The Smallest Electrum

As I alluded to earlier this week, I've been working on fleshing out my "denomination set" of early electrum. I have several of these denominations represented in multiple examples now (as there were particular types I was looking to acquire) but this is a surprisingly tough set to put together, especially when looking for the smallest coins.

I still am missing the hemi and full stater, the latter of which being one of the more common denominations. I just haven't found the "right" coin yet but am still searching.

The farthest left coin is my smallest, a 1/192 electrum stater, weighing 0.07 grams. It's a die match to one CNG sold a few years ago as a new discovery piece, making mine the second or third known, and completing my denomination set up to a trite.

The diameter of these coins is extremely small but the truly incredible attribute is their weight, with the 1/192 and 1/96 being imperceptible and the 1/48th just barely registering on my palm.









And their standalone images, taken with my camera (the above were taken with my phone):

1/192:


1/96:


1/48:


1/24:


1/6:


1/3:


Post your small electrum!

 

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That is a beautiful selection of electrum coins, AJ. It really is in the group pictures that you get to appreciate their different sizes in the context of your set, not to mention the various colours to be seen in the alloy.

 

Amazing set! I really like the electrum with the cent as it puts them into perspective. Don't own any electrum...so all I can do here is gawk.

 

No electrum here either. These look like really fun pieces, aside from the historical information. I wouldn't mind getting a teeny weeny one.

 

Yeah, what Jwt said. Add me to the list of gawkers! What a marvelous, charming set!

 

Wow AJ => that's a very cool collection of electrum winners!!

I only have this one seemingly gigantic example!! (1/6th Stater)



LESBOS, Mytilene. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater
Circa 478-455 BC
Diameter: 10 mm
Weight: 2.48 grams
Obverse: Ram’s head right
Reverse: Incuse bull’s head right
Reference: Bodenstedt Em. 27; HGC 6, 954
Other: 12h ... Good Fine




=> but it's still pretty cool

 

Incredibly neat!

 

+1

 

Great looking set of some very interesting coins.

 

It is a real eye opener at how small you can go and still have impressive detail but also that coins smaller than that exist. The next step is to replace the last couple with more detailed examples if they exist. Of the group, I find the 1/24 best because it has minor details on the minor details - dots left of the eye and a ridge on the edge of the eye. The cutter was really skilled.

 

Amazing stuff, especially to see them all grouped together.

 

Beautiful Set. Thanks for sharing. Christmas will be here in 181 days.

 

Yeah and AJ should play Santa.

 

lined paper background from this source; child's drawing from here.

Guess I can't complain, really, since I have a pretty nice little electrum baby. More would be nice though .


KINGS OF LYDIA, temp. Ardys - Alyattes
620-546 BC
EL trite. Sardes mint.
Obv: head of roaring lion right, sun with four rays on forehead
Rev: two incuse square punches
Ref: Weidauer Group XV, 64; BMC 2

This coin weighs as much as sixty-eight 1/192 staters. Mind-boggling!

 

Wha?!!! => nuthin' but coal for you, b-otch



Just jokes (very sweet electrum addition, Princess) ...

... but I'm confused, what ith-of-a-stater is your sweet example? (is it a 1/3rd similar to AJ's example?)

... you always make me smile, my friend

 

His 1/192 stater weighs 0.07 gm. My trite weighs 4.8 gm.

4.8/0.07 = 68.57. It would take ~68 of his 1/192 staters to equal the weight of my trite.

I was just marveling at the teensy size of his smallest electrum, using a still-very-small trite for comparison.

 

So I was correct => your example is the same as AJ's 1/3 Stater?

Hi

=> we are about to head-off to the croquet/beer-athon ...

If you get anything from me later tonight, please file it as "drunkinfo"

=> happy Canada Day!!

 

Yes, sorry. I misunderstood your question . Trite, aka 1/3 EL stater.

 

I'm curious. Is that a 4-legged bug? Maybe it's TIF's version of a "ladybug"?

 

It's just a child's drawing I borrowed from a website (source linked under the original posting). I think it is supposed to be a person. For purposes of this illustration, we'll call it Santa Claus. See the hat?