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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;John Anthony, post: 2015554, member: 42773&quot;]These two less-than-lovely coins come from Akko-Ptolemais, on the northern coast of Israel. (The modern city is Acre, and you can read its history on wiki <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre,_Israel" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre,_Israel" rel="nofollow">here</a>.) The smaller one is a semi-autonomous city coin minted during the Seleucid era, the larger a provincial issue under Hadrian.</p><p><br /></p><p>Do you collect for eye-appeal or rarity? The answer to that question depends on many factors, and one of those factors is whether eye-appealing coins in a particular series actually exist. Bronze coins of the Levant were the workhorses of many economies, and circulated heavily. Then they had to withstand the sands of time, quite literally, in harsh, arid climes.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Hadrian is quite rare. Heritage sold one in 2004, and another in 2014. Both of those coins are nicer than mine, but rather than hold out ten years for another example to appear, I decided this coin was pretty darned good for the price. (There are two on vcoins now in much worse shape.) Hadrian&#039;s portrait is decent although some of the legend is clipped, and the reverse is all there including the important inscription COL PTOL.</p><p><br /></p><p>The autonomous issue was an unidentified coin in a dealer&#039;s pick bin. These Dioskouri/Cornucopia types are common in Denomination C, but scarce in Denomination D. At least one of the heads is clear, and the reverse is centered with some of the inscription visible.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>1. Akko-Ptolemais, Phoenicia. Hadrian (117 - 138 AD).</b></p><p>AE19, 6.15g.</p><p>Obv.: IMP TRA HADRIANO CAESAR; Draped bust of Hadrian r., laureate.</p><p>Rev.: COL PTOL (Colonia Ptolemais); Tyche standing facing, looking left, resting on rudder and holding cornucopia.</p><p>Reference: Sofaer pl. 8,142. Kadman 107, Rosenberger I p. 26, #49.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>2. Akko-Ptolemias, Seleucid Era</b>.</p><p>AE12 (Denomination D); 126/5 BC.</p><p>Obv.: Jugate heads of the Dioskouri r., wearing laurel wreaths, surmounted by stars.</p><p>Rev.: ANTOXEΩN TΩN / EN ΠTOΛEMAIΔI&nbsp; IEPAΣ; Cornucopia; Monogram to left.</p><p>Reference: Hoover HGC 10 #26; Seyrig 6.</p><p><br /></p><p>There is my contribution of crusty Levantine coins for the day. These are dealers&#039; images - I will update them. Let&#039;s see your Judaean city coins! (or any Judaeans for that matter - I know they&#039;re not the most popular item at the five-and-dime)...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]363774[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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