Never fails - I end up unexpectedly keeping at least one coin out of almost every lot I ever buy to flip. The latest stood out to me for the very clean, well-centered, and high relief portrait of Zeus, although an exact ID is eluding me. Macedon? Ae16, 3.84g Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right (although it also reminds me of the Pergamon issues with Asklepios) Rev: Winged thunderbolt, __AT/NΩN The closest match I was able to find is this one, which obviously has different letters and an overall different style: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5859901 Any ideas appreciated!
No idea on the coin, but have a question: You buy groups of ancients, then turn around and sell them? I mean, trade a COIN for something like money? I don't understand.
I appreciate your confusion. Here's how it works: The money is only temporary, kind of like a place-holder in the collection until a new coin or coin lot comes along. Then it is quickly converted back into something of value.
Not sure I can be of much help here, but I've been buying a lot of unattributed Greeks off eBay and have recently come across two that are similar, one of which I cannot figure out. Here's a thunderbolt, but with Ares (or is it Batman?) from Metropolis, Ionia: Ionia, Metropolis Æ 15 (c. 100-50 B.C.) Diogenes magistrate Helmeted head of Ares right / ΔIOΓENHΣ, Winged thunderbolt; monogram above. SNG Copenhagen 904. (4.19 grams / 15 mm) Here is the one I cannot figure out - Herakles and his club. I think it is from Sicily, but I cannot get the reverse letters to line up with a locale: _K __AT / B(?)AIΩN. The layout reminded me of the OP, so I thought I'd toss it out here (7.80 grams / 20 mm):
You are wonderful! Thank you so much - I wasn't even in the ballpark on this one. Here is a nice one from a CNG auction that looks a lot like mine (but with complete legends): https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=304743 Found one at numista too: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces143427.html Again, thanks a million, ab initio! P.S. Sorry Fin235 about hijacking this thread. It was an accident!
Steve I've been busy on with end of term exams! But this weekend I'll have a bit of free time and will have a dig around to see what I can find....The reverse thunderbolt still makes me lean towards Zeus as he has so many different portrait styles although your thoughts of Asklepios are interesting, I've just not had a chance to follow them up, plus there are another couple of options I'd like to look into one area worth a look at maybe is Sicily??.... There also seems to be a couple of letters to the left of the thunderbolt facing West NE??..... Paul
Steve, see: https://www.biddr.com/auctions/themisnumismatics/browse?a=549&l=560967 Similar legend here, although with the "H" in ΠΕΛΤ-ΗΝΩΝ. (Maybe the H and first N on yours are ligate?) Also has a club rather than winged thunderbolt: https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=180&pid=14538#top_display_media Edit: Steve, I note that the flan shape on the first linked coin appears close to yours. I've zoomed in on a detail - the little crack at 5:00 obverse. Are these the same coin? (Hopefully yes, and nothing more dubious than that)
Bob to the rescue! Thanks - it is indeed the same coin - apparently Themis put it into a bulk lot when it didn't sell in that auction. Interesting that the second lot you listed has a club, rather than a winged thunderbolt. Now that I have a keyword to search, I was able to find one in the upcoming Savoca Blue auction, although I can't find much on ACSearch. https://www.biddr.com/auctions/savoca/browse?a=1158&l=1237151 I really don't know how you do it so quickly!
LOL!!! When I was a kid learning how to collect coins, my Grandmother would take me to a coin shop every week. I would come out with a few coins... HOWEVER, I was somewhat berrated with: "WHY would you spend good money to BUY OLD MONEY???"
