MOESIA, A Double Faced 39,000 Post Celebration Coin

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Collecting Nut, Jan 10, 2021.

  1. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Miesian, Istros.
    AR Drachm, 20 mm, 5.3g
    4th Century BC.
    Obv. Male heads facing with left head inverted
    Rev. Sea Eagle left, grasping dolphin with talons, H below Eagle's tail
    IMG_4786.JPG IMG_4787.JPG
     
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. Only a Poor Old Man

    Only a Poor Old Man Well-Known Member

    This is one of my favorite ancient Greek designs. I dream about finding the ultimate example and adding it to my collection. Here is my current example, which is not bad by any means:

    istroscombo.jpg

    The weight/size differences between our coins are interesting though.
     
  4. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  5. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    There is a difference but I find the reverse more interesting. Same design but yours is level while mine is on an angle. The back on my dolphin is curved while yours is straight. Same with the Sea Eagle. Yours also has an A. Are they from different mints?
     
    DonnaML and Only a Poor Old Man like this.
  6. Only a Poor Old Man

    Only a Poor Old Man Well-Known Member

    Possibly. I am not sure what the A signifies. Also, another difference is that my left head is facing up.
     
  7. svessien

    svessien Senior Member

    These were minted over a long period of time, so there are many different varieties.
    Here is one without control marks or letters:

    Istros didrachm.jpg

    Thrace. Moesia, Istros. Silver drachm, Istros (near Istria, Romania) mint, ca. 340-313 BC

    Obverse: two facing male heads, left head inverted; (The obverse type has been variously interpreted as representing the Dioscuri, the rising and setting sun, and the two branches of the river Danube.)

    Reverse: IΣTPIH, sea-eagle grasping a dolphin with talons; rare (?) without control letters or monograms on reverse.

    Reference: Dima subgroup II, 7, pl. V, 3 - 4 (R); SNG Stancomb 138 var. (right head inverted)

    Weight 5.45g, Diameter 20mm Conservation: gVF
     
  8. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Mine has a small H below the Sea Eagle. A bit difficult to see in the photo but in hand it's clear.
     
    Only a Poor Old Man and svessien like this.
  9. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Congratulations on the 39,000 posts!

    My example, with another letter ligatured with the "A" (see detail). The eagle and dolphin both have straight backs.

    Thrace, Moesia, Istros. 400-350 BCE. AR Drachm. Obv. Two facing male heads, left head inverted / Rev: Sea eagle on dolphin, ISTRIH [partially off flan] above eagle, globule under eagle’s tail; letter “A” ligatured with [archaic Π with shortened right stem?] beneath dolphin. SNG.BM.249 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain, Volume IX, British Museum, Part 1: The Black Sea (London, 1993)] [online ID SNGuk_0901_0249 with Rev. Monogram No. 49]; AMNG I/I No. 417 var. [no globule], see also No. 422 [Pick, Behrendt, Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. I/I (Berlin, 1898) at pp. 161-162]; BMC 3 Thrace No. 6 var. [no globule] [Poole, R.S., ed. A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, The Tauric Chersonese, Sarmatia, Dacia, Moesia, Thrace, etc., Vol. 3 (London, 1877) at p. 25]; Seaby 1669 var. [Sear, David, Greek Coins & their Values, Vol. I: Europe (Seaby 1978)]. 19 mm., 5.36 g.

    Istros - drachm - Inverted heads - Eagle attacking dolphin.jpg

    Detail of Istros monogram beneath dolphin.jpg

    Any further thoughts on the identity of the second letter are welcome.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021
  10. Only a Poor Old Man

    Only a Poor Old Man Well-Known Member

    Looks like a gamma (Γ), but the way it is attached to the A is odd.
     
  11. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    It could be a sideways gamma, but I see there being a second, longer leg attached to the A, and a gamma has only one leg. Hence my idea that it's some kind of pi with a short second leg, i.e., like a Latin open P.
     
  12. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Thank you for the congrats and this is great information you provided. Thanks
     
    DonnaML likes this.
  13. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    pur-Dee!! & congrats! :)
     
    Collecting Nut likes this.
  14. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Thank you. I do like it. :)
     
    ominus1 likes this.
  15. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

  16. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

  17. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    If you research these, you will find quite a number of variations and a wide range of denominations.
    g30820bb1775.jpg
    0.3g
    g30840bb1727.jpg

    They even come in barbarous. g30860bb1868.jpg
     
  18. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

  19. happy_collector

    happy_collector Well-Known Member

    Collecting Nut likes this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page