Hey everybody, I was really excited to get my first ancient today after a long wait and it was a gift! I've attempted to ID and found a few close matches but without having seen enough, I just do not know if I'm even close. I imagine it's Roman (but maybe even Greek). As I'm new at this, if y'all need any more info on the coin (weight, diameter, etc) let me know. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Andrew
Style looks like a bronze of Lydia, Sardes, 2nd to mid-1st centuries BC. Arnold has the gods right, but it's the other way around: head of Heracles on obverse, Apollo standing on reverse. But the Seleucids minted similar types with Apollo on obverse, Apollo standing on reverse, also at the Sardes mint, so it's a toss up. I can't make out enough detail to say for certain.
Thanks so much everybody! Thanks for the starting place as well. I will try to expand off of these facts. Luckily, there's a "big" local show coming up with a few ancient dealers and I'll be able to pick up more! Can't wait to start this new part of the hobby
Going to a show where you can handle each coin and select the one(s) you like and can afford seems the best way to buy coins. Good luck.
Weight and diameter are often helpful, especially with the more worn/corroded coins that bear fairly generic designs. I think it may be Prusias II of Bithynia, with the head of the ruler on the obverse, and Herakles on the reverse. This coin is not mine : See if you can discern the legend on the left of the figure on your coin, and see if it matches up with "ΠΡΟYΣΙΟΥ" as that spells out this ruler's pretty distinctive name.
Seleukid was my first thought too but Zumbly's Bithynian example looks like a stronger possibility. Welcome to ancients, @SCDigginWithAK!
