These are my personal favorites from 2014. (14 from 2014) They are in no particular order (other than being listed somewhat alphabetically) I hope that you like them as much as I do. ATTICA. Athens. AR Hemiobol 454-404 B.C. 0.34 grams, 12 mm Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right. Rev: Owl standing right, head facing, olive sprig behind. AΘE. Grade: Overall VF with the owl, olive sprig, and AΘE sharply struck and centered. The Athena obverse is somewhat more worn & off center. Other: SNG Copenhagen 59. May 2014 Pecunem Sale 16, lot # 498. _______________________________________________________ ATTICA, Athens, AR Tetradrachm. (Owl) 440-404 B.C. 16.94 grams, 22 mm Obv: Helmeted head of Athena facing rt in crested ornamented helmet Rev: Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig & crescent to left and AΘΕ to right all in incuse square. Grade: VG with fairly good strike and a plethora of test marks and banker’s marks from antiquity. Other: Good silver. NGC grades VG with 4/5 for strike and 1/5 for surface. Private purchase 1-18-14. __________________________________________________________ BABALONIA, Babylon AR Stater (or Dishekel) 328-321 B.C. 16.08 grams, 22 mm x 5.5 mm thick Obv: Ba’al seated left holding scepter Rev: Lion walking left, control mark Г above. Grade: good Fine to a Very Fine nicely toned & centered. Other:Good silver 5.5 mm thick. Anonymous mintage of Eastern Alexandrine empire under the successors of Mazaeus (Stamenes 328-323 B.C., Archon 323-321 B.C.) See BMC.34, BMC.184/36. Babylonian stater coin sometimes called a tetradrachm according to the Attic standard due to its 16 gram weight. Ex Pegasi auction #19 lot 181 November 18, 2008. From private sale January 2014. ____________________________________________________________
THRACE, Byzantion AR Siglos (drachm) 340 - 320 B.C. 5.30 grams, 16 mm Obv:Heifer standing left on dolphin swimming to left. Archaic Greek monogram (yΠ)[Y] above Rev:Incuse granulated mill-sail pattern. Grade: gVF or better with sharp strike on good silver fabric. (yΠ)[Y] Monogram above Heifer shows complete ligate (yΠ) with the final [Y] off the flan. Other: Surfer Cow Coin or boogie board bovine purchased from Sphinx Canada in May 2014. Ex Forum Numismatics ____________________________________________________________ Kingdom of Characene (Tigris Valley - Kuwait) Attambelos I AR Tetradrachm 44 - 39 B.C. 12.39 gms, 27.1 mm Obv: Diademed bearded head right Rev: Naked Hercules seated left on stone (possibly an Omphalos stone) club resting on knee held with right hand. Monogram above right arm. BAΣΙΛ[?] / ATTAMB[?] to right, [Σ]ΩTHP[?] to left. Grade: gVF with sharp strike on good silver fabric. Coin is nicely centered with attractive toning. Some letters off the flan as noted with only rough planchet surface in exergue. Other: BMC 3. Listed in the Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Persia page 291 & plate LV #11. Coin may be dated 269-273 a.s. = 44-39 B.C. Purportedly purchased from BC Universal, New Britain CT in 2011. From private sale March 2014. _________________________________________________________ IONIA, Klazomenai AR Diobol (Pigasus) 499-494 B.C. 10mm, 1.08 grams Obv: Forepart of winged boar right Rev: Quadripartite incuse square with K in lower right quarter. Grade: gVF toned on good metal Other: The HUS KLAZOMENAIOS was a gigantic winged sow which terrorized the Greek town of Klazomenai in Ionia. SNG Copenhagen 10; SNG Kayhan 336. Purchased while diving at Christmas Cove STT, USVI. (Ex CNG auction 334, 3 September 2014 Lot 80). ____________________________________________________________ MOESIA, Istrus AR Drachm 4th Century B.C. 5.80 grams, Obv: Inverted Heads Rev: Sea-eagle on dolphin IΣTPIH above, E between eagle & dolphin, and A below. Grade: gVF as confirmed by NGC with 5/5 strike and 2/5 surface Other: Private sale January 2014 ____________________________________________________________
