Featured Aspendos Wrestlers: Just in Time for the Olympics!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Curtisimo, Aug 6, 2021.

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  1. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    Great coin and write-up, Tiberius! It definitely comes at the right time.

    My wrestler stater is the only type with an obverse legend:
    Griechen – Pamphylien, Aspendos, Stater, Schleuderer:Ringer.png
    Pamphylia, Aspendos, AR stater, 380–325 BC. Obv: two wrestlers grappling; FИ between; in exergue, EΛVΦA MENETVΣ. Rev: slinger in throwing stance r.; EΣTFEΔIIYΣ to l., triskele to r.; all within dotted square border. 23mm, 11.04g. Ref: SNG France 97–98; Tekin: Aspendian Wrestlers (2000), series 4. Ex AMCC 1, lot 35; ex "Tiberius" collection.


    The meaning of the legend is somewhat mysterious. Different readings have been suggested. Here is the list of possible interpretations given by Tekin 2000:
    Bildschirmfoto 2021-08-09 um 09.07.04.png
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2021
    Sulla80, cmezner, Voldemort and 7 others like this.
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  3. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    @Curtisimo, an excellent thread with many nice coins, congratulations on yours with a reverse that is particularly attractive. As noted by others I am surprised by the number of wrestling moves illustrated on these coins. The "wrist grab" seems to be the most common in the thread so far. @zumbly's coin seems to illustrate very elegantly the "body hold"/"foot trip" combo move, and @dougsmit's shows something that looks like a "gut punch" (was that allowed in competition?).
    upload_2021-8-10_19-42-10.png
    Detail of a picture of a map of the region that is now Turkey from the 15th Century, image shared under CC-BY-SA-2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.

    Here's a coin from ΣΕΛΓΕ, Pisidia, imitating neighboring Pamphylia and demonstrating the "wrist grab".
    Pisidia Selge Stater.jpg
    Pisidia, Selge, circa 325-250 BC, AR Stater (24mm, 7.60g, 12h)
    Obv: Two wrestlers grappling; K between
    Rev: ΣΕΛΓΕΩΝ, slinger in throwing stance right; to right, counter-clockwise triskeles above club facing downward
    Notes: BnF Coin, NumisWiki Pisidia, Tekin "Aspendian 'Wrestlers' : an iconographic approach"
     
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