Hey friends, I don't often collect Greek coins, that is, coins of Greek colonies - typically the pieces in the grades I want are out of my budget. But I came across this minute bronze of Selge with a very reasonable price tag, and simply couldn't resist. I'm always fascinated with tiny coins that exhibit copious detail. Selge, Pisidia AE13, 2.47g., 300-190 BC. Obv.: Bust of Heracles right. Rev.: Thunderbolt and bow; Σ E Λ. Reference: SNG von Aulock 5288, SNG France 1979. Notes: EF, ex-M&M Numismatics.
Remember when we were talking about "nice" coins, and I couldn't really describe them? You're starting to figure it out. A few notes on your description: the '/' is generally used to indicate a line break. Leave a space after to indicate a new word. So/ like/ th/is: So Like Th Is Thunderbolt and bow; Σ E Λ (You can use dashes to indicate legend breaks, but I prefer not to, as actual dashes are sometimes present in the legend!) You cite the two most important references for this area, von Aulock and SNG France, but you do so inconsistently. You could simply say "SNG von Aulock 5288, SNG France 1979." I wouldn't bother citing Sear. And the pedigree leaves a lot out. Which M&M aucton? Which M&M firm? There were several. Or was it a fixed-price purchase from the present-day vCoins shop, of no relation to the old auction houses?
I have gotten much more greeks this year then I did in the past. Its usually the small bronzes cause they are often overlooked. This one is very nice. Great addition JA.
I googled M&M Numismatics and it appears to be an outfit out of DC. That's all I know - the coin was purchased from Barry and Darling, so I'll email them and see if they can give me any more info. Thank you for your corrections! I've edited my post.
Mine is not EF and lacks the lambda altogether as well as coming from a 1988 private D.C. collection that no one but me cares about but I do consider it interesting to compare the die work on matching coins. All mine really adds is the club which makes mine clearly Herakles while the OP coin almost would sucker me into saying Zeus. Neither of us have a really good recurved bow. When I bought mine, I thought I could not afford to collect Greek coins. I still feel that way to an extent but we have to remember that these little bronzes probably did more daily service than any of the tetradrachms. As Greek cities go, Selge has quite a variety of coins in the "not horridly priced but interesting" range. My collection of the city totals four coins with the most recent addition coming in 1989 and all from sources associated with D.C. where I lived at the time. I guess it was a hotbed of Selge coins at the time. The others: AR trihemiobol AR stater AE13
what a great little coin JA, nice details in 13 mm of space. i just won a budget greek "thunderbolt" reverse, incoming.
Well this coin arrived today and I'm positively charmed by it. Also, my wife is attending culinary academy and brought cakes she had made home from school. The head chef was very impressed with her roses... Indeed it is.
Those are very nice roses! Your wife has some talent there. The coin is nice too, I like the new photo.
Very cool coin, my friend, but I must also agree with the peanut-gallery that your wife's awesome cakes are definitely stealing this thread!! (yummy-yummy) => please tell your wife that her cakes are very cool ... bravo!! Ummm, I have a kinda similar coin, but my sweet ol' example has Zeus, rather than Herakles (oh, and an eagle tossed-in for stevex6's pleasure) ... Sicily, Syracuse Æ Hemidrachm Timoleon and the Third Democracy (30 Onkia) 344-317 BC Timoleontic Symmachy coinage. 1st series, circa 344-339/8 BC Diameter: 24 mm Weight: 16.94 grams Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios right Reverse: Upright thunderbolt; to right, eagle standing right Reference: Castrizio series I, 1γ; CNS 72; SNG ANS 477-88 Other: 9h, Good VF, red-brown patina, a few areas of roughness, some cleaning marks From the Robert and Julius Diez Collection, Ex Gustav Philipsen Collection (Part I, J. Hirsch XV, 28 May 1906), lot 1227