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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Collecting Nut, post: 2816254, member: 74863&quot;]I picked this up last week from a CT member. The photos are great, not mine either, but they do not do the coin justice. The write up is also from the seller.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyrna" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smyrna" rel="nofollow">Smyrna</a> was an ancient city located on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Ancient Greek legend has it that the Amazon Smyrna founded the city, along with Ephesus. But Smyrna also means myrrh, which was the region’s main export, so perhaps the name of the town had a double meaning. For those of you interested in Biblical collecting themes, Smyrna was one of the earliest centers of Christianity, likely on account of Paul’s preaching in Ephesus. It is also one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. This coin would have been in circulation during the time of the early church.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here’s an absolutely beautiful little bronze with a bust of the Amazon, and a lion on the reverse. This is a pretty rare coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]660153[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>IONIA. Smyrna. Pseudo-autonomous (Late 2nd century). </p><p>Æ19, 4.4g, 6h.</p><p>Obv.: CMVPN; Turreted and draped bust of the Amazon Smyrna left, with bipennis over shoulder.</p><p>Rev.: SMVPNAIΩN; Lion advancing right.</p><p>Reference: RPC IV online 329; SNG Copenhagen 1268.</p><p><br /></p><p>Copied in part from Wikipedia:</p><p><b>Smyrna</b> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek" rel="nofollow">Ancient Greek</a>: Σμύρνη or Σμύρνα) was a Greek city dating back to antiquity located at a central and strategic point on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegean_Sea" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegean_Sea" rel="nofollow">Aegean</a> coast of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolia" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolia" rel="nofollow">Anatolia</a>. This place was renamed to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0zmir" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0zmir" rel="nofollow"><b>İzmir</b></a>, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. Two sites of the ancient city are today within the boundaries of İzmir. The first site, probably founded by indigenous peoples, rose to prominence during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaic_period_in_Greece" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaic_period_in_Greece" rel="nofollow">Archaic Period</a> as one of the principal ancient Greek settlements in western Anatolia. The second, whose foundation is associated with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great" rel="nofollow">Alexander the Great</a>, reached metropolitan proportions during the period of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" rel="nofollow">Roman Empire</a>. Most of the present-day remains of the ancient city date from the Roman era, the majority from after a 2nd-century AD earthquake.</p><p>In practical terms, a distinction is often made between these. <b>Old Smyrna</b> was the initial settlement founded around the 11th century BC, first as an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolians" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolians" rel="nofollow">Aeolian</a> settlement, and later taken over and developed during the Archaic Period by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionians" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionians" rel="nofollow">Ionians</a>. <b>Smyrna</b> proper was the new city which residents moved to as of the 4th century BC and whose foundation was inspired by Alexander the Great.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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