My new smallest coin! Picked this guy up at a show for $30, not too bad, and in pretty good shape for it’s size. (On a 1838 5 Francs coin) Tetartemorion (Possibly even a hemitetartemorian, it seems slightly underweight for a Tetartemorion - not sure though!) Cebrene/Kebren, Troas 400-350 BC 0.13 grams 5mm Ram facing right, KEBP below Quadripartite Incuse Mark Quarter for scale Let me know what you think, and feel free to show any of your Greek fractional coins as well!
You did a really good deal. Got this one in May, it was a bit pricier than yours: AR Archaic Tetratemorion Ionia, Ephesus; ca. 500-420 BC 5mm, 0.164 g, 3h Klein 370; SNG Kayan 126; Karwiese Series IV Ob.: Anepigraphic. Bee Rev.: Ε Φ Eagle's head to right Picture courtesy HJB: Bee as a symbol appears very early in the development of ancient Greek coinage. In particular, on coins of Ephesus, which adopted the bee as its civic emblem. There are nearly a thousand different known types of bee-and-stag coins from Ephesus, and unpublished new varieties appear frequently. Bees have two pairs of wings, but ancient representations of the bee, as viewed from above, typically only show one pair. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is native to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea, and domestication of the honeybee as a pollinator was vital for the growth of many fruit crops in the region. It was so valued that the hieroglyph for “bee” was used as the symbol for the ruler of Lower Egypt. The bee disappears from Ephesian coinage after Ephesus becomes part of the Roman empire.
That show had some crazy deals, mostly from Tiber Numismatics - I got 8 quite nice ancients for $200! Also, your Ephesus coin is awesome! An Ephesus silver bee is definitely a bucket list coin.
They can get pretty small! I saw ones at the show that were a third the size of this one, but they were too small to see any detail so I settled for this one
Here are several of my small Greek fractions: Province, City: Aeolis (Aiolis), Kyme (Cyme) Denomination: AR Tetartemorion Mint: Kyme (Cyme) (480 – 450 BC) Size: 7mm x 7mm Weight: 0.16 g Obverse: Head of horse, left; astragalos below Reverse: Stellate floral pattern with eight petals within round incuse References: Unpublished (left); BMCG -; SNG Cop -; SNG von Aulock -; Klein -; SNG Kayhan - Province, City: Caria, Kasolaba Denomination: AR Hemiobol Mint: Kasolaba (450 - 400 BC) Size: 7mm x 7mm Weight: 0.38 g Obverse: Youthful male head, right; monograms in left and right fields Reverse: Rams head, right References: Unpublished; BMCG -; SNG Cop -; SNG von Aulock -; Klein -; SNG Kayhan - Province, City: Caria, Uncertain Mint D Denomination: AR Hemiobol Mint: Uncertain Mint (450 - 400 BC) Size: 7mm x 7mm Weight: 0.40 g Obverse: Confronted foreparts of two bulls Reverse: Forepart of bull, left; star between hooves References: Unpublished; BMCG -; SNG Cop -; SNG von Aulock -; Klein -; SNG Kayhan - Province, City: Ionia, Miletos Denomination: AR Trihemiobol Mint: Miletos (Late 6th – Early 5th Century BC) Size: 10mm x 10mm Weight: 1.16 g Obverse: Forepart of lion right, with head turned back and open jaws Reverse: Stellate pattern within incuse square References: SNG von Aulock 2082; SNG Kayhan 476-482 Province, City: Ionia, Miletos or Caria, Mylasa Denomination: AR Trihemitartemorion Mint: Miletos or Mylasa (Late 6th – Early 5th Century BC) Size: 5mm x 5mm Weight: 0.25 g Obverse: Forepart of roaring lion left; head looking backwards Reverse: Bird standing right; two pellets, one above and one below; all within incuse square References: Klein 432; SNG Kayhan 947 (Mylasa); SNG Keckman 922; HNO 977 (Mylasa) A larger diobol version of your coin: Province, City: Troas, Cebren (Kebren) Denomination: AR Diobol Mint: Cebren (5th century BC) Size: 9mm x 9mm Weight: 1.31g Obverse: Ram’s head right Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square. References: SNG Cop 255; SNG Munchen 280
I posted this a few years ago, but this is my smallest coin. Neandria (famous because absolutely nothing happened there of note) 5mm, .08 g., helmet/quadripartite incuse square.
Those are some nice coins! Here are my Miletus lions Tetartemorion, .18g (Previously my smallest coin) Another nice lion
