A Newish Coin: Pontos, Amisos Perseus and Medusa

I bought this coin back in November, but got distracted and didn't post it.

It is an AE29 from Amisos in Pontos showing Athena on the obverse and Perseus slaying Medusa on the reverse. It was issued during the time of Mithridates VI. I've been searching for one that ticked off several different boxes* for me, while not busting my coin budget, how did I do?

*It had to:
Not be too porous
Not be more than slightly off center
Have a clear city name
Show all the important elements of the reverse design (full torso, severed head and sword)



Please also post yours.

 

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You did VERY well.

 

That is a very nice specimen lacking only clear faces on Medusa and Perseus. It has an exceptional torso with gushing blood and a clear harpa. Finding a single coin with more of the significant features clear is not easy. Add to that the smooth surfaces and you have quite a coin.

 

Mine is from Sinope, but not as nice as yours.

 

Yours looks great! It is nearly impossible to get a nice even strike but yours has it. I have several examples and none have the body detail of yours.

I was able to obtain an example from Amastris. Mine lacks many of the things yours has, especially the clear body. Yours has a great harpa.

Yours has a nice clear Pegasus decoration on the helmet. What do you think the decorations on are on the forehead part of the helmet? I believe they are supposed to be horseheads. On yours they look OK, on mine they look like monkeys.


Paphlagonia, Amastris, Mithradates VI, circa 85-65 BC, 29 mm, 19.12g
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right.
Rev: [A]MAΣT-PEΩ[Σ]; Perseus standing left, holding harpa and head of Medusa, whose decapitated body lies at his feet; monogram to left and right.
Ref: SNG BM Black Sea #1534-5

 

A sweet example! Congrats

 

A great coin! I like the excellent obverse helmet detail. Mine is from Amisos too but not as nice... but it works until I can find an upgrade.

 

These come from a few other cities but the three I have are the common ones. Who has the others?
Amisos

Amastris


Sinope

 

Congrats Michael , one of the best I've seen here on Cointalk , the obverse is very detailed.

 

Does the OP coin have Pegasus or Griffin on the helmet of Athena?

 

Looks like the Pagasus

 

Got this from my old folders. I think I need new shots to make sure whether the helmet of Athena has Griffin or Medusa therein??

 

Look like owls, to me.

 

For anyone else wanting to play along, what do we think these things are? Horseheads? Owls? Mushrooms? Cannoli?

 

ANS 1970 definitely horses...to me.

 

ANS 1970 They look like ducks to me, or even Penguins.

 

WoWiE @Aethelred! That is an impressive perseus all around. Nice gore.
Here's mine:

(you can see where I had to get tough to get rid of its BD)

Ever seen a three headed Gorgon? How about with All three heads severed?!

If you made me guess @Ed Snible, I'd say they are ocean waives that the Pegasus is flying over...that or cannoli. Yeah, probably cannoli

 

Great coins everyone, here is my humble example, I bought it because of its double-strike (mutant-like features) and crisp facial expressions:

 

That’s a wonderful example. I’m not sure I’ve seen one from Amisos before which captures the everything from the tip of the harpa to the neck stump of the Gorgon and still have so much room to spare on the flan.

Here’s mine from Komana, with a pretty decent face on Medusa’s head, but not much else to recommend it.