Here's my Phoenicia, Arados Gerashtart (Gerostratos). Circa 339/8-after 332 BC. A real nice Stater, 22 x 15 mm, 10.4 g., 10 h. Dated RY 5 (336/5 BC). Obverse: Head of Ba'al-Arwad right, wearing laurel wreath. Reverse: Galley right, (Pataikos on prow), above waves; [M] A G and date (all in Phoenician) above. It's thick.
Awesome! I like these pre-Alexander Phoenician coins, the designs are interesting and they're satisfyingly thick (and not overly concerned with being perfectly round). They definitely hark back to the idea of a coin as a convenient lump of valuable metal with a recognized stamp on it to guarantee weight and purity. Here's my example, picked up a couple of years ago:
For some years I have tried to get one of these coins and I was lucky enough to do so last year. They are very difficult to get even remotely nice. Most other years it would have made my top ten but last year was just that kind of year. Arados Ar stater 380-350 BC Obv Head of Ba'al Arwad bearded in archaic style right. Rv Galley right above stylized waves HGC 28 10.92 grms 20 mm more or less. Photo by W. Hansen This is another one of those coins that I try to find an example where both sides need to be more or less decent. That makes the coin very tough to purchase. Planchet archives at: https://edmontoncoinclub.com/the-planchet/the-planchet-archived/
Mine only has one decent side, and even then it's not perfect. PHOENICIA, Arados AR Shekel. 10.48g, 23.8mm (max). Circa 420-400 BC. E&E-A Group III.1.1, C13; HGC 10, 29. O: Laureate head of Ba’al-Arwad right. R: Galley right, Pataikos on prow, above waves; M A (in Aramaic) above.
PHAT! @Collecting Nut ! PHOENICIA TYRE AE20 7g 76 BCE Turret hd Tyche palm branch - Galley prow volute aphlaston at stern Phoenican letters BMC 26 Ex: @Bing Tyre, Phoenicia 1/16 shekel 10mm 0.47g hippocamp l over waves - owl with crook flail Sear Greek 5916.BMC Tyre 43 5th-4th BCE Ex: @Valentinian
I really liked the balance on mine a lot but it came at the price of the waves. Round coins tend to lose the chin or ends of the ship. Legends are important. It is hard to get one coin with everything even half decent.
