Post an Old Coin and an Old Tune...

A coin I've been looking for in my price range - Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra. Have yet to find an authentic example I can afford.


I'll pair this one with Maria Aleida as Zenobia performing an aria from "Aurelian in Palmyra" by Rossini. The complete opera is available on You Tube.

 

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I think many aquired this type last year, as many samples were for sale. I’m pretty happy with this one. The reverse got me thinking of this song:


And that song made me think of the coin market. Short circuit.

 

Brilliant, @Rymond Houser. "The New Yorker Radio Hour" is streaming right now, not uploaded to their web page yet, so it'll be a minute before I listen to this. But I'm looking forward to broadening my horizons, where Rossini is concerned.

 

Very good, @svessien, on all counts (...deferring judgment on AC/DC).
It's very cool how Levon's throne has armrests made of lions' heads. ...It would be tough to find examples online, but that particular motif is a Western European medieval thing, going back to the Capetians if not the Carolingians.
Along with the fleur de lis Levon holds in his left hand, this issue is Yelling at you about the French influence to which Cilician Armenia was subject, thanks to the Crusades. As this issue demonstrates, Levon Ran with that.
Within a generation, the Rupenids of Armenia waded into the Frankish Levant at the dynastic level. Here's my example of the neighboring principality of Antioch; Raymond Roupen, who successfully interrupted the reign of Bohemond IV, 1216-1219. (Malloy, Antioch: pp. 223-4; No. 95a. From the Crusades-era numismatist extraordinaire, Chris Sabine.)

 

You will often hear the overture from Aurelian in Palmyra and a number of areas and duets are performed, but unfortunately it is one of his least performed operas.

 

Here is a thematic song to go with your Cilician Armenia coins:

 

@Raymond Houser, with regret, your observation about the aria is very resonant. I have a tough time with opera; for years on end, the overture to "Die Zauberflöte" has been my favorite piece in the whole genre.
...Rossini, and that Incredible soprano, to the rescue! The vocal range had to remind me of Minnie Riperton.

 

Here's another interesting coin/medal connection:
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession at Dettingen in the Electorate of Mainz, Holy Roman Empire. It was fought between an composed of British, Hanoverian and Austrian troops, and a French army commanded by the duc de Noailles.

While the Earl of Stair exercised operational control, the Allied army was nominally commanded by George II, accompanied by his son the Duke of Cumberland. As a result, it is now best remembered as the last time a reigning British monarch led troops in combat. The British allied side won. Here is an interesting medal celebrating the victory.

Here is a Handel composition celebrating the victory.

 

Glad you liked it. As for the Magic Flute, my favorite production is the 1975 Ingmar Bergman film version. The fact that it's sung in Swedish rather than German adds an element of lightness to a rather heavy story. Here is a link to the complete opera. Be sure to activate closed caption by placing your mouse pointer on the film image and click CC in the lower right part of the screen. Enjoy.

 

Craziness, @Raymond Houser, that's Exactly the reading I was thinking of, from when it was on VHS. ...Just, Complete Weirdness. Thank you for that. ...And now that I'm done streaming the radio I needed for the day, I can get back to the Handel Dettingen Te Deum.

 

...@ Raymond Houser, for whatever reason, or none, I had trouble accessing your link to the Ingmar Bergman reading of Die Zauberflöte, but it was very easy to find on YouTube. Just in case this helps anyone, here's the link I got.

...Yes, the little blonde girl has to remind me of Greta Thunberg --the next generation's Notorious RBG. Granted, in an entirely different context, generationally and ...well, all of it. But traditional distances, including ones on these scales --for instance, those involving geography, or any one agenda-- are all shrinking as we speak. ...On the cultural front, no less than the more nefarious ones. As such, None too soon.....

 

...Oop, after trawling YouTube a little, it's like, who else here likes Leonard Cohen? ...Thank you, memory fails....

 

I ran into trouble playing this from here, to, but it was the first reading (English Concert) that showed up on YouTube. Pretty freaking awesome --and when I let myself say 'awesome,' it means I meant it!

 

@Clavdivs, I finally went and looked at the videos for the Madness tracks. Thank you, for the first time. Cackling inexorably ensued. Dang, They were Brilliant with that whole video thing --remarkably early for the genre. From the combined media, you can get the gestalt of looking at something like a comic opera, in miniature.
...Just, Too Good. Hearty thanks for broadening my horizons.

 

MYSIA. Pitane.
Æ10, 0.9g; Circa 4th-3rd century BC.
Obv.: Head of Zeus Ammon right.
Rev.: Pentagram, ΠITAN around.
Comments: Pitane was a city in the bay of Elaea, one of the eleven ancient Aeolian settlements. It enjoyed considerable prosperity during the Hellenistic Period owing to abundant trade facilitated by two harbors. Pentagrams occur frequently on almost all Greek coinage and some Roman Republican types, but only as field marks. On the coinage of Pitane, we find these ancient symbols as bona fide devices. Their significance in relationship to the city is unclear.
Reference: SNG France 2349; SNG von Aulock -
From the DePew Collection.
Ex: @John Anthony

 

RR Poblicius Postumius Albinus Metellus Apollo Roma Seated Shield S 220 Cr 335-1

 

Roman Republic
Anon
AE Litra
260 BCE
Minerva star
ROMANO Horse Hd
BLACK
Craw 17-1g Sear 593

 

RR Anon AE Triens 157-156 BC Minerva Prow Cr 198B-3 S 989 Very Scarce

 

ARGOLIS. Argos. Circa 490-470 BC.
AR Triobol, 14mm, 2.9g, 12h.
Obv.: Forepart of wolf lying down right.
Rev.: Large A; two small incuse squares above, pellet below crossbar; all within shallow square incuse.
Reference: BCD Peloponnesos 1009.
Ex-Coin Galleries, Ex-BCD
Ex: @John Anthony
Comments: Argos is one of the oldest inhabited cities in history. During the classical period, they were a powerful rival of Sparta for dominance over the Peloponnese. The citizens of Argos were also famed for their various festivals and celebrations, pottery and bronze sculpturing schools, tanneries, and manufacturers of fine clothing.
This is an EXTREMELY rare variety of early triobol, with the wolf facing right. The vast majority of the early triobols have the wolf facing left. Later issues feature the wolf facing right quite often
This coin is ex-BCD, with his tag, which reads “From the Coin Galleries, MBS, Nov. 12, 1986, lot 73

 

This is the denier of Valence that I have pics of. Sorry, starting with the latter.

AR denier of Valence, anonymous, immobilized issue of the bishopric, c. later 12th c.-1276.
Obv. Angel, facing. Now resembling a bird with spread wings, suggesting the extent of degeneration, and corresponding lateness of the example.
[From 7 o’clock:] +VRBS VALEIITIAI (‘VRBS VALENTIAI,’ City of Valence).
Rev. Cross pommee, annulet in lower right angle.
+S[retrograde] AP<>LLIIIARS (‘S[ANCTVS] APOLLINARS;’ St. Apollinaris /Apollinaire).
Boudeau 1021, Poey d’Avant 4690; cf. Roberts 4782 (variant, minus reverse annulet).
...So I'm going with the initial 'angel' motif.
...Crap. I wanted to be able to upload Hendrix, 'Angel,' from his first posthumous album (best of the lot, given his level of editorial oversight). But, thanks to his family's good work regarding copyright, it gets to be exactly nowhere online.