This little silver coin just grabbed me and wouldn't let go----that haunting portrait just mesmerizes me.....and I'm thinking of using it as my new 'avatar' I have another of the type, as so many of us do, but instead of a 'Gorgon', I have Apollo on the obverse (full flan possibly a 'shaved' edge?) with a hairline that seems strangely familiar...... and the reverse not only has that same 'anchor' but also a skinny crab or a lobster or even a crayfish (my 'choice'), depending on what reference you examine, that more closely resembles its distant relation the scorpion. Please post away at your leisure Silver Diobol of Apollonia Pontica,Thrace; circa 360 BC; 1.21 grams, 10 mm Facing head of Apollo; Anchor between A and 'crustacean'. BMC 15
Love the obverse and the reverse is not bad either. Good on ya! APOLLONIA PONTICA AR Drachm OBVERSE: Gorgoneian facing with snakes for hair and a protruding tongue REVERSE: An anchor flanked by letter A and a crayfish, which represents the minting city of Apollonia, the major fifth century BC Greek colony on the west coast of the Black Sea, modern Sozopol in Bulgaria Struck at Apollonia 450-400 BC 3.13g, 14-15mm BMC IX, Black Sea 150-151
The fakes are well documented, and the telltale signs are well known. So there should be no nasty surprises to anyone who researches them prior to purchase, and getting an authentic one is fairly easy if buying from a reliable source and if buyer does his due diligence. The example below is a known fake version of the OP's coin: Study it, while I am no expert I do see some key differences between the fake and OP's coin And a link for OP of known fakes for the type of coin he has, so he can browse through it. http://www.snible.org/coins/black_sea_hoard.html And compiled by another coin collector, all known faked died for your coin type:
PS: I only have one. I am convinced that it is indeed genuine based on the source I got it from and also my general research, but definitely it's my first and last of the Black Sea Hoard, as all the fun has been sucked out of that area of coinage due to the forgery issue.
man, i can't tell the difference between the real ones and those fake ones. i'd have to have a trusted dealer and a second opinion before i picked one up. the portrait is "haunting " MZ, it had the same effect on me the instant i saw it. i agree that it would make a cool new avatar!
WOW! @Mikey Zee well done. Great portrait... I see why you captured it! Mine is a rougher version of yours, I believe... Thrace - Apollonia Pontica AR Diobol 1-3g 410-323 BCE Apollo Anchor crab A Ref: Tupalov 56
I hesitated to mention the 'highly' faked aspect of these types simply because we all then 'see' what may or may not be there. I believe it is 'genuine' since I purchased it from a Forum auction and from a seller I have purchased from numerous times before. It's unfortunate that so many fakes do exist but I've come to realize that some fakes (as those noted in the preceding posts of reference) are well beyond my discerning skills which the 'experts' apparently possess...... and so I have to rely on reputable sellers, despite the fact no one is absolutely infallible. That portrait speaks to me in such an uncanny way that it it's far more than just a 'figure of speech'. Thanks for all the posts and comments guys!!!
Nice => thats' a sweet OP-addition, MikeyZ Ummm, just to be sure, I sent my lil' sweetie on a California vacation to David Sear's ranch (it came back, happy as a crayfish)
I'm with others about Apollonia Pontika... it's difficult for me to tell fact from fiction. I hope your new coin is authentic, Mikey. I have one of the gorgon drachms and will always have some doubt about it... primarily because of the huge number of fakes rather than anything concrete. I bought it by accident. Hazard of Skyping with my mom while bidding in a Pecunem auction THRACE, Apollonia Pontika Mid-late 4th century BC AR drachm, 10 mm, 3.2 gm Obv: Facing gorgoneion Rev: Upright anchor; A to left, crayfish to right Ref: Topalov, Apollonia p. 348, 11
Yours was known as the type 7 in the New York fake hoard...however, I've compared it to the fake dies and yours looks ok...it doesn't have the same problems as the fake version of it in the now notoriously famous New York hoard. So I'd say yours is real. But you are right, these coins are just not as enjoyable anymore thanks to those nasty counterfeiters.
For those who don't know of the New York hoard. Here is a fake report that I added to the Forum Fake reports showing some examples of the fakes from this hoard and their die linkages. Click to enlarge. Martin
