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they had magnifying glasses. At least as early as 500BC, possibly before that.
crystals and naturally occurred glasses (lightning striking sand) were used.

 

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You may be absolutely correct, but I've not seen anything to verify it. I've always wondered how they cut the dies. Some believe they used only nearsighted young people. Some, they used water as a magnifier. But I don't know of any records to verify any of these assertions.

 

I'm fairly certain magnifying glasses were in relatively wide use by the time these coins were struck. Optic manufacturing predates our type of coins (metallurgy came later). They were able to polish convex lenses to high degree of precision by the time of Archimedis, and roman left us glassware that have nano surfaces

http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/optics.htm

 

Interesting link. I wish some of the mint records were still available. They might solve some of these mysteries.

 

Hmmmm.....And i thought magnifying lenses weren't used until sometime during the arab/muslim conquest era....

 

7X is pretty powerful. In miniatures we usually use 5X (these things are 5-7cm tall).
Magnifier with good field of view were probably rare, even for 2 or 3X. Large natural crystals would be difficult to obtain and extremely expansive in the ancient world.

 

The subject of optical magnification in the ancient world is discussed in this paper:
http://www.academia.edu/467038/The_Use_of_Magnifying_Lenses_in_the_Classical_World

Which was previously posted here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an...magnification-or-reduction-technology.228490/

The paper at academia.edu includes a reference to an ancient theatrical play in which one of the actors uses a magnifying glass that (according to the script) might be purchased in the ancient world.

Of course, I now have to post another coin. This coin is larger than 10 mm (by 1 mm) but it sure has some fine details.


MYSIA. Kyzikos.
AR Obol
ca. 450-400 B.C.
0.85 grams, 11 mm

Obv: Forepart of razor-back boar left, tunny upward behind
Rev: Head of roaring lion facing left within incuse square
Grade: gEF fully struck, Almost mint on porosity-free, choice flan. All lion & boar details present w/ partial tunny
Other: Similar to Sear 3848 but w/o K; Von Fritze II 9; SNG France 361-72; SNG von Aulock 1213; SNG Kayhan 54. From Barry Murphy May 2013.

Hey------ Ancientnoob & I are going out to have hamburgers at Louie's Lunch in New Haven tonight (before attending a concert of Pink Floyd music). I believe that Louie's claims to be the first hamburger restaurant in the USA [Est. 1895]. I've heard that hamburgers were also served in the ancient world. Although, I'm not sure if they enjoyed door-mouse-burgers or beef-burgers in ancient times.

 

A very beautiful coin C-89...and thanks for the further info and links!!

 

am I the only one that thought it was a baboon?
that intricacy is intimidating.
What were these dies made of? Bronze?
I can understand how they laid accurately positioned dots, but scribing fine lines with balanced spacing like that is just unbelievable.