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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David@PCC, post: 25854296, member: 80556&quot;]I&#039;m returning to CT and will not be posting on numis forums going forward. I&#039;ve acquired this little coin that seems to have a mystery attached to it. It is from the reign of Demetrius II, a little 12mm ae. I am not sure whom is on the obverse hence the poll. It seems the authors of SC are also unsure. It has a companion coin SC 1949, only image I can find is this plate.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648063[/ATTACH] </p><p>It is clearly Demetrius II. My coin differs from this one because the inscription is different and more importantly the obverse shows someone else. The authors say the &quot;details of the type are not fully clear&quot;, and mention demeter as a possibility as well as Demetrius II. Here is the NP</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648064[/ATTACH] </p><p>Demetrius II, first reign</p><p>Denomination C </p><p>Mint: Unattributed Western issue</p><p>145 to 138 BC</p><p>Obvs: Unknown right within dotted border.</p><p>Revs: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY in two lines on right, ΘEOY ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOY NIKATOPEΣ in three lines on left. Tongs.</p><p>AE 12x13mm, 2.03g</p><p>Ref: SC 1950; HGC 9, 1015(R2-3)</p><p><br /></p><p>For comparison here is SC catalog 1950</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648065[/ATTACH] </p><p>And a nice example from BNF</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648067[/ATTACH] </p><p>This is why I put up a poll. To me the obverse looks very feminine and not like Demetrius at all. I should mention during this period there were a few tyche on the obverse as well, like this SC 2264.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648068[/ATTACH] </p><p>This claims tyche wears a calathus, which is basically a basket that holds wool. Complicating things more I discovered a calathus is also associated with demeter <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie20" alt=":banghead:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.&nbsp; &quot;As a religious emblem, the calathus was carried in honour of Demeter and of Tellus as denoting abundance; and is found in connection with Athené, the goddess of the art of weaving. Priestesses are also represented as wearing the calathus on their heads, and in imperial times the god Serapis (q.v.) is thus depicted.&quot;&nbsp; This is demeter that may be wearing a calathus.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648075[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>So we either we have a poorly drawn Demetrius, tyche, or demeter. There are no other Seleucid coins with demeter on the obverse, just one with her on the reverse SC 2376.</p><p>I do not know what relation the tongs on the reverse have other than this coin from Metapontum and shows demeter on the obverse with grain and tongs on the reverse. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1648069[/ATTACH] </p><p>To me the tongs would more likely pair with demeter than tyche, or the reverse has no relation to the obverse? Maybe [USER=103829]@Jochen1[/USER] can chime in with his knowledge of mythology.</p><p>So do the poll and share any Demetrius, tych, or demeter coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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