Not Another 'Gold Coin'....

I confess, I caught a bit of 'gold fever' recently, but my operating budget required that I go after a more modest example than what we've been viewing lately on CT. (Yes, it's all your fault @panzerman )

Please correct me if I am in error, but generally speaking, the El Hekte was 1/6 of a gold stater and approximately 24 drachma were also the silver equivalent of a gold stater.

This El Hekte appealed to me due to its antiquity, place of origin, devices and relatively low cost. So please post any coin you may have of similar age, geographical area or comparable devices.....and, of course, any electrum examples you may have.

Perhaps the significance of the 'female' head can be better explained by one of the gang?? All I seem to find is probable references to fertility or some other unclarified mystical attributes---- Later examples seem to consistently depict Artemis among others.

El Hekte, Lesbos Mytilene, circa 412-378 BC; 11 mm, 2.48 grams
Laureate head of Apollo right.
Female head within linear incuse square
Bodenstedt 70; SNG von Aulock, BMC 103

 

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Now this is the kind of gold coin I might could afford. And it's a wonderful example IMHO.

 

Appealing and nicely centered EL piece, Mikey.

 

Definitely more affordable than most think.

412-378 BC, El Hekte, Bodenstedt-63. Forepart of winged lion left / Sphinx seated right, in linear square.
2.57g
11.3mm

377-326 BC, El Hekte, Bodenstedt-86. Head of Athena facing, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet /Draped bust of Hermes right, his petasos hanging behind his neck, in linear square.
2.50g
11.9mm

 

I absolutely LOVE them @iamtiberius !!! Just gorgeous.... with terrific strikes and details!! Not to mention they were struck circa 400 BC or so and were nearly the first of their kind.

Late last year I tried for a similar example of the lion/sphinx El Hekte, although at a lower grade, unfortunately it went beyond my available budget at the time. But there's always next month..... and all of the rest of the year

 

Nuthin' like a nice worn el coin eh M-Zee?

 

I used to buy gold coins back when gold was $400-$440 an ounce.
sold a lot when it was $500-700 and platinum was $770ish. Wish I had those back now. had some platinum eagles too.

Now the price of gold has me hesitant all the time, though I'll still buy some from time to time.

Interesting El Hektes.

 

Beautiful piece. Electrum coins are some of the most beautiful I seen. And they are all natural as in not separated between the gold and silver contents

 

what a sweet little gold coin MZ, cool devices indeed....i'd love to get on of these as they are not to far out of my price range.

 

Oh yea, I blame him as well!

 

Yeahhh I am also looking for gold now...vielen dank Panzermann....

 

LESBOS, Mytilene. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater
Circa 478-455 BC
Diameter: 10 mm
Weight: 2.48 grams
Obverse: Ram’s head right
Reverse: Incuse bull’s head right
Reference: Bodenstedt Em. 27; HGC 6, 954




$450 (all-in) ... ummm, is that expensive? (maybe?)

=> I love this coin ... and I've already paid for it (cha-ching!!)

 

WOW!! That appears to be one super chunky dude!!

I don't know about expensive (maybe) but it seems about normal for retail as I understand it....Tell us more about it Steve...PLEASE PLEASE

 

How little gold has to be in a 'gold' coin before you don't call them gold? There is a lot of difference in alloy in electrum. I have no early electrum but there are Byzantines that are at least a little yellow in what many of us might call a price range we might accept.


Of course you can get down in the gutter with me and go fourree. Gold over copper:


Gold over silver:

 

Are those gold washed/plated on a metal substrate?

 

seriously?

... are you trying to win the geek award of the night?

 

Hey! I can see Steve in the REFLECTION! Coin-Glowing-Man! Above the peanut on the edge of his coin (3rd pic)

 

... now I feel badly



I like you

 

Sorry, been in plastics molding, metal bashing, stamping, casting and wood working manufacturing industries for 35 years... We deal with the crap that YOU dig out of the ground!

 

Well, if you can't grow it, then mine it! ....

Ummm, or do some weird plasticy thing to it (ecchh) ...

=> "hey kids, stay away from that Alegandalf crap!! ... oh, and go wash your hands!!"



... just jokes ...

It's always funny laughing at other people (oh, wait a minute ... that's not right)

Stupid-stupid-stupid ... I always get that wrong!!