maybe a Greek coinage ..can anyone help me identify this coin?

purchased without precise identification
in my opinion we see on the obverse a kind of shield and on the reverse a winged caduceus and a "c" on the right. Both sides are beaded

13,9 mm / 2,11g

Thanks by advancd for your help
François

 

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I don't think the letter c was used in the greek alphabet.

 

But the "sigma" was sometimes written as a "C" - just like here
https://www.coinarchives.com/a/openlink.php?l=1811941|4185|178|65356cb76b3f0133d9302ef80191ad3f

 

Ok. Good to know.

 

Aspendos, like this: https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=265150

The reference "Yashin 51 (Askalon)" suggests that the attribution is uncertain and that Askalon has been proposed as well.

 

well done !!!

you mean this coin could come from either Askalon or Aspendos ?

 

Well done !!
you definitely answer at the speed of light!!
I will be able to continue my investigations thanks to you
François

 

The inscription AS hints that the coin comes from a city beginning with AS. The coin is rare enough that it is hard to use find spots to be certain. I don't have Yashin so I can't say if he had any evidence for Askalon. The editors of SNG France thought Aspendos.

(It could also be a magistrate beginning with AS.)

I believe Aspendos is the best guess but I am open to new evidence.

There are similar small coins with shields we believe are from Aspendos and Selge because of the AC and SE letters. But there are also similar coins, probably of Aspendos, with mystery letters like this one:


Pamphylia, Aspendos? 2.55g AE13
Obv: gorgon (or Herakles facing?)
Rev: Σ-?; cauducus
Gorny & Mosch, Auction 126, October 2003, lot 1413 (part of).

This type comes with different letter pairs whose meanings we don't understand. Imhoof-Blumer attributed this type to Aspendos because many of the same letter pairs are present on silver wrestler/slinger staters with Pamphylian inscriptions naming Aspendos. No one knows what they mean.

 

Thanks to Dwarf for pointing out an excellent example of a point that way too many collectors miss. 'Greek' coins include thousands of issuing authorities spanning nearly a thousand years and spread over much of the known world from India to the Atlantic. It is never safe to talk about how the 'Greeks' did something unless you make it clear which 'Greeks' you mean. This includes letters, styles, weight standards, alloys, denomination names, favorite gods and probably many other things that skip my mind at the moment. The matter was even more complex than we see today with English as used in the last 500 years from Chaucer to whoever wrote the instructions for your new piece of electronics.

This coin is an early and unusual of the 'lunate sigma' but those of us who collect 3rd century Provincials will have trouble finding a coin that uses anything besides C for sigma. It is great to learn the Greek alphabet and language but we have to realize that the one used in 6th century BC in Italy was not exactly what we see on the front of fraternity houses.

In addition to the standard Σ and C we even see an 'S' turned like our M on c.500BC coins of Sybaris. Ancient coins make a great hobby for those who want to keep on learning new things every day.

 

To be almost certain as to the origin of a coin, it would be necessary to have an excavation report or an inventory of hoard (a rather strong term for a bronze piece) coming here from Askalon or Aspendos .... but do they exist?