It was a beautifully gloomy, overcast day today. Absolutely perfect lighting for some coin photography. These little guys are often struck off center with poor details so I was happy to snag this one. I love the swan's head throne. Mazaios Obol, Artaxerxes III / Lion attacking bull CILICIA. Tarsos. Mazaios (Satrap of Cilicia, 361/0-334 BC). Obol. 0.7 g., 12 mm. O: Artaxerxes III (in the guise of Baaltars) seated right on throne with back terminating in head of swan, holding lotus flower and lotus-tipped sceptre. R: Lion attacking bull right. - Ziegler -; Casabonne Series 6; SNG BN 426-8 (Myriandros); SNG Levante 183 (Myriandros). Is it just me or does the lion look like he's attacking Duke Weaselton rather than a bull?
An amazing amount of detail for such a small flan. The swan's eye is probably close to 0.25 mm. They must have had optics. Asian Minor mints, specifically on the Anatolian peninsula produced my favorite classical works. It would be interesting to find out if the Celator was of Asia Minor or Persian origin.
The quality and detail of the art they managed to get on that tiny 12mm canvas is just astounding. Great coin and photo!
How the ancients did this kind of work is a mystery. There are a number of ancient polished rock crystals that were likely used for magnification but I don't know if these were sophisticated enough for use in carving dies.
During the reign of Artaxerxes III, the Phoenician people of Sidon led a revolt and drove the Persians out of their city. They used military vessels in their battle(galley). The following coin has the size and the weight of an obol. It is thought that it was struck by the Phoenicians (Canaanites) after they won over Artaxerxes III. It didn't take the latter too much time to launch a decisive war against them to regain total control of the city. The obverse shows a standing king holding a lion with his left hand and preparing to slaughter it with a dagger in his right hand. Some sources believe the king is Persian(probably Artaxerxes III) who struck this coin after he controlled the city. The lion would represent the defeated Phoenician rebels. Note that the reverse shows a Phoenician galley. Other sources believe the king is Phoenician, and that the people of Sidon struck this coin to commemorate their victory over the Persians, namely Artaxerxes III. The lion would represent,then, the defeated Persian ruler. Please try to comment on this ancient event in the History of coinage related to Persia or Phoenicia.
Love these satrapial obols oc Cilicia. @7Calbrey, your image is not clear enough to tell, but those obols usually show the 'king' with an unidentified object in the left hand. It looks like bullhorns. Does anybody have a theory as to what that object may be?
One of my favorites: SICILY, Selinos Circa 410 BCE AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right Ref: Potamikon, p. 116 figure 152 (this coin); HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare. ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich; ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404; ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript An assortment of small coins, 5 mm to 11 mm. Some are remarkably artistic; others, not so much .
That is some very impressive die cutting!! The level of detail on the obverse robe is truly stunning. Here are two of my favorite obols:
