How many Ancient Greek Cities can we get?

It has to do with dialect, if you look on your coin you will see the "T" has 2 hooks at the side. That "T" is not a real T, it is this letter "" also called Σαμπί. It is pronounced like a double S, so MEA is pronounced as MESSA. In other words, the city name did not change.

As the letter "" is from a quite archaic dialect, I must imagine that when time progressed it got replaced by the widely used common letter sigma "Σ" over time. The other way around would be very weird, or who knows they wanted to show they are autonomously like that, using their own dialect on coins.

 

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Spectacular, TIF!!!!!

 

@PeteB I love the Magnesia. I need one for my Stephanophoric subcollection.

Notice what the forum did to your description: Obviademed.

I guess ":" "D" seems funny to it.

 

I wonder if it was me doing something wrong?
"Gettin' old ain't for sissies."

 

Just don't put ":" right next to "D" and you will be good.

Unless you mean to .

 

Ahah!!!
THANKS!

 

MESSANA, Sicily

Mamertinoi

Sicily Mamertini 264-241 BCE AE Pentonkion Zeus Warrior Shield Spear Merc Samnites- Messana

 

Massalia (Marseille) was a Greek colony, thus I guess this one counts:


Massalia, Gaul, obol, ca. 4th–1st century BC. Obv: Youthful male head (river god?) left. Rev: MA in wheel with four spokes. 10.65mm, 0.75g. Ref: SNG Copenhagen 723–728; de la Tour 1892, no. 689 or similar. Ex Marc Breitsprecher.

 

Before the middle of the fourth century the drachm makes its first appearance at Massalia. The earliest specimens of these drachms are of very beautiful work. The first branch of the olive-tree is said to have been brought to Massalia with the statue of Artemis from Ephesus, hence its presence on these coins.

The fine style was not long maintained on the coins of Massalia. This is partly due to have been carelessly manufactured in large quantities, for they were for a long time the chief currency not only of Southern Gaul as far as Lyon but even of the whole valley of the Po. They were extensively copied by Celtic tribes, and the barbarous imitations are far more common than the pieces of pure Greek work.

Different Celtic tribes issued coins imitating the coinage of Massalia . The Cenomani was a Celtic tribe in north-western France in the vicinity of modern Le Mans. This coin imitating a coin of Massalia, was issued by the Cenomani and the lion is of scorpion type.

13 x 14 mm, 2.24 g; 3rd / 2nd century BC
Ref.: Dembski 117
Obv.: head of Artemis to r. wearing triple-pendant earring; bow and quiver behind neck
Rev.: (ΜΑ)ΣΣΑ prowling “Scorpion” lion to r. below lion‘s jaw letters HE retrograde

​

 

I would like to apologise to everyone for this thread. After returning to work after new year there was a massive amount of work waiting for me, meaning I had to make some overhours and not in able to have that much time to spend here on cointalk. I hope we can progress the thread again as before. We got 16 cities starting with the letter M.

Let's continue with the next 2 letters. Post coins from Ancient Greek cities starting with the letters N and O.

I have unfortunately no coins from cities starting with those two letters, I guess my collection is still too small!

 

Olympia


ELIS, Olympia. 87th Olympiad, 432 BCE
AR hemidrachm, 16 mm, 2.7 gm
Obv: eagle, with wings displayed above, flying left, holding hare by its back and tearing at it with his beak
Rev: thunderbolt, with wings above and volutes below, within circular incuse; to right, A.
Ref: BCD Olympia -; BCD Peloponnesos -; SNG Copenhagen -; BMC -; Traité -; SNG Delepierre -; Pozzi -; Weber -; McClean -.
The obverse type, combined with the form of the thunderbolt, with its broad, splayed wings, and the A on the reverse, is most similar to the stater of BCD 50.


