I've been busy lately and haven't posted any new purchases in a while, so I'm now very far behind. If I'm going to have everything posted before it's time for my Best of 2020, I'd better try to catch up with the backlog, even if I don't have time for posts as long and detail-filled as I'd prefer. So, without further ado... Sicily, Syracuse. Hieron II (275-215 BC). AE 27. Obverse: Diademed head of Heron II left. Reverse: Rearing horseman with spear right, in exergue "IERONOS" (details worn on this specimen). SNG ANS 923. This coin: Purchased from the late Don Zauche at the Baltimore coin show, November 2019. Hieron (also written as Hiero) II was born about 308 BC, the illegitimate son of a Syracuse nobleman. In 275 BC he was asked by the people of Syracuse to be the military commander of the city, just in time as the Mamertines were now causing trouble. The Mamertines had started out as mercenary troops in Campania in southern Italy. A group of them, unemployed after their patron had died, captured the city of Messina in 289 BC and started using it as a base to conduct pirate raids on nearby cities and shipping. Hieron defeated the Mamertines in battle but was unable to capture Messina. Hiero was named king of Syracuse in 270 BC. In 264 BC, he resumed the attack on the Mamertines, who appealed to Rome for help. Hieron, in turn, requested help from the Carthaginians. After inconclusive fighting, which would prove the start of the First Punic War, Hieron reconsidered his choice of alliances and in 263 BC made a treaty with Rome, which guaranteed him territory in south-eastern and eastern Sicily. Hieron remained loyal to Rome, sending them men and supplies during the war, most importantly his large fleet. Also, the great mathematician and inventor Archimedes lived in Syracuse at that time, and is reported to have devised various machines for the defense of the city, including a huge crane that could lift enemy ships out of the water, and an array of highly polished shields that could focus sunlight to set enemy ships on fire. These stories, as well as the story of Archimedes running naked through the streets shouting "eureka" after discovering the Principle of Displacement while taking a bath, are likely exaggerated, but Archimedes definitely had a major influence on mathematics. Hieron II died in 215 BC, leaving the city in the hands of his 15-year-old grandson Hieronymus, who unwisely broke the alliance with Rome during the Second Punic War. I bought this coin mainly for its connection to Archimedes, plus the fact that it comes from Sicily, where (most of) my ancestors come from. I purchased it from Don Zauche at the Baltimore coin show in November 2019. Sadly, he passed away the next month. His table was always a highlight of the Baltimore show for me, and I will miss him. Please post your coins of Syracuse, or whatever else is related.
Thanks for the writeup and a great coin, @Parthicus . Nice association with Archimedes. HIERON II SICILY. Syracuse. Hieron II, 274-216 BC Æ26, 15.9g, 12h. Obv: Laureate head of Hieron II left. Rev: ΙΕΡΟΝΩΣ; Horseman galloping right, holding spear; below horse. Reference: HGC 2, 1548; CNS II 193 Ex: @John Anthony MAMERTINES SICILY, Messana. The Mamertinoi. 211-208 BCE Æ Pentonkion 27 mm, 11.70g Obv: Laureate male head (of Ares?) left Rev: Horseman, holding spear and with drapery around left arm, leading horse left; Π to left. Ref: Särström series XI, A; CNS 25; BAR issue 24; SNG ANS 430. Comment: FINE+, greenish-brown patina Ex: Sphinx
@Alegandron I am always paying a lot of attention to the attributions that members give at CT, and compare it to mine to see if is the same, since I have the same type as your Hieron II with an N below the forelegs of the horse, which I think I can also see on yours, the attribution I found is: SNG ANS 924, Calciati II, p. 381, 195; SNG Copenhagen 839; HGC 2, 1548; BMC Sicily p.217, 588; Head Pl. XII.2, 588 in “A catalogue of The Greek Coins in The British Museum”, Sicily-Syracuse by Barclay V. Head, 1876 and yours is HGC 2, 1547; CNS II 193 Do you know the difference between 1547 and 1548? would it be right to use both: HGC 2, 1547-1548? This is mine: AE Hemilitron 25 x 26 mm, 17.249 g Sicily, Syracuse, 265 BC Obv.: Diademed head of Hieron II to l.; border of dots Rev.: Horseman galloping r., wearing helmet, cuirass and chlamys, holding spear in r. hand; N below forelegs of horse; in exergue IEΡΩNOΣ (Lettering hard to read)
Tangent: Both Archimedes and Hierons II are prominent characters in Gillian Bradshaw's very entertaining novel "The Sand-Reckoner."
Parthicus, That's a great addition to your collection . This coin type is one of the more affordable ancient Sicilian coins. I've posted my example before, but here it is again .
Nice coin, @Parthicus... I really like this type. Thanks for the writeup! Both yours and the one shown by @Alegandron are 1548. HGC rates 1547 "scarce" and 1548 "common", the difference between the two being that 1548 has a diademed head, and 1547 has a laureate head, like Doug's above. The one I have has a laureate head as well. SICILY, Syracuse. Hieron II. AE27. 15.45g, 27mm. SICILY, Syracuse, circa 240-215 BC. HGC 2, 1547 (S); SNG Cop 843. O: Laureate head of Hieron II left. R: Horseman riding right, holding couched spear in right arm; N below, IEΡΩNOΣ in exergue. Ex Cardinal Joachim Meisner Collection
Rome. The Republic. Corn Ear and KA Series (211-208 BCE), overstruck on bronze of Hieron II (275-215 BCE) AE Sextans (5.87g; 20mm). Sicilian Mint. Obverse: (overtype) Mercury head right, wearing petastos, two pellets above; (undertype) Poseidon head left. Reverse: (overtype) Prow right, corn-ear above, IC before, ROMA below; (undertype) Trident; dolphin on either side; IEPѠNOΣ below Overtype References: Crawford 69/6b; Sydenham 310d. Undertype References: SNG Copenhagen (Sicily) 844-856 Overstrike References: Crawford Table XVIII, No. 65. Provenance: Ex Forum Ancient Coins. During the Second Punic War, Roman military mints often overstruck war booty bronzes into Roman types. Weights of the bronze undertypes were of little consequence since the coins were fiduciary anyway; thus we often see a wide-range of weights on these overstruck coins. Module was perhaps more important for visual differentiation. Sometimes, the undertype is barely noticeable. Other times, the result is a clear melding of the devices of overtype and undertype, as on this coin. Here we clearly see Poseidon’s remaining profile from 6-9h on the obverse. The reverse shows signs of the trident base at 8h to the left of the prow. The Mercury/Prow overtype is remarkably crisp and complete. Crawford's Roman Republican Coinage contains a table of known overstrikes in the Roman Republican series which includes the types combined on this coin.
Hieron II Ae 16 269/265-240 BC Obv. Head of Arethusa left Rv, Pegasos flying left HGC 1551 3.14 grms 15 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Hi All, I don't collect Western Greek coins but I have one of the OP type because of its relation to the 'Galatian Shield without (sigma)' Series of Ptolemaic Bronze Coins. These Ptolemaic coins were actually minted by Hieron II in Sicily to pay Ptolemaic troops on loan to him. The Ptolemaic coins and Syracusian obols share control letters, as explained in the article. - Broucheion
