Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ancientnut, post: 2354552, member: 73212&quot;]<b>THE CITY: </b>Laos,or Laus, was located at the mouth of the Lao river, which was the ancient boundary between the Italian regions of Bruttium and Lucania. Coins of the city which bordered these regions are usually listed as Laos, Lucania, but sometimes as Laos, Bruttium. Here is the Lao river in modern times:</p><p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Papasidero_lao_rafting.JPG/1280px-Papasidero_lao_rafting.JPG" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p><b>THE COIN:</b></p><p><img src="http://www.cngcoins.com/photos/big/161406.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>Laos, Lucania, AR stater, c 490-470 BC, 17mm, 8.06 g, 9h. OBV: River-god, as man-faced bull, standing left, with head reverted to right, on exergual line; ΛAΣ (retrograde) above / REV: River-god, as man-faced bull, standing right on exergual line; ΛAΣ (retrograde) above. Sternberg 9 (V8/R8); SNG ANS 135; SNG Munchen 920; Weber 728; SNG Fitzwilliam 445, (all from the same dies); SNG Copenhagen 1146 (same obverse die); Historia Numorum Italy 2275; BMC 2; SGC 232.</p><p>Purchased January 9, 2015 from Edward J. Waddell, Ltd. at the New York International Numismatic Convention. Ex: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. website purchase, February, 2006, Inventory #161406.</p><p><br /></p><p>The local god of the river Lao appears on all known silver coins of the city. His importance to the health and economy of the city would justify his appearance on both the obverse and the reverse of this coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>Lacking photographic facilities I am unable to provide photos displaying two interesting features of the flan. First, at 3 mm the coin is much thicker than normal for its diameter of 17 mm.&nbsp; Second, the edges are not rounded and rough, with splits and defects, as with most silver coins of Magna Graecia, but are sharply cut and have smooth, level facets all around. This was apparently done to the flans before striking and is not unusual for the type. The description of the Laos stater In the Lockett Collection Catalogue, Glendining &amp; Co., October 26, 1955, Lot 252 includes this statement:</p><p>“…an especially interesting specimen, having the edge contemporaneously hammered with facets before striking.”</p><p><br /></p><p><u><b>TYPES</b>: In addition to the type above, Laos staters are also found with an acorn in the obverse exergue: </u></p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><img src="http://www.acsearch.info/media/images/archive/99/820/566374.m.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>Another type has a reverse ethnic of NOM, instead of LAS:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.acsearch.info/media/images/archive/99/675/435571.m.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>RARITY</b>: All staters of Laos are rare and seldom offered, especially in choice condition. In 1978 David Sear, in Volume 1 of Greek Coins and Their Values, #232, valued them at £1,250. At acsearch.info and other online sources I have found perhaps 10 Laos staters of all types. Here are selected Magna Graecia cities with the total numbers of all types of tetradrachms/staters in the American Numismatic Society collection as listed in SNG ANS Volumes 1-4:</p><p><br /></p><p>Tarentum&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 454</p><p>Metapontum with obverse head&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 232</p><p>Gela&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 66</p><p>Messana&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 51</p><p>Leontini&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 50</p><p>Katane&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 24</p><p>Kamarina&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 5</p><p>Laos&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 4</p><p><br /></p><p>We posted man-faced bull coins in a previous thread. Please post coins which have similar devices on both the obverse and reverse.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in