Does anyone have a silver Sestertius from the Roman Republic?

Tell that to the Thracians !




Apollonia Pontica diobol (Apollo, Anchor) Thrace 400-300 BC. 9.1mm 1.21g.

 

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Lol I bet the Thracians figured it out eventually xD

 

At some point, I heard a story that in the Agora, merchants would keep the little coins (obols and smaller fractions) in their mouths,spitting them out when they needed change. Reminiscent of how someone --I wanted it to be Aristophanes, but couldn't google any confirmation-- used to stuff pebbles in his mouth and then declaim, as a way to improve his elocution. ...Any truth to any of that?

 

That was Demosthenes.

 

Speaking of putting coins in mouths..

There was a custom of burying the dead with an obol in their mouth.

It was meant to be used after they died to pay Charon to transport their soul across the river between the living & dead and into the afterlife.

They believed anyone who wasn’t buried with an obol in their mouth would be forced to wander the riverbanks for 100 years before being allowed to pass.

 

Thank you! ...Right, that makes only better sense anyway. --At least after the fact!

 

Tell that to the south Indians!

Old, not very good pic, but I try to limit how much I take these out of their holders, for obvious reasons!


Two coins on the left are AV "bele" of medieval Vijayanagar, ostensibly the smallest coins *ever* at 2-3mm and 0.04g. Next to that is a Krishnaraja Wodeyar III fanam at 5mm (not ancient actually- Mysore kingdom, Early 1800s!), Soloi tetartemorion, Phokaia diobol, Kyzikos hemiobol

 

Hmm are you sure that one on the far left is a real coin and not just a pebble? xD