AEOLIS, Kyme AR Tetradrachm ca. 165 BC 15.55 grams, 29 mm. Obv: Head of Amazon Kyme right, hair bound with ribbon. Rev: Horse pacing right, one-handled vase at feet; KYMAIΩN to right, KAΛΛIAΣ in exergue, all within laurel wreath. Grade: a gEF coin, well centered, well struck, & beautiful. Other: Sear 4183. NS.4183, BMC Troas 73, Oakley ANSMN 27 pl. 4, 17. SNG Cop. 103, SNG vonAulock 1636. Ex McHugh collection, ex Nobel sale 103 lot 4653 Nov 2013. From Del Parker Jan 2014. ___________________________________________________________ MACEDONIAN KINDOM Perdikkas II AR Light Tetrobol 454-413 B.C. Unknown weight, 15 mm. Obv: Horse pacing right Rev: Crested helmet right & single linear square within shallow incuse square. Grade: overall a Very Fine coin in an ANACS holder. The obverse is better than the reverse. The gF reverse is not centered like the obverse. Other: Perdikkas was the son & successor of Alexander I. He was instrumental in the formation of the Chalkidian League. Raymond 143, B.M.C.5., p.159, 6. Sear p.151 #1487. From Eye Appealing Coins June 2014. ____________________________________________________________ SICILY, Messana AR Tetradrachm 480-461 BC 17.21 grams, 25 mm. Obv: Biga of mules (an apene) driven right by seated charioteer. Nike above crowning mules. Rev: Hare bounding to right with spray of olive beneath. MEΣΣA.ИIOИ. (retrograde Ns) Grade: a nicely toned Good Fine coin with claims to aVF. Other: Similar to Sear 843 & 847. SNGANS.314. From Pegasi Jan 2014. __________________________________________________________ THRACE Odessos Pontic Kingdom Mithradates VI (The Great) AR Tetradrachm 83 – 82 B.C. 15.97 gms, 27 mm Obv: Portrait of Mithradates as Alexander III as Hercules. Rev: Zeus seated on throne holding eagle on outstretched arm. ΛA monogram below arm and partially obscured monogram OΔH (Odessus) in exergue. BAΣIΛΕΩΣ AΛEΞNΔΡOY. Grade: VF with good centering and strike. Nicely toned good silver. Other: This Odessus coin type was minted in between 125-70 B.C. This particular coin may have been struck 83-82 B.C. However, it is a point of speculation whether it was minted previous to the second Mithridatic War or during it to finance the battle. Price 1191. Ex Harlan J Berk, Ltd., Dec 2013. From private sale Feb 22, 2014 ___________________________________________________________ SIKYONIA, Sikyon AR Stater 335-330 BC 11.94 grams, 23.2 mm Obv: Chimera advancing left, paw raised, wreath above, ΣΕ below. Rev: Dove flying left, I left, all within olive wreath. Grade: a gVF nicely toned coin. Other: Sikyon mint. BCD Peloponnesos 219, Traité III 776, BCD Peloponnesos pg 40, 56. SNG Cop 48 var (N instead of I). Ex CNG auction 312 lot 88 originating from a 1930’s collection.
(Need to type a label for this puppy). ___________________________________________________________ THRACE, Thasos AR Tetradrachm (After 146 BC) 16.72 grams, 31 mm Obv: Wreathed head of Dionysos right. Hair is neatly braided, vine-ed & berried with a few locks of loose hair cascading down to the shoulder Rev: Hercules standing left, holding club & lion's skin with control monogram. HPAKΛEOYΣ ΣΩTHPOΣ / ΘAΣIΩN. Grade: gVF to aEF Other: SNG Cop 1046ff. May 2014 Pecunem Sale 16, lot # 86. ____________________________________________________________
nuthin' but winna after winna after winna after ... => awesome grouping, C89 My favourites are the: a) AEOLIS, Kyme AR Tetradrachm and the b) SICILY, Messana AR Tetradrachm
Wow! I see 2014 has been good to you Collect89. Nice coins all of them. As to my favorites, I'm torn between the tiny hemiobol and the SIKYONIA stater.
Nice group! The hemiobol would be my favorite if you showed the obverse (many of these are bad). The Messana is nice on both sides and many of these are not.
I'll take one of each. I don't know what I like better. If I had a choice and I could have just one of them, I think I would pick the Sikyon Stater. Neato!
Very nice coins C89. I'd gladly add any one of these to my collection (if they were within my meager budget).
wow C89, you brought the greek down...some awesome stuff. i don't know which if my favorite...thasos coins, kyme stater is generous, but i love how thick that babylonian coin is.
The Ninja Turtles are cool but IMHO they didn't make my top 14 of 14. (If included, they would have taken 5 of the 14 spots ) https://www.cointalk.com/threads/tu...ese-aegean-stators.256882/page-2#post-2042880 . Each coin in 2014 was a learning experience & I really appreciate sharing & gleaning knowledge from everyone at CT. Here are photos depicting the 2 reverse images which were missing in the OP. Happy New Year
