As I stated in the last thread I started, I won a coin in the latest FSR auction. I had only purchased a couple of coins this entire year. However, that just seemed to whet my appetite. I have since purchased two Greek coins. This first coin is from Warren Esty, a well known and respected contributor to CT. I fell "in love" with it from the moment I saw it on Warren's site, Augustus Coins (check his site out - some nice coins at reasonable prices imho). Although not rare, one does not see many of these come up for sale or auction. NAGIDOS in CILICIA AR Stater OBVERSE: Aphrodite seated left, holding patera over altar, crowned by Eros flying right above, rose and bud in left field, mouse under chair REVERSE: NAΓIΔIKON, Dionysos, loins draped (long), standing left, holding bunch of grapes and thyrsos. EY ΔIO in left field. Struck at Nagidos in Cilicia 356-333 BC 9.93g, 23 mm. Lederer 64; Paris 809; Babelon Traite II-2 1524.8; SNG France II, 34 ex. Warren Esty Please post any other coins from Cilicia
Whoa! She's a stunner. Just ridiculously rich with iconography. Way to pop outa that dam(n) buying drought Bing!
Nice dam break, @Bing ! Very nice to see new coins from ya! Great looking coin, and that Stater / DiDrachm size is one of my favorite. Here is a Cilicia from me... MUCH smaller! CILICIA Uncertn Early-mid 4th C BCE AR Tetartemorion 5mm 0.17gPersian king running dagger and bow - Crowned hd Achaemenid king CNG E239 Troxell Kagan 4
That's a beauty, Bing. Love all the stuff it has going on. On yours, Eros is actually flying before Aphrodite. I don't have the references for these, but there's a Wildwinds entry for your variety that has the description as : "Nagidos, Cilicia, AR stater. 385-375 BC. 20mm, 9.44 g. Aphrodite seated left, holding patera over altar, crowned by Eros flying right above, rose and bud in left field, mouse under chair / NAΓIΔIKON, Dionysos, loins draped (long), standing left, holding bunch of grapes and thyrsos. EY ΔIO in left field. Lederer 64; Paris 809; Babelon Traite II-2 1524.8; SNG France II, 34." I don't have a Nagidos, but here's a little one from Kelenderis just down the road. CILICIA, Kelenderis AR Obol. 0.76g, 9.6mm, CILICIA, Kelenderis, circa 425-400 BC. SNG von Aulock 5635. O: Pegasus forepart right with curved wing. R: KE – Δ, goat kneeling right, looking left.
James, That's a nice looking early example despite the test cuts . My only example of a coin from Cilicia, a late Roman coin from Anazarbus, is pictured below.
That's a sweet new stater @Bing! That obverse has lots of cool stuff going on! I have a AE Greek from Cilicia.. CILICIA, Tarsos. 164-27 BC. O: Turreted head of Tyche right; R: Zeus seated left holding scepter; 20 mm, 7.9g
I have a number of provincials from this province. This is my latest (and favorite): Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman Provincial Æ 20.2 mm, 6.93 g, 7 h. Cilicia Trachea, Antiochia ad Cragum, AD 147-161. Obv: ΦΑΥϹΤЄΙ-Ν-ΑN ϹЄΒΑ, bare-headed and draped bust right; early coiffure. Rev: AΝΤ-ΙΟ-ΧЄ-ΩΝ Τ-ΗϹ ΠΑΡ, temple with four columns and rounded pediment enclosing statue of turreted Tyche seated, left, holding rudder and cornucopia. Refs: RPC IV.3, 9909 (temporary); Levante, Antiocheia 10-12; SNG Cop 67.
It seems to be a mouse. The tail can be seen on perfectly preserved examples. e.g.: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=82867 Here is my Livia from Cilicia: Livia, wife of Augustus Cilicia, Augusta Æ 18mm Dated year 6 (AD 26/27) Obv.: IOYΛIΛ [CE]BACTH , Draped bust right Rev.: [E]TOYC ς AYΓOY CTANWN, Tyche seated right on rock, holding grain ear, river god Saros at feet. AE, 18mm, 4.36 g Ref.: SNG Levante 1241 (this coin), RPC I 4009 (this coin)
I know the feeling, I'm experiencing the same thing after purchasing my replacement Indo-Scythian coin after a year of inactivity.
