Just picked this up in auction. I have been gravitating towards Ancient Greek and Anatolian coins. My main historical interest is the Byzantines, and I love those coins, as I love the art of iconography. The Greek coins are so much more attractive in a different way than the Byzantines are. PERGAMON MYSIA FROM THE 2ND - 1ST CENTURY BC . THE SIZE IS 16.8 MM AND 3.29 GRAMS. SNG Cop 385-91 OBVERSE – Head of Athena right, wearing helmet decorated with star REVERSE – Owl standing facing on palm frond right, with wings spread, monogram to left and right.
Nice one, @Stanw891! I like those little owl coins from Pergamon. Here's mine. Mysia, Pergamon, 200-133 BC. Bronze Æ 15.7 mm, 3.55 g, 12 h. Obv: Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet ornamented with star. Rev: AΘΗ-ΝΑΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ, owl standing facing on palm, with wings spread,TK monogram left and ΠΛ right. Refs: SNG Copenhagen 388 (same); c.f. SNG von Aulock 1375-6, BMC 197-199, SNG France 1920-2, SNG BN 1913-6 (various monograms).
Really nice pick up!... this one is not from Pergamon - but a recent pick up from Troas. Any coin featuring an Owl is cool IMO.. Sigeium, Troas. AR drachm. 400-300 BC. 16mm, 3.09 g. Helmeted head of Athena facing three-quarters right. / ΣIΓE, owl standing right, head facing, crescent behind head.
MYSIA.,Pergamon (200 - 133 B.C.) Æ16 O: Helmeted head of Athena right. R: AΘΗ-ΝΑΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ, owl standing facing on palm, with wings spread, A monogram left and AP right. 3.6g 16mm SNG von Aulock 1375-6 var; SNG Copenhagen 388 var
Lol! Nice call back and coin! Like Porsche used to brag when I was a kid, from zero to sixty in yadda yadda seconds, that post went from poop to Porsches in the mind of a mad man. Zeus, I love this coin type. It was the first artistic, but affordable owl I could purchase and enjoy the very militaristic, almost Spartan, Athena:
No Pergamese owl here, but I do have this charming diobol on offer: SNG Paris 1547. According to CNG: 'The identification of the portrait on the reverse of this issue has been the subject of debate. The individualized features suggest it is the portrait of a person rather than the personification of a deity or mythical figure. Most recently, Winzer assigned this issue to Eurysthenes, but his attribution necessitates a downdating of the issue to circa 400 BC, which is unlikely, and also is based on a misinterpretation of Xenophon, Hellenica 3.1.6 (see Mørkholm, Pergamene, p. 182, note 1). The traditional dating of mid 5th century BC is probably correct, and the ruler of Pergamon during this time is uncertain. After the defeat of the Persians in the early fifth century, Gongylos of Eretria, who had served as an intermediary between the Spartans and Xerxes, was compelled to flee to Asia Minor, where he was granted the territory of Pergamon as a reward from the Great King. His descendants ruled over the city until at least 400 BC, so it is likely that the satrap depicted here is one of the Gongylid rulers'. Which, interestingly, makes it a possible candidate for the first portrait of a living person on a coin. At well under 35K, it's a steal!
Hey, if Gordians can be roaches, why can’t our owls be Porsches? Here’s my first: Seleucid Empire - Syria Antiochos VII, r. 138-129 B.C. Ake-Ptolemaïs Mint, AE16, 16.21 mm x 2.6 grams Obv.: Helmeted Head of Athena Right Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ EYEPΓETOY. Owl standing facing but I recently got this more souped-up model (apologies for the poor camera photo): Greece - Attica Athens c. 454-404 B.C. AR Tetradrachm, 24.69 mm x 17.24 grams Obv.: Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye Rev.: AΘE right, Owl standing right, head facing, closed tail feathers, olive spring and crescent to left, all within inches square Ref.: HGC 4-1597, SGCV 2526
PORSCHE OWL with some poop... Athens Owl AR Tet 17.4g 20.4mm x 7.5mm Late Classical 393-300 BC, Sear 2537, SNG Cop. 63 edge-crud
