A very small diversion...

...from my usual fare. AR Tritatemorion of Kyzikos, 480-450 BC. 9x12mm, .58g, ex Sidney Mygind. Not in my possession yet, but when it does arrive I doubt I'll be able to take a better image, so I may as well share it now...

 

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There is some serious skills involved in engraving dies of such detail ment for such wee flans. Good catch. I am waiting to see your first Nabatean silver ...

 

It's insane isn't it? Like those Chinese artists that paint on grains of rice.

 

These are neat - and small. I have one that is 0.41 g, 9.5 mm, but it is porous

 

Wow dudes => awesome coins!!

... yah, I must admit that my poor ol' example is less than impressive (but man, it still rocks!!!)

 

so what is that, about 10 x 6 mm? great details on 60 squared mm!

 

Dang. Guess I can't corner the pork market after all!

 

I got mine in 1988. It weighs .74g. Many of these are quite unround but the OP coin looks chipped. When it arrives, you might look at the edges and see if you think they were broken later or when the coin was made. Either is possible.

 

I'm not sure I'd be able to tell the difference Doug. I realize the flan of my coin is more irregular than others of its type, but I didn't find it distracting, compared to the gVF detail of the devices. The irregular flan seems to be a part of the soul of this coin.

 

JA => I'm pretty sure that you get the award for "best tunny-fish in show"

 

Tuna must have been very important to the economy of Kyzikos - it appears on some of the electrum coinage as well, always as a secondary motive though. It makes you wonder if it was more than a symbol of the fishing industry: a control mark, or mint mark?

 

Tuna was a extremely important resource for many. Huge tuna, (up to 2000 pounds), used to migrate from the Atlantic all the way to the Black Sea every year. Many towns relied on this yearly bounty for their livelihood. So I do not find it surprising at all these are on coins.

Sadly, these runs of tuna have been destroyed for 500 years at least now.

 

Partial tunny on my example.


MYSIA. Kyzikos.
AR Obol ca. 450-400 B.C.
0.85 grams, 11 mm
Obv: Forepart of razor-back boar left, tunny upward behind
Rev: Head of roaring lion facing left within incuse square
Grade: gEF fully struck, Almost mint on porosity-free, choice flan. All lion & boar details present w/ partial tunny
Other: Similar to Sear 3848 but w/o K; Von Fritze II 9; SNG France 361-72; SNG von Aulock 1213; SNG Kayhan 54. From Barry Murphy May 2013.

 

Collect89 => well, maybe you only get part-marks for your good ol' tunny-fish (tuna), but you are absolutely "bringin' it" with your Lion and your Boar!!

=> man, that's a fantastic lookin' coin, brother!! (congrats)

 

JA that's some coin, two thumbs up!

 

Awesome coin!

 

I have one of these as well.

You can see how tiny the engraving is by the point of a pin.

 

Lol, Randi. Nice shot with the pin, doucet.

 

Wow Collect89 => doucet decided to pull the ol' SMACKDOWN!!

=> yup doucet => that is one sweet coin!! (and you know it!!)

The "pin-schtick" was merely like doin' a victory-lap!! ... well played!!