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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 1867407, member: 56859&quot;]Incredible pictures of an incredible coin!&nbsp; Is the turtle&#039;s shell thicker than the flan?!</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks for the additional history.&nbsp;&nbsp; Interesting theories about the change from sea turtle to land turtle.&nbsp; The &#039;loss of status as a sea power&#039; seems unlikely for the reason stated.&nbsp; The &#039;change in religious ritual&#039; theory... depends... what is known about the religions in that area?&nbsp; Hmm.&nbsp; Not sure I buy either theory.&nbsp; Who knows?&nbsp; Maybe the artists or politicians just like the look of the land turtles better.&nbsp; Maybe they were desirable or important food sources.&nbsp; Maybe tortoise shell hair combs and jewelry were valuable in their trading?</p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t know if numismatists have determined the biological classification of your depicted tortoise or if it was even meant to be a realistic depiction of such a reptile, but it looks like a good match for a spur-thighed tortoise (<i>Testudo graeca</i>) which, as the name implies, are native to the area.</p><p><br /></p><p>Spur-thighed tortoises&#039; carapaces look very much like your the one on your coin, more so than other species of the area.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.hlasek.com/foto/testudo_graeca_ae4237.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s my Aegina stater:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Oh right, it&#039;s still on my WANT list <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Congratulations on another stellar acquisition![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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