Inexpensive 1st century BC-AD coins Ephesus, Sardis, and Laodicea?

Thanks, Doug.

So... I know now to stay away from Laodicea ad Mare and Laodicea Combusta... based on the map on the Wikipedia entry for the 7 Churches as well as the link on that page to "Laodicea on the Lycus" (in Phrygia) (which appears to be in modern Turkey)... I guess I look for a coin from "Laodicea on the Lycus"? Or just from "Laodicea"? Anyone have any ideas?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

This will be a problem since many coins of cities are sold by people who have no idea which city is which. The most common problem is Antioch but you will not find many that bother stating which one. I would suggest looking at all cities with the right name and researching other examples of that coin to see if it is the one you seek. You really need to be careful when locating towns. The Antioch on the Orontes that is most important in much of the times we study as 'ancient' is called Syrian Antioch but the ruins of the city are in modern Turkey. Borders change. It is up to us to keep up. In sad fact, most of us don't. There are many specialties and I have trouble keeping up with mine let alone all the others. Below is a coin of Laodikeia in Phrygia from the second century BC (too early for you). I have had it for years and never bothered to think about which town of that name it was. To me it was just another Greek coin of no special interest that came my way. I was aware of the 7 churches of Revelation but never thought about this being from a city on that list. Shallow? Maybe. Overwhelmed? Definitely.
Aphrodite/Aphrodite holding dove
Seek and find:
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=140722
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2147987
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4412304


If I were picking a coin from this city, I would like to have this one with the seated wolf. Cheap? Maybe not unless it is poor grade?
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2712033

When they said the cities were in 'Asia' they referred to the Roman Province of Asia not the whole continent as we define it today. Asia then was about a quarter of what we now call Turkey.

 

For "the correct Laodicea", how about these? Pretty sad shape, but they would work, yes?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/392017059893

https://www.ebay.com/itm/372151378854