I recently acquired this rather chunky unidentified AE17 from eBay for not particularly much, as the reverse fits well into the 'heroes, villains, monsters and myths' theme of my ancients collection. I believe it to be an issue of Lampsacus. Apologies for the poor phone-camera pictures. The obverse depicts a female head right with the legend ΔΑM (?) in front, while on the reverse a protome of a winged horse faces right within a wreath with no accompanying legend. I have found a number of issues of Lampsacus on Wildwinds and elsewhere online which depict variously female heads right, the winged horse protome and wreaths - but none which place the horse inside the wreath! As such, I'd be grateful if any members could direct me to a pertinent reference for this coin (and/or point out my oversight of identical coins in plain view!)
That is an interesting little Chalkous (or Dichalkon, etc.)! It could be something obvious that didn't occur to either of us, but I also wouldn't be surprised if an issue like this had gone unnoticed/unpublished in standard references. I see at least two directions for investigation: (1) It does look like Mysia, Lampsakos, though I can't make out the ethnic, and I don't see any types that use a wreath border around Pegasos. Sometimes you see a dot border, as on the Provincial issues , or the later Greek ones like this: https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=104&pid=10434 (another specimen on ACSearch: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7456842 ) There are also later Greek/post-Hellenistic issues (dated 190-85 BCE) with the Pegasos on obverse and caduceus/kerykeion in wreath on reverse. Stylistically it's not far off from those: https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=104&pid=3269 OR https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4396442 . Or those with Dionysis Obverse, wreathed rev (no Pegasos): https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=104&pid=7530 (2) Alternatively, the city of Alabanda in Caria often used Pegasos as its civic badge. (Other cities did as well.) Then the obverse would be Artemis or Apollo. The following isn't the same type as yours, but has the major design elements (female head / Pegasos in wreath). I can't read your inscription, but it if shares some of the characters of the Alabandan AEs, maybe it's from this series but struck a generation earlier or later: HNO Type 1502: http://hno.huma-num.fr/browse?idType=1502 (For style, cf. also HNO 1501 [eagle in wreath].) Better rev. inscription on this example: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5117433
Curtis, this is brilliant - thanks so much! I'd previously clocked the wreathed caduceus/kerykeion issues on Wildwinds for Lampsacus and felt these stylistically went pretty well, but the Alabanda AE is also a compelling curveball... What sort of date are we talking for this, somewhere in the 350-150 BC range? I will take some better pictures in the near future. I'm sure the last character of the ethnic is 'M', but this could be the eye of faith. If unpublished (and I really hope it is) I will look to write it up formally...
