I just got this little Greek AE in a lot and I am having trouble even getting started, since I can't figure out what that is on the reverse. Spear head? Garden gnome? This is 15 mm diameter and kind of thick, weighing in at 5.50 grams. Thank you.
Just throwing an idea in...Maybe the reverse is upside down and its depicting some sort of Vessel/Amphora?
Thank you, Spaniard. It could be an amphora - one of those pointy ones. You can see what might be straps around it. Here it is, other-side-up:
The hairstyle of the obverse person could be that of Dionysos, making an amphora a logical pairing. The hairstyle is also frequently shown on Apollo... so an arrow works well with that. Garden gnome would be awesome though .
Hmmm... I do have a Garden Gnome, but not sure if we are even close... Troas Birytis 350-300 BCE Æ 9mm 1.21g Hd Kabeiros L pileos - two stars above Club within wreath SNG Cop 249 Left
Then the SHAPE of the Reverse(?) reminded me of a Xoanon... mine are a pair, but I am sure some were depicted singly. I know my posts are NOT your coin, however, just thinking of what the devices could be. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xoanon Campania CAPUA AE Semuncia 216-211 BCE Juno Xoanon Hannibal capital Italia SCARCE
Thank you all for your help. I was amused when Alegandron said it reminded him of a Xoanon, as that is a word I did not think existed in our galaxy. I learn something new every day. Wikipedia: "A xoanon (/ˈzoʊ. ənɒn/ ( listen), Greek: ξόανον; plural: ξόανα xoana, from the verb ξέειν, xeein, to carve or scrape [wood]) was an Archaic wooden cult image of Ancient Greece. Classical Greeks associated such cult objects, whether aniconic or effigy, with the legendary Daedalus." And in fact the pointy thing on my coin does look like a xoanon - I haven't found a match yet, but it opens up a new line of inquiry.
I took a quick pass through the plates of Anson's Numismata Graeca and didn't see anything like it in the amphora section or in the arrow/spear section .
Thank you TIF, I appreciate the effort. My library being what it is (isn't), I am ransacking acsearch and Google Image. And my Coin Talk support group.
Quiver? https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5146834 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1650214
Possibly Lycian. Here's a somewhat similar example on a larger flan. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3011034 And another quiver Lycia Ae11 bow and quiver Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right Rev: LUKIWN / Bow and quiver within incuse square 11 mm.
Thank you all for you assistance with this coin! You are all great and I greatly appreciate your efforts. Indeed, as shanxi and others note, I do believe I see a quiver here, and not a garden gnome. There is a bit of legend left on mine that I believe is part of ΘEΣΣAΛO-NIKEΩN for Thessalonica. I plan on staring at if for another hour to so and see what I can make out. Again, thank you all.