ELIS, Olympia. 95th Olympiad, 400 BCE
AR hemidrachm, 16 mm, 2.6 gm
Obv: head and neck of eagle right; F below
Rev: thunderbolt, volutes above, wings below, F-A across fields
Ref: BCD Olympia 85/84 (same dies); SNG Copenhagen 372


ELIS, Olympia. 103rd Olympiad, 368 BCE
AR drachm, 21 mm, 5.7 gm
Obv: head of Hera right, wearing pendant earring and stephane ornamented with palmettes with H-R-A inscribed between them, [F-A across fields]
Rev: eagle with spread wings standing left, head reverted
Ref: Pozzi 1846 (same dies); Jameson 1240 = Seltman pl. xii, 8 (same dies); BMC 91 (same dies); BCD Olympia 113 (same dies)


ELIS, Olympia. 107th-108th Olympiad, 352-348 BCE
AR hemidrachm, 14 mm, 2.4 gm
Obv: laureate head of Zeus right
Rev: eagle standing right, olive leaf before, F-A across fields
Ref: BCD Olympia 143-44; SNG Copenhagen 420; BMC 84; Dewing 1896; McClean 6637; SNG Delepierre 2158

 

Here's an M city not yet crossed off the list:


THRACE, Madytos
c.350 BC
AE13, 1.86 gm.
Obv: bull butting right.
Rev: dog seated right, ear of grain behind. M-A
Ref: Sear 1624 cf.; Copenhagen 923-6

 

Demetrios II, FIRST REIGN
Mint: Nisibis
146 to 139 BC
Obvs: Demetrios with short beard right.
Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY NIKATOPOΣ, Agathos Daimon and Agathe Tyche clasping hands. EY between.
AE 16x20mm, 8.27g
Ref: SC 1980.1; HGC 10, 1004(R2)

Odessos
After 270 BC
Obvs: Laureate head of Darsalas right
Revs: ΛHΣITΩN, Darsalas on horse right. A monogram below
AE 19mm, 7.23g
Ref: SNG Stancomb 261

 

Thanks. I was aware of sampi but not shaped like that. I expected ϡ or something similar. Was it used for 900 (which is not a number known on coins as I recall)?

 

Here is one from Olbia. Olbia and Borysthenes are alternative names for the same place, so we can check Borysthenes, too.


Olbia, Skythia, AE21, ca. 310–280 BC. Obv: Bearded and horned head of the river god Borysthenes left. Rev: ΟΛBIO, axe-scepter and bow in case, monogram. 21mm, 10.43g. Ref: SNG BM Black Sea 451–517.

 

OPHRYNEION

TROAS, Ophryneion
Circa 350-300 BC
AE11. 1.2g, 11.3mm. SNG Copenhagen 456-9; SNG von Aulock 1559; BMC p.75, 4-7. O: Bearded head of Hektor three-quarter facing right, wearing crested helmet. R: ΟΦΡ[Υ], infant Dionysos naked, kneeling right, holding out bunch of grapes in right hand.

 

OPUS

LOKRIS, Opuntii
AR Stater. 12.09g, 24.9mm. LOKRIS, Lokri Opuntii, Opus mint, circa 350-340 BC. BCD Lokris-Phokis 60; McClean 5433; HGC 4, 992 var (control). O: Head of Demeter left, wreathed with grain. R: OΠONTIΩN, Ajax advancing right, brandishing sword and holding shield decorated with griffin and palmette; spear on ground behind, Λ between legs.

 

CILICIA, Nagidos. Circa 400-380 BC. Æ (10mm, 0.97 gm, 1h). Obv: Bearded head of Pan right. Rev: Amphora. SNG France__; SNG Levante Suppl. 9; SNG von Aulock 5761. Very rare.

 

Neapolis, Macedon; 411- 348 B.C.; AR Hemidrachm (1.8 gm.). Obv: Gorgon's head facing, with tongue protruding. Rev: ΝΕΟΠ; Young female head (Artemis Parthenos?) r., of exquisite style! Ancient abrasion on obv. SNG Cop 227.

 

The Abduction of Persephone. LYDIA, Nysa. After 133 BC. Æ (18mm, 5.78 gm, 10h). Obv: Head of Persephone right, poppy behind neck. Square countermark on nose. Rev: Hades in galloping quadriga right, carrying off struggling Persephone. Flower basket falling left from hands of Persephone. SNG Copenhagen 306; BMC Lydia 16. Rare.