Ancients => yup, it's Magic-Wednesday => $80 Greek Lion (cha-chinngg!!)

Happy to oblige Steve......I (like my Librarian wife) associate many things with many things.......

 

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Cool little lion score, Steve. I struck out big time in the auction, but yes, I do love Magic Wednesday .

My favourite lion coin:


Cybele with four lions:


And let me just slip this medieval Spanish one in:

 

CARIA, Mylasa
450-400 BCE
AR hemiobol, 7 x 9 mm, 0.5 gm
Obv: facing forepart of lion
Rev: scorpion within incuse square
Ref: SNG von Aulock 7803; Klein 429 (Milet)

 

KINGS OF LYDIA, temp. Ardys - Alyattes
630-564 BCE
Electrum trite, 4.8 gm, 13.4 mm. Sardes mint.
Obv: head of roaring lion right, sun with four rays on forehead
Rev: two incuse square punches
Ref: Weidauer Group XV, 64; BMC 2

 

another fantastic mini-greek AR stevex! here's a chach lion type that nobody has posted yet...



i'm somewhat skeptical that it's a lion...but that's what they say.

 

I'll pile-on with the Dea Caelestis riding a leaping lion:

Septimus Severus
AR Denarius
A.D. 193-211
Struck in A.D. 204
3.31 grams, 18-19 mm
Obv: Laur. head of Severus r.
SEVERVS PIVS AVG.
Rev: Dea Caelestis seated facing
on lion springing to right,
water rushing below.
IN CARTH in exergue,
INDVLGENTIA AVGG.
Grade: EF
Other: Sear 1756, R.I.C. 4 #266, BMC RE 335, RSC 222. Ex La Galerie Numismatique (Heritage Jan 2013) lot 61072 From Eye Appealing Coins Sept 2013.

 

This roaring animal dates back to the time of Antiochos VII. I like the reverse as well.

 

Like that SS C89. Here is mine:

 

I prefer the Snow Leopard theory based on what species lives nearby. No proof. The theory that it was a heraldic animal for the town or ruler strikes me as reasonable.
Tarnavch? is one reading of the bottom legend with ruler above. Experts in this script are not always in step with each other. There are coins with more clear legends than mine but they are still in Sogdian which is not even 'Greek to me'. This catalogs Shagalov/Kuznetsov Group 6, Type 8, Version 2. They show three nice specimens which are #246, 247 and 248 so you will see some dealers applying those numbers but there is no difference in the scripts made by S&K so I think this is for those who prefer catalog numbers that read easier than 6/8/2. There is a heavier and less crude 6/8/1 and an even worse, legendless 6/8/3.

This is also listed as #54 in The Ancient Coins of Central Asia by E. Rtveladze which is a 1987 book I was proud to own long before S&K came out. I felt proud being able to figure out the three languages used in this little book (Russian, English and Uzbeck). Amazon has a couple in their used listings but the prices are many times what I would pay even though I enjoyed the book back when I first got it.

If any of you believe these coins look cast - they are. S&K call it moulding technique as opposed to coining technique which they use for struck coins.

 

very informative, Doug (once again) ...

Ummm, but I'm a wee bit curious => if that's a snow leopard on the obverse, then what are you gonna tell me is on the reverse?

 

I will get around to cleaning this up one day.

Macedonia, Lysimachos
Coin: Bronze
None - Helmeted head of Athena right.
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΛΥΣΙΜΑΧΟΥ - Forepart of Lion leaping over spear head right; monogram and caduceus behind
Mint: Lysimachos (305-281 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 2.26g / 14mm / -
References:

• SNG Tuebingen 969
• Lindgren I, 907
• Weber 2731 VF #L2465

Thrace, Chersonesos
Coin: good VF Silver Hemidrachm
None - Forepart of lion right, head left
None - Quadripartite incuse square with alternating raised and sunken quarters; pellet and AΓ monogram in one sunken quarter, star in the other.
Mint: Chersonesos (Circa 386-338 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 2.41g / 13.5mm / -
References:

• McClean 4089–94 var. (symbol)
• SNG Copenhagen 840 var. (letter).

 

Sweet addition, and awesome coins all.

 

Loins, Lions and more loins totally awesome Steve, for someone that loves dogs you sure have a lot of kitty's!!

 

Great new coin, Steve, and a pride of excellent lions in the thread, kudos to all. I won't post all of my big cats, but this is the most recent, a tiny bronze of Antandros...

 

Ummm, is it upside down?

 

Lol. I'm not going to live that down, am I?

 

I did figure out the problem though - that coin came from an Australian dealer, which explains everything.

 

This is his house...