Ancients => Obol-Obol-Obol => 0.60 grams of raw power!!

Yah, I admit that I haven't bought a wee lil' obol in quite some time ... but I just couldn't resist swoopin' in and stealin' this bad-boy at today's auction!! (it was ripe for the pickin'!!)

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 … VF, toned.

From the Kelly J. Krizan, M.D. Collection

 

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Rough but good lookin'. Just like me

 

I don't know these coins, but that doesn't look rough to me at a diameter of 10mm. Actually it looks astonishingly well-detailed for such a tiny bit of metal.

 

Steve awesome pick up, a little off flan, but has all the detail...very nice..

 

=> thanks for the critiques, comrades

Oh, and yes, this lil' obol may not be in the "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" league, but you awesome dudes are definitely on the right-track ...

=> this bad-boy is 100% tough and rugged (pronounced, Rug-Ed) ... I mean seriously, there is an eagle on top of a lion!! ... man, either that's one super-big eagle, or they had wee, lil' mini-lions back in the day!! (both are super-cool visuals, eh?)

 

Yes, super cool. Maybe Bing was referring to the surface, which is a little rough. But at that size, my unaided eyes wouldn't even notice.

 

Don't get me wrong. It's a nice coin. Just some surface roughness. Not bad.

 

Listen, ladies ... I wasn't taking shots at your comments!!



I love you guys => and honestly, I know that "everybody" must think that this coin rocks just a lil' bit, right?!!

=> I mean really?!! => it's 2,300 years old, it's the size of my fingernail and yet, it is still rockin' it!!! (long live this fricken coin, my awesome coin-brothas!!)

 

nice little coin, i dig that reverse.

it's "fun sized"!

 

Hi brother ...

Hey => 10 cm!! => seriously? => man, that's "spy-cam" schtuff!!

chrsmat71 ... if only those coins could talk, eh?

 

What an Obol!!

 

Nice one Steve. I dig the panther.

 

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Tiny Little Coin....shoot can't think of a rhyme

It is always so amazing that they could get so much detail on such an itty bitty coin.

 

I know, right? ... imagine how good their nerves must have been to do such finicky work!!?

I'm sure that I'd be booted-off the ancient coin assembly-line, because my best effort would look a bit more like this!!

 

Like the obol - but I shouldn't look at ancients lest I be bitten by their bug once the more.

 

Come on in scottishmoney, the water's just fine.

 

I limit my ancient experience to Black Sea and Ionia, and Syracuse. Carthaginia is inviting though, want Tanit on some gold sometime.

 

Nice coin!

I really like the myth of Triptolemos, which I'll leave for you to research