Featured Ancients: Richmond show report - a big surprise for me

Today I went to the small show in Richmond VA which produced five new coins all from one dealer. Of course, both dealers there were at Fredericksburg a couple weeks ago and will be at Baltimore in a couple weeks so I could have talked myself out of going. Of the five coins, two came with surprises when I found them on acsearch. I fail to understand many things but am seriously suspecting that some of the information on some of these online sites is questionable.

The subject of this thread is a type I did not know so it was not on my want list. I might not have bought it except for the fact that (a) I trust the dealer and (b) do not claim to know all of the million or so ancient types. This one is in Sear (2403) but is not illustrated there. There are several on acsearch where I learned that the monogram letters on the reverse vary from coin to coin. I was thrilled to find one of the acsearch shown coins had my same monogram. Then I saw that it was my coin and was listed as having been sold in 2012. I did recognize the ticket that came with the coin as being the style used by the listed auction but the bottom part of the ticket had been cut off. I did not pay even 1/3 of the listed realization but that is not unusual for a seller known for selling things for several times their reasonable price. The dealer I bought it from often gets coins that failed to sell in overpriced auctions so I wonder if this one actually sold and was returned, went unpaid by the winning bidder or failed to meet reserve and was wholesaled off with the other losers from the sale. It makes no difference. I would not pay the auction price (I barely paid the bargain price) but am glad to have the coin with its defects and all.


Boeotia, Federal coinage c.250 BC AR drachm or half stater, S.2405, BCD 95

Depending on who you ask the head is Demeter or Persephone. Some say Kore but that just means maiden so I'm going with Persephone because of the chubby face and we all know she got in her difficulties by eating high calorie Pomegranate seeds. The reverse shows Poseidon whose trident and dolphin both got clipped a bit by the edge of the flan. At the right is the monogram A pi and a small Boeotian shield. The legend reads "of the Boeotians" (missing the final N). The gash on the throat of the portrait shows clearly in the seller's photo so I doubt the coin was returned because of it even though I do believe it should have been mentioned in an auction description. At the show, there was no description so I had to see it on my own.

3/4 facing heads are not all that easy to engrave. This is not the best I have and the small coin (18mm) is not as impressive as ones we see on tets. I would love to see any others of this issue anyone might have but I'll suggest this would be a place to show any of your facing head or 3/4 facing coins.

Larissa (3)

Rhodes (2)

Tarsos (2)

 

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Good looking coins. With all the variations and multitude of coins issued within the same period, sometimes I find it hard to ID a coin correctly. Sometimes even the label or identification from a seller is wrong as I have found out myself a few times.

 

Your bargain newcomer is very nice Doug. I would be glad to have it.

SATRAPS OF CARIA, MAUSSOLLOS AR Drachm
OBVERSE: Head of Apollo facing slightly to the right
REVERSE: Zeus standing right, holding labrys and spear
Struck at Maussollos 377-353 BC
3.50g, 14mm
Sear 4956


CARION ISLANDS: RHODES Hemidrachm
OBVERSE: Radiate head of Helios 3/4 facing
REVERSE: Rose with magistrates name above, caduceous left all within uncuse square
Struck at Rhodes 167-88 BC
1.6g; 12mm
Sear 5065v

 

wonderful coin DS...soft features but they look nice with the dark highlighting.

I don't have a "not quite" facing coin!

 

Wonderful coin Doug! Heres the best I could do.

 

The latest coin is very nice! I have this rare little one from Grynion... it looks like it's been electrocuted but I'm still very fond of it.



AEOLIS, Grynion
AE12, 1.73g
Circa 3rd century BC
SNG Cop 205-206
O: Three-quarter facing head of Apollo, turned slightly left, wearing laurel wreath. R: GYP-NH, mussel shell.

 

That's quite a nab, Doug! And yes, that prior seller does tend towards higher-then-market prices. He had a recent Vauctions sale. There were several coins of interest to me but the opening bids alone were higher than comparable examples. Others must've noticed because there were a large number of unsold lots.

I've seen a few of the general type in recent auctions and was tempted. Does the portrait remind anyone else of mumps?



I have a few facing portraits:


Sicily, Syracuse. Dionysos I
390 BCE
Æ tetras, 14 mm, 1.8 gm
Obv: head of nymph facing slightly left, wearing necklace
Rev: octopus
Ref: CNS 29; SNG ANS 385


MACEDON, under Roman rule
D. Junius Silanus Manlianus, praetor
142-141 BCE
AE, 20 x 22 mm, 9.5 gm
Obv: Facing mask of Silenus, wearing ivy wreath
Rev: MAKE ΔONΩN legend In two lines; D above; all within ivy wreath
Ref: SNG Copenhagen 1324


IONIA, Klazomenai
Mid-late 4th century BCE
Æ18 mm, 4.35 g
Obv: bust of Athena facing slightly right, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet
Rev: KLAΖOMEN / AIΩN in two lines above, ram walking right; in right field, trophy
Ref: SNG Munich 484; SNG Copenhagen 86

And this wonderful Corinth stater which has a facing portrait of Silenus control mark:


CORINTHIA, Corinth.
345-307 BCE
AR stater, 8.65 gm
Obv Pegasus flying left, qoppa below
Rev: helmeted head of Athena left wearing necklace; head of Silenus behind
Ref: Ravel 1046. Calciati 408. Scarce variety.
from Heritage Auctions, June 2013
This scarce variety was chosen to represent Corinth staters, #23 in Harlan J. Berk's book, "100 Greatest Ancient Coins".

 

Super coins, Doug! The fact that you're still discovering new types after fifty years of collecting underscores the fact that there is no end to learning when it comes to numismatics.

 

That's exciting and depressing all in one. Exciting to know I can continually find something new (to me) and depressing to know there is no end. Well, I'll stick to the exciting part.

 

Very cool new pickup, Doug ... ya gotta love Neptune coins with tridents and mini dolphins (awesome)

I have a few 3/4 facing examples to toss-in (thanks for the coin-invite, my friend)

Istrus, Moesia


Demetrius I (Bactrian Kings), Trichalkon


Ionia Klazomenai


Islamic, Anatolia & al-Jazira


Rhodes Rose


Rhodes Rose (early example)


Thessaly, Oitaioi


Troas Sigeion AE20

 

Mumps!?!?! You're dating yourself Tif...

 

I'm only aware of such things from old history books

 

I don't believe anyone has yet posted a Gorgon from the Black Sea area:


Here is a Venician coin from 1275-1280 under the reign of the Doge Jacopo Contarini. The reverse depicts Jesus Christ on a throne. The obverse depicts Doge (Jacopo Contarini) together with the Venetian city’s Saint Mark.

 

C89 => are those 3/4 facing?

... I'm just sayin'

Well, I guess my Istrus is pretty close to straight-on as well, eh?