Fantastic coin, Bing! Very artistic. A few provincials from Cilicia: CILICIA, Tarsos. Valerian I 253-260 CE AE 32 mm, 19.06 gm Obv: AVKΛΙΠOVΛΙOVAΛЄPIANOCCЄ; Π - Π; radiate, draped, and cuirassed (?) bust right. Rev: TAPCOVMH TP OΠOΛЄΩC; A/M/K - Γ/Γ in fields; KOINOBOVΛION ЄΛЄVΘЄ__ in exergue; Athena seated left on throne, holding cornucopia and dropping a voting pebble into amphora to left; shield below. Ref: SNG Levante 1193; SNG BN 1821-2 (I do not have these reference books; references taken from similar ex CNG coin) ex Doug Smith CILICIA, Flaviopolis. Domitian Æ 1/3 Assarion, 17 mm, 3.2 gm. dated CY 17 (89/90 CE) Obv: ΔΟΜЄΤΙΑΝΟC ΚΑΙCΑΡ; laureate bust of Domitian right, with slight drapery Rev: ΦΛΑVΙΟΠΟΛЄΙΤωΝ ЄΤΟVC ΖΙ; veiled, bearded and draped male bust of Kronos right; harpa to right Ref: RPC II 1760 CILICIA, Anazarbus. Severus Alexander AE 24.8, 9.2 gm struck CE 230/1 Obv: AVT KM AV CE AΛE ΞANDPOC; laureate bust right Rev: ANAZ ENΔOΞMHTP・ETBMC; heptastyle temple; Γ-B across fields; AMK below temple Ref: BMC Lycaonia, Isauria, and Cilicia, p. 26, number 26. CILICIA, Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Julia Domna AE 22 mm, 7.3 gm Obv: IOVΛIA ΔOM CЄBACT; draped bust right Rev: CЄΛЄVKЄΩN KΛAVKA; Europa, holding billowing veil, riding bull right being guided by a flying Eros; below, Triton with crab headdress, holding rudder and dolphin Ref: SNG BN 984; SNG Levante 742 Ex Dr. P. Vogl collection; ex Bankhaus Aufhäuser (sold 18.09.1992, with dealer's ticket) CILICIA, Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Gordian III 238-244 CE Æ 27 mm, 11 gm Obv: ...ΓOPΔIANO radiate and draped bust right; C/M dot within triangle (Howgego 670?) Rev: CEΛEVKEΩN; Athena advancing right, holding her shield with her extended left arm & preparing to hurl a spear at an anguipede giant (Enceladus?) who is throwing stones at her. Ref: c.f. SNG Levante 763 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-gigantomachy.283117/ Looks like I have no Cilician silver .
well, i'll be danged...maybe it is..seems like a weird, grain eating rodent to put on a piece of propaganda.
Nice way to come out of the dry spell! Cilician coins are some of my favorites; vastly underrated compared to the rest of Greece IMO. I've owned a bunch, sadly only a couple of which were staters. Some of the permanent Cilician residents in my collection: Unattributed Achaemenid period AR Obol, unknown mint, possibly a lifetime portrait of Artaxerxes III? Pharnabazos AR Obol, Tarsos mint? Datames AR Obol, unknown mint (Tarsos?) Kelenderis AR obol, Unpublished variety, maybe an overstruck obverse? This seems to be the only example in any database pairing Athena with the kneeling goat, rather than Pegasus Unknown satrap, unknown mint AR obol Anonymous, unknown mint AR obol, Herakles / Zeus Anonymous, Tarsos mint, Bust right / Topless female playing Astragaloi (Tarsal bones... get it?) Some favorites that are no longer with me:
That is a very interesting countermark on this - have you attributed it yet? I can't really see what it is. These were countermarked a lot - bow cases and Helios heads seem to be the most common. I don't think this is one of them.
Thanks, @chrsmat71 . I got mine from @John Anthony ... the countermark appears to be from the Eastern Med Pirates that Pompey was fighting. Not absolutely sure...perhaps John has more thoughts. Or, HEY! Tyche has a huge EAR? (Buddhists would love the lobes.) Cilicia - Tarsos turret counterstamped Bow Pompey Pirates AE 19 164 BCE Tyche-Zeus seated
Well, I don't know for sure, but the bow and quiver countermarks I've seen have all been pretty carefully placed behind the head of Tyche - as Alegandron's example you show. I have one, not as nice, but same placement of countermark: In addition to placement, yours looks more "square" to me too. Well, whatever it is, it is interesting!
