Here is a "coin" my brother-in-law won for riding. Doesn't seem to be a medal since it has no ring for a ribbon. I doubt it's very valuable, but appears to be at least a copy of an ancient. Anybody got any idea what it might be a copy of? 7,9 g apparently copper, 25 mm diameter. Could conceivably be a sandwich of two different coins. Grateful for any advice--especially on how to look up coins by image when there is no writing on them.
But there is writing: On the reverse are Greek letters spelling out Philip (II) father of Alexander he Great. This is a modern item copying a reverse used by Philip II and often copied by Celtic tribes. I'd say this modern copy was copied from one of those Celticized versions. The small figure on the horse is supposed to refer to Philip's winning of an Olympic Equestrian event. Originals came in large silver which I don't own and small bronzes that are very common. The style of this looks very much like things that were passed out in ads for books on ancient culture in the middle of the last century but I have not seen this exact piece. Originals had a head of Apollo or Zeus but there are horses facing either way on different coins. My bronze shows all the name together while the link and your copy shows it split up continuing around the reverse. http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=97344
Thanks! Very informative, just the sort of info I was looking for. One has to know in advance what the "writing" is suposed to say to recognize it, but your analysis is persuasive.
