Teos, Ionia AE10, 3rd Century BC Obverse: Griffin seated on haunches right, left paw raised. Reverse: Kantharos, with a bunch of grapes hanging above its mouth. THI-ΩN across lower field. Reference: BMC XVI Ionia p314 10mm, 1.3g SNG Cop, part 24, page 596 says: "Bronze money of Teos. The autonomous bronze coins of Teos range from the latter part of the fourth century down to Roman times; but they are of no special interest. The usual types are—obv. Griffin, and rev. Kantharos, Ivy-wreath, or Lyre, with inscr. ΤΗΙΩΝ and magistrate’s name in nom. case." I don't actually have any physical reference books, I just do a lot of searching online. Most of what I've found online (WW, acsearch, Vcoins, MA-shops, Forvm, SNG UK Database) has been references for larger versions of this coin (i.e. AE17 and have greater magistrate inscriptions) and they refer to SNG Copenhagen 1445, 1448, 1450, 1454, etc. This is what I found in BMC: Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Ionia by B. V. Head with a long listing (a couple pages anyways) of sizes and variations. This initial description seems to fit my coin, but the "Metal. Size." column didn't match my AE10 and were instead AE7s, AE5s, AE65s, and AE55s. Or am I reading it wrong? The actual closest similar coin I could find online was this one, but it had no references listed with it. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/coins/teos_001.html This is another coin I was able to find, but it's devices appear smaller than mine, though they are the same elements. And it references SNG Cop 1359 (<--Noob question: where does that number come from? I figured the page number? Maybe it uses the newer 8-volume pages and not the original 43 where I've been looking online?). https://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotv...&Lot=251&Val=9c97a6fcad1bc6a30c0c6c5675df3877
I don't have the book with me but the size does not refer to millimeters. Somewhere in that book (a table at the back, if I recall) there is an explanation of that number and conversion to other measures.
I'm pretty sure the number refers to weight rather than linear measure. As is the case in many books of this era, the weight is given in grains. Near the back of this book (starting at p. 452) there is a table converting grains to grams. 5 grains = 0.324 gm; 65 grains = 4.211 gm, etc.
Numbering systems for coin sizes are just bizarre for me. MOST the time, especially in AE, I see the number after AE as millimeters in diameter. However, that can be subjective if the coin is oval / erratic. I try to list mine in mm's, even the LRB's that have that odd AE1, 2, 3, 4 size classifications. Durther just tell it as it is rather that hiding the size behind a special code... I really like your TEOS Griffon, and nice job chasing down the attribution info @Justin Lee ! LOL, sometimes, I enjoy the hunt for info, sometimes I get impatient and want to know NOW what the coin is!!! Unfortunately, I do not have a Teos ! I THOUGHT I did, just must have looked at a bunch over my collecting. I do like Griffins ... here is one of my favorites just to create Griffin-envy in your thread! Sicily Kainon AE Tetras 20mm 6.7g Griffon - Horse Prancing SNG COP 133
Thanks! Yea the chase is often a lot of fun! One of the 6 coins as part of this purchase, the seller had the reverse photographed upside down, so for a while I was searching for eagles and that's totally not what it is haha! And on another's obverse, I was "Is that Antiochos? Artemis? Hermes? Wait, it's that even male or female?"
