I've always wanted an electrum coin due to my interest in chemistry/metallurgy and monetary history. This one was the only electrum example in a nice collection of ancients recently added at my local coin shop. So I took the plunge and traded in a bunch of 90% US silver for this one. I believe it to be an electrum hekte (1/6 stater) from Mytilene on the Island of Lesbos, around 500 BC. Obverse is a lion, reverse is an incuse calf's head. It's quite tiny. I'm no expert on ancient coins, so any comments and input are welcomed! Photo was taken with a friend's camera and tripod to take successive images at different focal planes and combine them to create a combined image with the entire image (hopefully) in clear focus. He gets much better results than I do with coin photography.
Have a look to the left of the lion, do you see something? There's ΛΕ, initials for Lesbos. The reference for your coin is Bodenstedt 14. There's only a bunch of electrum coin type with ΛΕ, in my opinion these were issued on behalf of the Lesbian koinon. Lesbos is a great island to visit, combining nice sea shores and tall mountains. There's even a petrified forest.
I see a nice coin but really would prefer a photo pair with the same lighting for both sides. The lion is lit from the lower left while the calf is from the upper right. Lighting both sides from the upper right would be less confusing to those who don't see the calf as incuse. I will never warm up to the idea of lighting coins from the bottom.
Fanatic coin! Lesbos had such desirable el coins. I keep trying to get a Lesbian to fiddle with my fingers. But they are always just out of reach. Like they’re not interested in me or something! Don’t think for a second they’ll go down either, they just keep going up, in price! As is, I do have an el fouree from ephesus to keep me warm at night: Ionia. Ephesos circa 600-550 BC. 1/48 Stater EL fourrée 3mm., 0,15g. Lion's paw / Incuse punch. nearly very fine Karwiese series I / Type 1 (for prototype).
Mytilene El Hekte Bodenstedt 90 377-326 B.C. Obv.Head of Dionysos right Rv. Head of Silenos facing 2.55 grms 11 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Actually, I didn't know the orientation of the reverse until I had gotten a good look at a higher magnification image so I could look for a matching example online. It's small enough that I was having a hard time figuring out the pattern with unaided eyes. Thanks for the constructive advice.
We have wild boar in the Forest of Dean where I live, so this one appealed to me LESBOS. Mytilene. EL Hekte (Circa 521-478 BC). Obv: Forepart of winged boar right. Rev: Incuse head of roaring lion right; rectangular punch to left. Bodenstedt 15; HGC 6 940.
