Ancient - Your Smallest Coin

Left row:
1. Syracuse, Sicily, hemilitron 440-430 BC, .3g
2. Athens, Attica, tritartemorion (3/4 obol), 393-300 BC, .5g
3. Therma, Macedon, hemiobol (1/2 obol), 510-480 BC, .3g
4.. Kolophon, Ionia, tetartemorion (1/4 obol), 430-400 BC, .2g - This coin is unusual in the monogram 'TE' on the reverse (over the cicada) indicating the denomination.
5. Kebren, Troas, tetartemorion (1/4 obol), 400-350 B.C. .2g

Right Row:
1. Phocaea, 1/8? obol discussed below
2. Mylassa, Caria, tetartemorion? (1/4 obol), 5th century BC, .1g
3. Hektatomnos, Satrap of Caria, tetartemorion 395-377 B.C., .2g
4. Syracuse, Sicily, Tyrant Gelon, hexas (1/6 litra or 1/300th of the popular dekadrachm), 485-478 BC, .05g? This is the lightest coin I have ever seen but the flaking surface of this specimen makes its weight lower than normal.
5. Rhegion, Bruttium, hemitatemorion (1/8 obol), 466-415 BC, .1g.
Thasos, Thrace, hemiobol (1/2 obol), 411-350 BC, .2g

Phocaea, Ionia - Silver 1/8 obol? - Late Sixth Century BC - 5mm, .1g
Female head 'Smyrna type' left / 4 part incuse - Rosen 598
Proper identification of some very small Greek coins is even more tentative than with the larger denominations. Most date to the archaic period where more study is needed to establish a proper overview of the series. This example seems to match the coin in Waggoner's Early Greek Coins from the Collection of Jonathan P. Rosen, the most easily available reference on archaic issues. Unlike many famous early collections, this includes large numbers of small denominations as well as the showy tetradrachms. Thousands of these small coins were produced but the percentage that survived was minute. If collectors valued coins solely on rarity, these would be very expensive but demand and prices are low. The photo shows the coin resting on a US cent for size. The two sides were photographed on the same cent with the halves joined in the software. While this coin is my smallest in diameter, its greater thickness causes it to weigh more that the Syracuse hexas.

The above is taken from my page
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/tiny.html
which has a few more slightly larger (obol size) tiny treasures. I have not bought any new ones for quite a while but I have offended a couple dealers who showed me hemidrachms when I asked for hemiobols or smaller.

 

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My smallest US...

Calif. fractional Gold coin..1881
quarter of a dollar...PCGS MS64
9mm



Calif. fractional Gold coin..1881
half dollar( My Aunt give these to me, she had these as a young lady early 30's)
11mm....( PCGS wouldn't grade this, because it was bent)..



Gold bar...
1 gram bar..
7mm x 14mm
small, look at the staples...

 

Love the Theodosius Eng, beautiful reverse.

 

Ok was going to post one of my widows mites but I wasn't thinking of the fanams as ancients. Here's my 1/10th Fanam (have a few full size ones as well)

 

this little zeno at 9.5 mm

 

ISLANDS off THRACE, Thasos
AR Sixteenth Stater – Hemiobol
Circa 500-480 BC
Diameter: 8 mm
Weight: 0.56 grams
Obverse: Two dolphins swimming in opposite directions; pellets around
Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square
Reference: Le Rider, Thasiennes 9; HGC 6, 337
Other: toned, light porosity

 

Ionia, Miletos AR Obol
475-325 BC
Diameter: 9.5 mm
Weight: 1.1 grams
Obverse: Forepart of roaring lion, left
Reverse: Star ornament with incuse square

 

Thrace, Mesembria AR Diobol
450-350 BC
Diameter: 10.1 mm
Weight: 1.16 grams
Obverse: Facing helmet
Reverse: META within the spokes of a radiate wheel

 

Mylassa in Caria
(until Arditarion told me differently, I originally had this coin listed as "Samos, Ionia AR Obol") ... thanks Ardy!!
Fourth century BC
Diameter: 7.9 mm
Weight: 0.52 grams
Obverse: Lion's skin
Reverse: Scorpion

 

CILICIA, Uncertain, AR Obol
4th century BC
Diameter: 10 mm
Weight: 0.60 grams
Obverse: Youthful male head (Triptolemos?) left, wearing grain wreath
Reverse: Eagle left on lion's back, all within dotted square border
Reference: SNG France 474; SNG Levante 230
Other: 9h … toned.
From the Kelly J. Krizan, M.D. Collection

 

My smallest
Ar 0.249g, 6.7mm

Elea(Elia?), Aeolis, AR Hemiobol. Late 5th century BC. Head of Athena left, in crested helmet / E L A I, around olive wreath, all within incuse square. SNG Cop 164 ex Forvm

 

My biggest small coins
13 mm and 12.2 mm

 

That must be 0.9 gram, 9/10, almost 1 gram. 9/100 of a gram would blow away.

That must be 0.9 grams, just shy of 1 gram. 9/100 of a gram would blow away..

 

Moesia, Istrus. 400 - 350 BC. Silver Hemiobol. 7.77mm, 0.42g. Two male heads facing, the right inverted. / Sea eagle flying lt., attacking a dolphin.

 

whoops XD