[ancients] Bull, Phi, and wine: a Phliasia obol

Picked this up at a recent auction mainly because I liked the simple design and I hadn't seen the type before.

Now I'm reading more about it and like virtually all ancient coins, there is quite a bit of interesting history to be learned about this tiny bit of silver.



Phliasia, Phlious
AR obol
400-350 BC
11 mm, 0.84 gm
Obv: forepart of butting bull left
Rev: large Φ surrounded by four pellets
Ref: SNG Copenhagen 8-9
Triskeles Sale 9; Oct 2013
ex BCD Collection, not in previous BCD sales

From a small round paper insert included with the coin, handwritten:
PELOPONNESUS, PHLIUS.
0.84 gm
From Sotheby's
26-27 May 1976,
lot 88, bought for
£55 + 10% VAT
The Sotheby's catalog clipping for the lot is also in the flip.

Excerpts from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854):

To read more about its history click here

Apparently the Nemean region is still an important producer of Greek wine.
For more information about the region and its winemaking through history read here

Some currently produced wines from the Cooperative Winery of Nemea use a similar Phliasian coin on the label

 

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Never seen the type before either. Very cool coin and the history makes it all the better. Congrats.

 

That is a very interesting, tiny coin. I also had not seen the type before but quite like its simplicity! Does anyone know if there are other standalone Greek letters on the reverse of other types? I wonder if it would be possible to assemble an alphabet set...

 

Hmm, an interesting idea. I don't recall seeing other Greek coins with single letters featured on either side but I certainly haven't seen every coin ever made... Seems like there may be some Roman coins with one (or two) letters.

Could make for a good quest, although one which probably would remain uncompleted in my lifetime, maybe in anyone's lifetime.

 

There are others but I'd bet nowhere near the whole alphabet. I have an A from Argos and do not have the sigma from Sikyon. Others?

 

Oh yeah, that's a nice one, Doug. Forgot about it, yet just this morning I put two of them on my auction watch list, lol!

 

You're killing me TIF. That is a wonderful coin. I too like the reverse, but the obverse is equally interesting. I believe there are some interesting Roman coins with similar "butting bulls". One has to wonder if they borrowed the design from coins like this.

Quoting another poster on another thread: "Damn Wagon".

 

oh cool...that's a great little coin. elegant but bold...sounds like an add slogan....but those 3 words sum it up pretty good.

is that a intentional "P" scratch on the back?

 

Wow ... fantastic lil' animal coin!!

=> I agree that the crisp, simple design has huge eye-appeal (yummy!!)

 

Yes, at some point in time someone scratched a P on the reverse. I wonder when... did the graffitist write a Greek Rho or a Latin P?

Before typing this I looked up the history of the letter P. The description of the Latin P tickles me. It makes sense, assuming you know what the words mean, but in the right tone of voice could sound quite insulting:

"You voiceless bilabial plosive..."

 

To have a coin this old and still have great details, awesome...nice pickup...

 

Wow! Thats a sweet addition!

 

The wine label with ancient coin has put a bug in my brain...

I emailed a friend who owns a wine and liquor chain and asked if he could help me find any wines which show an ancient coin on the label.

I've seen a Nero and this Nemea wine. If there aren't too many (bet there aren't) and if the coins aren't too expensive, it'll be my next themed collection goal!

Ancient Coins and Their Wines, a twist on the ol' wine pairing.

Hey, maybe I can also plan a meal with those wines, using recipes or ingredients that might've been used in the time and place of those coins...

None of my local friends are coin enthusiasts but I bet they'd put up with the show for some good food and wine

 

Great idea, TIF (man, I like the way that your mind thinks!!)

I'm an Australian-wine guzzler ... but sadly, I don't think there are too many Australian ancient coins?

 

Hmm, looks like there are more wine/coin labels out there than I realized, some with very pricey coins. Guess this won't be a set I can round up in a just a few months.


Here's one with Nero, from Flickr (the coin in hand is supposedly a Nero). I can't quite make out the vineyard and haven't found elsewhere online so far.


A Constantius coin on Treveri Cellars sparkling wines:

I'm also seeing a wax seal with a Naxos coin, not sure if it's a promotional thing or if it is used by a vineyard. Can't paste the picture for some reason.

 

Fascinating coin and theme, TIF!

I remember watching top Brit chef Heston Blumenthal's amusing TV series from a few years ago where he cooks up his versions of ancient/medieval feasts for celebrity guests, and in his Roman Feast episode, he had dishes like Pig Nipple Scratchings and Calf Brain. I believe the pièce de résistance was a dessert called an Ejaculating Cake, something dreamed up by Petronius, one of Nero's courtiers in his book Satyricon.

I'm not suggesting you feature that in one of your planned meals, but if you've not seen that bit of TV, it's definitely worth a watch.

Z.

 

I have just the right coin pairing for that one. An Elagabalus/Priapus

 

Actually, you're absolutely right. At one point in the show they actually wheeled out a statue of Priapus, bowl of fruit and all.

I was curious and googled Elagabaus Priapus and the first thing that came up was the your Forvm gallery. That's quite an impressive... ah, coin.

Z.

 

And here I thought I was the only one who could balance a bowl of fruit like that.....