Featured Persian siglos from the Wars Against the Greeks

Great historical essay, @Parthicus ! I've been tempted to expand my ancient Persian collection but as of today, I'm the custodian of only one.

 

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Interesting perspective camera shot, @ominus1 !

 

..why thank you sir!

 

I get it. Thanks

 

Mine is also a Type II

It also has a counter mark, counter-marks seem much less common on these than the later coins..

 

Since no one else has shown one so far, I may as well embarrass myself. After 30 years of collecting these sigloi, mainly for the countermarks, I had never added a Carradice type I. Late last year I figured it was high time to at least fill the gap, so I broke down and got a spacefiller:

Type I



Such as it is, the type I features only the upper body of the "Great King" facing right wearing crown and holding a bow before him with both arms. This one stands at 14mm and weighs in at 5.17g.

Earlier this year I picked up from the same vendor a coin he called a type II 1/3 siglos. At 10mm, and weighing 1.77g that works out about right at least in relation to the weight above.

Type II, 1/3 siglos




Type IV, 1/6 siglos?

Back in 1999 I paid top dollar on eBay for what the seller, who works for a London auction house today, offered as a 1/6 siglos. This coin measures 8x9mm and weighs 1.27g. In relation to the weight of my first two coins here this seems 50% too heavy (should be ~0.86g). It's in range for a 1/4 siglos by these standards.



Other opinions?

 

I mirror the confusion of intended denominations on my two type IV fractions. It gets worse considering the wear on my coins. The ID's were supplied by the dealer in 1992.

AR 1/6? Siglos 1.0g


AR 1/12? Siglos 0.5g

 

After checking my scales against a standard 700 grain weight it was off by .1 grain. Close enough. I just ran the weights on a dozen sigloi: a Type II, a type IV, and the rest type III.
Switching to grams:
The heaviest was 5.59g, the lightest was 5.32g; the median was 5.50g.

Based on this limited sample, I think the target weight for a siglos is close to my median, 5.50g. => 1/3 ~ 1.83g; 1/4 ~ 1.38g; 1/6 ~ .92g; 1/12 ~ .46g

At that rate, Doug, your weights and denoms seem to be on scale.

My three in this post are light but in range as we have pegged them. What I bought as a 6th is really a quarter.

 

Persia Achaemenid Type III spear over shoulder Darius I to Xerxes II Ca 485-420 BCE AR Siglos Bankers Marks Incuse rev

 

How authentic must a sigloi be that weighs 4.53grams?

 

No. The Type 2 as shown by Parthicus above and my two. Yours is a Type 3 with the dagger off flan to the left. The tip off on type 2 is the bow string is pulled back under tension so it does not go straight down like it does on the other types where the bow is just carried but not in use.

 

How ‘bout an Achaemenid Daric?


PERSIA
Achaemenid Daris I-Xerxes II
485-420 BCE
AV Daric 14mm 8.3g
Lydo Milesian Sardes king wearing kidaris kandys quiver spear bow
Incuse
Carr Type IIIb Group A-B pl XIII 27

 

KINGS OF PERSIA, Xerxes I - Darius II
Denomination: AR Siglos (Type IIIb (early)), minted: Sardis; ca. 485-420 bc
Obv: Kneeling-running figure of the Great King right, transverse spear with point downward in right, bow in left, bearded, crowned. Drapery with naturalistic fold over the advanced left knee. Central banker mark.
Rev: Incuse, with four bankers marks: at 9'o clock nr 71/72, at 6'o clock nr 46, at 3'o clock nr. 47; central nr. 1, as published by George F. Hill in the British Museum Catalog, volume on Persia, p. cxxxvii (found here: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Siglos)
Weight: 5.5g; Ø:1.2mm
Catalogue: Carradice Type IIIb C (pl. XIV, 36). BMC Arabia pl. XXV, 15.
Provenance: Ex. private collection; acq.: 04-2019

 

..welp, i'd better add my 2 siglos's worth..

 

Persian Empire Ar Siglos 485-429 B.C. Carridice IIIb early 5.34grms

 

And where did you acquire this “Persian” coin??? If you don’t mind me asking?

 

I believe @Parthicus gave that information in the very first sentence you quoted. Why have you include the word ‘Persian’ in quotes?