Hello my friends, I have a selection of eight coins for your consideration. Please PM me if interested. Shipping is $4 in the US, tracked, $8 to Canada or UK. payment by Paypal, check or money order. 3% will be added to invoices paid by paypal to cover fees. You are invited to join ACM-L, bringing buyers and sellers together! ************************************************ 1. The oldest coin on the slate today is this hemilitron of Himera, Sicily. The production of these small, thick bronzes was rather sloppy. They were clearly intended for the utilitarian purposes of commerce above any artistic considerations. Nevertheless, they are attractive coins, and an important part of ancient Sicilian history. The city of Himera played a key role in the politics of the island. This coin was minted during a time of relative peace and prosperity. Soon after this period, Himera was destroyed by the Carthaginians, after which the new city of Therma was founded upon the remains of the old. This coin exhibits a very clear bust, and a well-centered reverse with a complete wreath. $35 SICILY, Himera. AE hemilitron, 3.2g, 15mm, 4h; c. 420 - 409 B.C. Obv.: [IME]; Head of nymph Himera left, wearing sphendone, six pellets before (off flan). REv.: Six pellets within laurel wreath. Reference: SNG Cop 320; Calciati I p. 43, 35; SGCV I 1110; SNG ANS 186 ________________________________________ 2. Here is a hemidrachm of Cherronesos, a rare variety with pentagram. This coin is well-centered, with a strongly-detailed lion, and lovely metallic-gray toning. The history of these coins and their varieties are well-covered by Reid Goldberg here, and Barry Murphy here. I cherrypicked this coin from a hoard that I examined at NYINC. I found only six of the pentagram varieties online, four on acsearch here, and two at CNG here. This is a scarce and desirable variety in a beautiful grade. $125 THRACE, Black Sea Area. Cherronesos. AR Hemidrachm, 2g, 14mm; Circa 400-350 BC. Obv.: Forepart of lion right, head reverted. Rev.: Quadripartite incuse; • pentagram, VE monogram. Reference: cf. McClean 4072; BMC Thrace pg. 185, 43. ________________________________________ 3. Here is one of the famous Apollonian Medusa drachms. I also cherrypicked this coin from a hoard of about 100 that I examined at NYINC. This was the nicest one - centered, with excellent detail and lovely surfaces. About a third of the coins in the hoard had test cuts - these were commonly vetted for authenticity by ancient merchants. The cut on this coin only interferes minimally with the obverse, and demonstrates that it was spent at least once! $85 BLACK SEA, Apollonia Pontika. AR drachm, 2.9g, 15mm, 12h; Mid to late 4th Century BC. Obv.: Facing Gorgoneion with hair of snakes, sticking out tongue, snakes below face. Rev.: Upwards standing Anchor, letter A to left and crayfish to right. Reference: SNG Stancomb 135-137. ________________________________________ 4. A lovely, crisp drachm of the Indo-Scythian ruler Azes I (48/47 - 25 BC). I do not have the necessary references to attribute the coin exactly, according to the monograms that is, but the description is otherwise complete. I also examined a hoard of these at NYINC, about 200 coins that were mostly quite worn. This was one of the nicest examples in the lot. $59 (I am new to these types, but I’ll share some observations from looking through the hoard. I was impressed by how carefully these coins were made - the weights seemed very homogeneous, and the flans were all very round, although the flans did seem in general a bit too tight for the dies - all of them had clipped inscriptions. The coins all have a fairly high relief, giving them a bold character. This example has a double-struck obverse.) INDIA, Indo-Scythian Kings. Azes I. Ca 57-30 BC. AR Drachm, 2.3g, 15mm, 11h. Obv.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY / AZOY; Emperor on horseback right, holding whip and raising right hand, bow on his back. Karosthi letter in right field. Rev.: MAHARAJASA RAJARAJASA MAHATASA AYASA; Zeus standing left, holding long scepter and Nike, monograms in right and left fields. Reference: Senior - ,Whitehead - _________________________________________ 5. SOLD Aretas IV (9 BC - 40 AD) was the longest reigning and most famous of Nabataean kings. He presided over the kingdom during its heyday of economic and cultural growth. For those of you interested in coins that have Biblical connections, Aretas IV is the king mentioned in Paul’s escape from Damascus... In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas set a guard on the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands. [2 Corinthians 11:32-33 (NRSV)] Also, Aretas’ daughter Phasaelis was the woman Herod Antipas divorced in order to marry Herodias, spurring John the Baptist’s diatribe and eventual beheading. Here’s a great example of one of the most common of Nabataean coins, with jugate portraits of Aretas IV and his queen Shaqilat. The reverse is also well-centered, with the king’s name only slightly clipped. $25 Nabataea: Aretas IV Philopatris, r. 9 BCE - 40 CE AE Unit, 17mm, 4g, 12h; Petra mint: AD 39/40 Obv.: Jugate busts r. of Aretas IV and Shuqailat, the king laureate, hair hanging down to nape of neck; in field on r., ש, on l., ח; above their heads, inscr. שלם (= whole). Rev.: Two cornucopiae crossed; between them, above and below, in three lines, inscr. חרתת/שקי/לת (Aretas/ Shuqai/lat). Reference: Meshorer 112 ________________________________________ 6. The Spes (Hope) types for Constantius II had a short run, and they weren’t particularly well made, so finding a nice example can be a challenge. Here’s one of the nicest of the type I’ve come across, with excellent detail and inscriptions. $32 Constantius II, 317-361 AD AE16, 2.63g; Constantinople mint. Obv.: DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG; Diademed draped cuirassed bust right. Rev.: SPES REIPVBLICE, Constantius in military garb, standing left, holding globe and spear // CONSΓ Reference: RIC VIII 149 (page 461). ________________________________________ 7. A larger coin of Valentinian II, Roma seated type. Excellent detail and inscriptions all around. $20 Valentinian II, AD 375-392 AE3: 18mm, 2g, 12h; Siscia mint: AD 378-383. Obv.: DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG; diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: CONCORDIA AVGGG; Roma seated facing, head left, holding globe and reversed spear, her left leg bare. Reference: RIC IX Siscia 27(b), mint mark 2 (p. 151). ________________________________________ 8. Here’s a small bronze of Valentinian II with Victory reverse. The production of these coins was extremely shoddy, and they did not survive well. For every coin of this quality, there’s at least a hundred decrepit examples. This specimen has full devices, full inscriptions, a handsome patina, and clean surfaces. These types don’t get much better than this! $29 Valentinian II, AD 375-392 AE4: 1.2g, 13mm, 12h; Siscia mint: 384-387. Obv.: DN VALENTINI-ANVS PF AVG; Pearl diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: VICTOR-IA AVGGG; Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm // ASIS Reference: RIC IX Siscia 39(a), p. 155.
