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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2074595, member: 56859&quot;][ATTACH=full]384834[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Chock-full of artistic devices... <i>check</i></p><p>Gorgeous iridescent toning... <i>check</i></p><p>Cool provenance... <i>check</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Yep, it was a splurge.&nbsp; Good think I hadn&#039;t won those other expensive coins in Triton.&nbsp;&nbsp; I love this little thing!&nbsp; It&#039;s smaller than my thumbnail, a mere wafer of silver.&nbsp; How on earth did the engraver accomplish those incredible details?&nbsp; The MFB... look at the realistic rendering!&nbsp; The great detail on his face!&nbsp; Wow.&nbsp; Other than compositing the two sides and fixing the background, these images are unadulterated. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>SICILY, Selinos.</b></p><p><b>c. 410 BCE</b></p><p>AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h</p><p>Obv:&nbsp; nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above</p><p>Rev:&nbsp; man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right</p><p>Ref:&nbsp; HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6.</p><p>Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare.</p><p><i>ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich; ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The coin is fascinating and trying to find more information about the devices is leading to more questions, more research, more rabbit holes.&nbsp; At the moment I have more questions than answers.&nbsp; What is the nymph doing with the serpent?&nbsp; Charming it?&nbsp; Worshiping it? Communing?&nbsp; Could the serpent be Zeus Meilichius?&nbsp; Does this man-faced bull have a name?&nbsp; Is it a local river god?</p><p><br /></p><p>Since I can&#039;t tell you any hard facts about the devices, here&#039;s some information about Selinos.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]384859[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Founded in the mid seventh century BCE, Selinos began as an oligarchy.&nbsp; It was supposedly named for the abundant wild parsley found in the area (σέλινον, <i>selinon).&nbsp; </i>As is the case with most ancient (and modern!) city/states, Selinos went through a variety of rules and modes of rule.&nbsp; There were the usual cycles of hostilities and reconciliations with neighboring cities over the next three centuries.&nbsp; In 409 BCE the city was sacked and partly destroyed by Hannibal.&nbsp; Through treaties with Dionsius, then Timoleon, and then Agathokes Selinos was under the dominion of Carthage from 407 to ~278 BCE, when Selinites and other Sicilian cities asked Greek general Pyrrhus to assist them with driving out the Carthaginians.&nbsp; In 250 BCE Carthaginians destroyed Selinos.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>RIP Selinos.&nbsp; You sure managed to produce some lovely coins in your brief existence.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>...</p><p><br /></p><p>Post your coins of Selinos <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.&nbsp; Or if you don&#039;t have any, something from Sicily.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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