A New collection of Greek Silver.

Hence, my Avatar!

Blue looks a lot better than I do. However, her head is all white now!

 

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At some point, I might replace my avatar with a photo of my cat Ziggy. Whose portraits are much better than mine.




And this is what he looked like 14 years ago, when he was a kitten.

 

Fantastic coin... I didn't even know they existed as I have never come across it before. Also, somehow the wear makes it look even more artistic.

When it comes to portraits smiling is important. Or pulling a funny face! Based on that criteria alone, I would say my Gorgon is my most interesting portrait!

 

Portraits do not have to be pretty, they just need to show something beyond the light that bounced off the subject. I spent many years processing photos taken by others. This was my favorite. I consider it a portrait. I could not have taken that photo. I would have shooed the fly off her face. David Kennerly was the best 'people' photographer I ever met. If she is alive today, this child would be close to your age.
https://kennerly.com/portfolio/gallery/

 

Those amazing Cretan coins are often overstrikes. Crete aint big but almost every city seemed to have produced something including.....tara taraa.

NOT IN MY COLLECTION







Top to bottom, Kydonia,Gortyn, Hierapytna & Knossos. These very rare psuedo-Athenian New Styles are all dated to the 1st Mithradatic wars and were once thought to be minted with silver as supplied by Marcus Lucullus on his quest for ships and support for Sulla.
There is, rightfully, a growing support for the idea that many of the Cretan cities supported Mithradates and these coins are part of that visual political support. The Romans waited till after the 3rd Mithradatic war to wreak vengeance on Crete.

 

Those are great! I didn't even know they existed. Especially the last one with the labyrinth is amazing.

 

Those are incredible! I didn't realize that the Cretan cities struck these. And now that you bring up the idea of their support for Mithradates, the obverse of the new style tetradrachms sure look alot like that on the big Pontic bronzes with Perseus and headless Medusa that we were showing on another thread here recently.

I've probably posted this one here too many times already, but won't pass up the chance to post it again. A Gortyna stater overstruck on a Knossos.



The underlying type of the Labyrinth is pretty obvious on the reverse, but my favorite bit is the minotaur's head hidden in that mess of an obverse. The inset in the below pic shows the head from my coin against that of a Knossos stater's (that one NOT MY COIN, obviously).

 

A new coin for my Greek collection. I now have 3 . I got this one a a gift from my wife. It does not seem to be rare because I see several others on the market but its condition is beautiful.

Cappadocia Ariarathes VII Ar tetradrachm , In the name of Antiochos VII

16.65g 30mm

No light used on the photo, seems far less gray in person.

 

That's a very nice example. How did she pick it? I imagine she knows a thing or two about ancient coins.

 

That Lokris Stater is awesome. Definitely a coin on my list.

 

That is a great Cappadocian imitation! Congratulations. Your wife made a good choice.

I have one of the earliest Cappadocian imitations of quite crude style:

Ariarathes VI Epiphanes Philopator (130-116 B.C.). Imitation AR Tetradrachm in the name of Antiochos VII Euergetes (Sidetes) (138-129 B.C.). Cappadocian mint. Unmarked issue, perhaps dated Year 1.
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochos VII to right.
Reverse: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟY - EYEPΓETOY Athena standing front, head to left, holding Nike in her right hand and spear and shield in her left; to outer left, monogram above A; all within wreath.
Reference: Early Cappadocian Tetradrachms in the Name of Antiochus VII (Elke Krengel, Catharine C. Lorber). Mint IV, emission 11, engraver X. Plate 18, 668 (same P4 reverse die).
15.82g; 28mm.

 

Thank you For this reference. I found it quickly on academia.

Well it is an early birthday gift and she asks me what coins i am eyeing these days. I point out a couple and she pics based on beauty. She is not a coin buff, in fact when she has problems sleeping she asks me about my newest coin, she falls asleep during my dissertation right away. So my collection benefits us both, it cures her insomnia .

 

That one does not cover your coin, yours is the mass produced one, it is covered in another paper by Ms. Lorber (I do not know the name from my head). The paper I referenced is for the earlier Cappadocian examples.

 

Here are a few decent portraits:

Kingdom of Paeonia, Patraos, 335-315 BC
AR Tetradrachm
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Reverse: Horseman galloping right, spearing fallen enemy, ΠΑΤΡΑΟΥ above and to the left, large M above and to the right.
Size: 23 mm, 12 h.
Good toned VF
Scarce
12.6 grams



Syracuse, 480-475 BC
Tetradrachm
Deinomenid Tyranny


Syracuse, 430-400 BC
Tetradrachm
Second Democracy


Syracuse, ca. 317-310 BC
Tetradrachm
Agathokles



(Had to add one of these....)
Athens, After 449 BC
Tetradrachm

 

That's a remarkable portrait, Doug.

Here's a portrait by Californian Robert Vavra who known primarily for his photographs of Spanish horses. I believe this photograph was taken in Spain, a country he frequently visits. I have it now in the study.