Yah, I have watched this coin on vcoins for the past couple of years ... sadly, Tom Cederlind past away and it went to auction (very sad indeed) However, I loved it then and I love it now, so I went for it ... and I found it a new comforting and welcome home Please welcome a very cool coin ... PAMPHYLIA, Perge, Æ18 Circa 50-30 BC Diameter: 18 mm Weight: 3.92 grams Obverse: Cult statue of Artemis Pergaia facing within distyle temple; c/m: sphinx seated right within circular incuse Reverse: Bow and quiver Reference: Colin Series 7.2; SNG BN 373-8 Other: 12h …Near VF, dark brown to black patina with earthen highlights/deposits From the estate of Thomas Bentley Cederlind
Yah, as you guys probably already know => I'm a total sucka for counter-marks, counter-stamps, over-strikes, bankers-marks, etc, etc ... => I seem to love coins that have gone through hell and lived to talk about it!! ... my favourites are sweet, symmetric and awesome coins (oh, and animals never hurt either, eh?) ... is a sphinx and animal? (sure, I guess so ... mythical creatures are extra bonus-points!!)
Gawd, sorry => "please" post any cool architectural coins, coins with sphinx, coins with counter-marks, coins with bow-n-quiver, coins with underpants, coins from Pamphylia ... or *whatev*
I always love it when a fascinating countermark doesn't destroy the best parts of the devices. You've got the sphinx stamp AND the cult statue - the best of both worlds. I can see why you liked the coin so much.
thanks JA ... you're a good coiner, my friend!! Okay ummm, how 'bout I post a few coins with a bow and quiver?
Thanks ... ummm, but I'm fairly sure that "you" are the citizen, my coin-friend ... => oh, and good luck during your schoolin' ... Robin!! I hope things are good, MM
Ooops, I remembered another cool bow and quiver example ... ... gawd, this is easy, my coin-friends!!
I love the countermark... Great coin! SPHINX: Iberia Castulo Late 2nd C BC AE As 25mm Bust Nose Hand Sphinx O-R.jpg COUNTERMARK WITH BOW & QUIVER: Cilicia - Tarsos turret counterstamped Bow Pompei Pirates AE 19 164 BCE Tyche-Zeus seated O-R.JPG
That one stood out too with its dusty, earthen appeal. I didn't look closely and didn't even realise it was a sphinx countermark. Cool!
Nice patina, and I've always thought ancient counterstamps were cool, though I've not owned many. They look great on sandy bronzes like this, which makes the design on both the host coin and the counterstamp "pop".
PS- regarding the bow and quiver: does anybody else but me think the bow and quiver depicted on those coins looks like a hookah pipe? (And I'm not even a stoner, I swear. That just comes to mind.)
Speakin' of Cheech & Chong, here is Tommy Chong flashin' the peace sign on my medieval Ragusa grosso (which I affectionately refer to as my "Hippie Coin"). Hey, man... faaar ouuut! (It's Tommy Chong as Saint Blasius, actually. The Person on the other side needs no introduction to anyone from Western civilization over the last 2,016 years. He does look rather disgusted with the us petty, flawed mortals, though, doesn't He?)