Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
A Strange Athens Imitation
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="kirispupis, post: 8343892, member: 118780"]Hello everyone,</p><p><br /></p><p>The Edom attribution was what drew me to this coin. However, after some research, I doubted that the attribution was correct. Still, though, the coin was interesting. I have yet to find anything quite like it, and so I bid anyways. After being shut out at my last three auctions, I was surprised to win it considerably below my max.</p><p><br /></p><p>So, I'm very happy that I won. Now I'm just curious exactly what I won. The below image is from the seller. The size is 15mm and the weight is 4.00g.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1479949[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The following are the possibilities I've come up with.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Edom (Idumaea)</b> - This is how the seller attributed it, but neither the obverse nor the reverse seems to match up. The owl is too "scruffy" and the image of Athena is too abstract. If I can't find any better answer, I'll enter it into the database as Idumaea, but I have little confidence.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sabaeans</b> - Those are mostly known from a less abstract Athena with an "N" on the cheek, so that appears to be a "no".</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Lihyan</b> - The scruffy owls matches up, though mine is to the left while all the samples I found are to the right. Some of the later (2nd-1st centuries CE) copies do have an abstract Athena, though the match isn't strong. Most of the copies have a particular monogram, which this lacks. My feeling is the coin may come from the vicinity of Lihyan, but attributing it to Lihyan would be incorrect.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Gaza</b> - Adding this just to be comprehensive, but IMHO it's clearly not Gaza since both the owl and Athena are too abstract and the cheek lacks the distinctive Gaza "M".</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Gaul/Celt</b> - From what I can tell, they rarely imitated Athenian coinage. They seem to have been more likely to imitate that of Alexander and Philip, since those were the dominant coins when they entered the scene. The few mimics I found look nothing like this.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Philistia</b> - This is my best guess, since I've found some copies that resemble this one. My belief is that "Philistia" is just a catch-all for "somewhere around the Levant". It could have even been minted in Gaza.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Time period</b> - The seller attributed this to 400-300 BCE. The similar coins from CNG are dated to 5th century to 333 BCE. I tend to believe the CNG dates, as they're broader and if this does come from the Levant then coinage would have ceased with Alexander. Some of the Arabian comps are dated to 2nd-1st centuries BCE, but this coin seems more likely to be from the Levant instead of from Arabia.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The interesting</b> - Of the above searches, I couldn't find a single comp where both Athena and the owl are to the left. Maybe that's a sign that my attribution guesses are all completely off. To be honest, that's what pushed me to go for this coin, as I wasn't confident I'd ever have a chance at one like it - wherever it's from.</p><p><br /></p><p>Overall, I like my weird coin and can't wait to receive it.</p><p><br /></p><p>What do you think? From where do you think it's from?</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to share your own Athens imitations or oddities.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="kirispupis, post: 8343892, member: 118780"]Hello everyone, The Edom attribution was what drew me to this coin. However, after some research, I doubted that the attribution was correct. Still, though, the coin was interesting. I have yet to find anything quite like it, and so I bid anyways. After being shut out at my last three auctions, I was surprised to win it considerably below my max. So, I'm very happy that I won. Now I'm just curious exactly what I won. The below image is from the seller. The size is 15mm and the weight is 4.00g. [ATTACH=full]1479949[/ATTACH] The following are the possibilities I've come up with. [B]Edom (Idumaea)[/B] - This is how the seller attributed it, but neither the obverse nor the reverse seems to match up. The owl is too "scruffy" and the image of Athena is too abstract. If I can't find any better answer, I'll enter it into the database as Idumaea, but I have little confidence. [B]Sabaeans[/B] - Those are mostly known from a less abstract Athena with an "N" on the cheek, so that appears to be a "no". [B]Lihyan[/B] - The scruffy owls matches up, though mine is to the left while all the samples I found are to the right. Some of the later (2nd-1st centuries CE) copies do have an abstract Athena, though the match isn't strong. Most of the copies have a particular monogram, which this lacks. My feeling is the coin may come from the vicinity of Lihyan, but attributing it to Lihyan would be incorrect. [B]Gaza[/B] - Adding this just to be comprehensive, but IMHO it's clearly not Gaza since both the owl and Athena are too abstract and the cheek lacks the distinctive Gaza "M". [B]Gaul/Celt[/B] - From what I can tell, they rarely imitated Athenian coinage. They seem to have been more likely to imitate that of Alexander and Philip, since those were the dominant coins when they entered the scene. The few mimics I found look nothing like this. [B]Philistia[/B] - This is my best guess, since I've found some copies that resemble this one. My belief is that "Philistia" is just a catch-all for "somewhere around the Levant". It could have even been minted in Gaza. [B]Time period[/B] - The seller attributed this to 400-300 BCE. The similar coins from CNG are dated to 5th century to 333 BCE. I tend to believe the CNG dates, as they're broader and if this does come from the Levant then coinage would have ceased with Alexander. Some of the Arabian comps are dated to 2nd-1st centuries BCE, but this coin seems more likely to be from the Levant instead of from Arabia. [B]The interesting[/B] - Of the above searches, I couldn't find a single comp where both Athena and the owl are to the left. Maybe that's a sign that my attribution guesses are all completely off. To be honest, that's what pushed me to go for this coin, as I wasn't confident I'd ever have a chance at one like it - wherever it's from. Overall, I like my weird coin and can't wait to receive it. What do you think? From where do you think it's from? Feel free to share your own Athens imitations or oddities.[/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
A Strange Athens Imitation
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...