.1, 607 Ex London Ancient Coins #4 Demetrios I Poliorketes I wrote a specific post on this coin. Not only is it quite rare, it's also among the very few who reference both Demetrios and Lysimachos, let alone Demetrios in action. Demetrios I Poliorketes AE 18 mm, 5.20 g, 6 h uncertain mint in Macedon or Greece (?) circa 300 BCE Prow to left. Rev. ΔΗΜ / ΒΑΣΙ Demetrios on horseback galloping left, hurling spear; to left, forepart of a lion right. HGC 3, 1024. Newell 179 and pl. XVII, 18. SNG Alpha Bank -. SNG München -. Ex Leu #5 Eupolemos This is the only coin in my entire collection that's an upgrade (technically not - my other Eupolemos is a smaller denomination). I would love to know the reason for including three shields, but for now I'll just have to enjoy getting three shields for the price of one! Eupolemos AE 19 mm, 4.15 g, 12 h Three overlapping Macedonian shields with spearheads in the center. Rev. ΕΥΠΟ / ΛΕΜΟΥ Sword in a sheath with strap; in left field, monogram. HN online 243. SNG Keckman 223-4. SNG von Aulock 2378 Ex Leu #6 Memnon of Rhodes Alexander the Great's fiercest enemy's coins are difficult to come by, and this one's in relatively great condition. I recently read a novel about him. He's the classic hero-antagonist. Memnon of Roads Æ 8 mm, 0.62 Ex Savoca #7 Olbia Because dolphins are awesome Scythia, OlbiaCast dolphin AE 25 mm, 1.50g Ex Savoca #8 Eurydikeia The original spoiled Thracian girl, she was the daughter of Lysimachos and married Kassander's son Antipater II. Both were so annoying that first Demetrios Poliorketes booted them, then they yapped so much Lysimachos eventually executed both. Ionia, Smyrna (as Eurydikeia) AE 9mm. 0.54g Circa 290-287/1 BCE. Veiled head of Eurydike to right / Tripod, [Ε]ΥΡΥΔΙΚΕΩΝ to left. Milne, Autonomous 5; SNG Copenhagen 1105. 0.54g, 9mm, 6h Ex Nick Collins Collection Ex Numismatik Lanz München Ex Roma #9 Alexander I Molossos Rescued from the trash, this extremely rare bronze was minted by Alexander the Great's brother-in-law in Italy. It was at his wedding with Alexander's sister that Philip II was assassinated. The coin was previously owned by Markus Robert Weder, who worked for the British Museum. Alexander the MolossianBruttium, Croton 334-331 BCE AE 12mm 3.37g Attianese, Calabria Graeca, 267,510 Ex Collection of M. Weder Ex Münzen & Medaillen GmbH #10 Teres II I'm not sure whether these Thracian kings were fatsos, or they just loved fat coins. This thing weighs almost as much as a tet but is barely the size of a Denarius. From reading, these were mostly vanity coins. They used Philip silver/gold and issues from other cities for most economic purposes. Teres II 350-341 BCEAE 13.48g Jurukova, Thracians, Tf. IX, 59 HGC 1712 Doppelaxt / Weinstock mit 4 Trauben Ex Dr. Busso Peus
Impressive! I like that you have the discipline to consistently stick with a single collecting theme. My favorites: Kassander, because of its charisma (the coin, not the man), Demetrios P.oliorketes ( the post and the coin) and Eupolemos.
Thanks! However, the truth is I can't afford to collect on any other themes. Today I saw some Roman coins going relatively low, and I had to slap myself that I'm not allowed to bid on them. My wife has been extremely kind in allowing me to collect one coin from each persona in "Philip II, Alexander III, and the Age of the Diadochi" (which has ballooned to 87 people, 79 of which I've procured), and I don't want to violate that trust. I did pick up a nice Alexander the Great diobol today, though, which was technically against the rules. I excused it by deciding to reattribute my current Alexander III coin to Stamenes, and the new one to Alexander.
Beautiful bronzes I think you KNOW what my top pick is Here's a few of mine from the same neighborhood:
Thanks! I didn't participate in Secret Saturnalia, but had I did you're probably the only one I could have picked something up for. I'm currently in Phase I of my collection. In Phase III I'll pick up more variants of the coins I have, so I'll aim for more MSC coins and more bronzes by Demetrios, Lysimachos, Gonatas, etc. That phase, though, is probably two years away.
Very nice bronze pieces, @kirispupis. I especially like your #2 and #7. Love the Gorgon head on the shield, and dolphin as well!
Beautiful and very interesting bronzes! Voted for 1 - Pleistarchos/Kassander an impressive helmet, 4 -Demetrios I Poliorketes, really one of a kind with Demetrios in action and 6 - Memnon of Rhodes love the patina, sooooo beautiful and it is Memnon!
You've collected some very nice bronzes. And although not my colletion theme, they all are nevertheless very interesting and appealing. I really like the way that with a modest budget as you mention, you're able to collect very nice coin within a interesting theme and in a consistent manner. Proof that one can build a very interesting collection with a modest budget, and that collecting is not only a hobby for the 'gentlemen'. I voted for no. 1, 2 and 4, although it was hard to pick!
@kirispupis......What a lovely selection! I went for 1, 2 and 7.....You do have good photographic skills! Congrats.
Those are fascinating and in an area out of my wheelhouse, and many of them I was looking at for the first time. I went with nos. 1, 8, and 10. I like the design of the Kassander -- there's something Darth Vader-esque about it, particularly the glossy black patina and its martial imagery. I liked the Eurydikeia because one doesn't see Royal Greek women every day. And her tragic tale is interesting. Lastly, I found the bipennis and grapevine coin of Teres artistically pleasing.
kirispupis, It looks like you had an excellent year & disciplined your choices to early bronze coins, & that's an excellent theme to work with ! My favorite is # 10, the chunky bronze from Thrace , followed by #1, the Kassander bronze, & 3rd place goes to #2, the choice Macedonian war shield bronze .
Thanks! Here's another royal Greek female portrait: Ionien, Ephesos als Arsinoe AE Dichalkon 287-281 BCE under Aristagoras 4.23g Vs.: verschleierter Kopf der Arsinoe II. n. r. Rs.: Hirsch lagert n. l., Kopf n. r." SNG v. Aulock 1840; Svoronos 134, 883 Taf. 26, 13 ex Kölner Münzkabinett There's been some speculation this is also a portrait, though technically she was Persian and not Greek. PAPHLAGONIA, Amastris. Circa 285-250 BCE AR Stater 23mm, 8.88 g, 12h Head of Mên right, wearing Phrygian cap decorated with laurel branch and star / Aphrodite seated left, holding in extended right hand Nike, who crowns her with wreath, and cradling lotus-tipped scepter in left arm; rose to left. Callataÿ, Premier, Group 2, 43 (D17/R21 – this coin); RG 5; HGC 7, 356 Ex Sigmund Collection. Ex CNG March 1999 Ex CNG September 2021
Thank you for the kind words! I wish my wife heard this, since she has a bit different opinion of the matter.
When say #9 was "rescued from the trash" do you mean literally? Was the coin thrown out and recovered?
Outstanding coins @kirispupis! Nice looking bronzes are a bigger challenge than nice looking silver. Coins 1 and 2 are lovely examples, coin 6 has a nice portrait of Memnon, and ofcourse I vote for coin 9, an example I would love to own as well. I myself also come from Epeiros so I ofcourse really like the coinage from the region or the kings.