Nice coins @Ryro !! The lion on your new coin sure does seem similar to the other Kyzikos coins posted. I’ve only a Pergamon coin from the Mysia region gifted to me by @Curtisimo (who I’ve missed): Mysia, Pergamon. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm, Struck ca. 76-67 BC. Obv.: Cista mystica, with serpent issuing l. from beneath half-open lid; around, wreath of ivy. Rev.: in field l.; Bow-case, ornamented with floral scroll, and containing strung bow; in front and at sides, two serpents with tails intertwined and heads erect facing one another with monogram between and ΦΙ above; in field r., thyrsus with serpent coiled round it. 12.6g, 29mm, 12h Cf. Pinder 119, Kleiner Hoard 50; SNG BnF 1754-5 Ex. Aethelred ; Ex. Curtisimo Smallest in the collection is this tiny 5mm guy from Kebren in Troas:
I had that very coin on my list but decided not to bid on anything in the auction. You got a good deal on it. Another example is being offered on eBay by a friend on mine who used to write for The Celator. His speculation on the type might add to the fun. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mysterious...ek-Silver-0-14-grams-Ex-Nomos-AG/283435621389
If we are going to show coins of Kyzikos, let's go all the way to the Byzantine empire: Maurice (582-602), year 8 (589/90). 30 mm (pretty large), 12.68 grams. Sear 518 You can't say the artwork was good at that time. I bought it at the 2015 summer ANA from a dealer who was selling the collection of a man who specialized in coins of Kyzikos across all the centuries from Greek to Roman to Byzantine. I got three of this type, all with different terrible portraits. The mint continued under Phocas (602-61) and Heraclius (610-641). In 626 Constantinople was besieged by the Avars and Persians and no coins of Kyzikos later than year 20 (629/30) of Heraclius are known.
Thanks my man! You know you are spoiled when a coin smaller than the circumference of your pinky nail is a MONSTER But you deserve nice things Yourreminds me of my first example:
Kyzikos El Stater 500-450 B.C. Winged canine facing left head reverted standing on tunny Anepigraphic. Rv. Quadripartite incuse square. Weber 1568 16.07 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen
Thanks Claudius. Wonderful coin and thought provoking questions. Since our type is within 100 years or so of the invent of coins, it's pretty close to the oldest they could have made. And many thanks to Valentinian who said... That puts them at well over a millennia of coin producing!!!! Now the second question is another fun and interesting one. Athens and Rome were the first to pop in my head...oh, Alexandria!
The lack of Claudius II Gothicus on this thread is disturbing. Here, for good measure: from the SPQR series: to the M - C (Moneta Cyzicus) series: These were all products of the mint in the first half to the mid of 269, clearly of the same mint master and/or of a common group of mint workers who were responsible for both series. The M - C was only struck in one issue around early summer 269. The shape of the L in CLAVDIVS is hint of the same workmanship throughout the period.
+100 @Ed Snible! Thanks for taking that auction off At 13 EUR, it was the third least expensive coin sold at an auction that had plenty selling for thousands It's sister piece was a steal too, at just 38 EUR! The last one of these previously sold for 190 EUR! (Both coin pics borrowed) I enjoyed this coins sub text as well. "Exactly what this coin is, and where it is from, is quite uncertain. The obverse is almost Celtic in flavour, while the reverse is very similar to that on standard Kyzikene silver fractions, albeit of rougher or ruder style. Whether this coin was issued by a town or a community or a specific population group cannot be ascertained at present." Talk about heightening the intrigue of my "Celtic\Oriental" mystery coin And, as stated in the Ebay listing, examples have sold for as much as nearly 2 grand (I'd love to peep those examples). Per usual, Ed, your post is illuminating and raises more questions For ease of reading here is the description from the linked Ebay coin: "GREEK, Asia Minor (?), Uncertain Mint. Circa 450 - 400 BC. AR Hemitetartemorion or tetartemorion (6.55 mm – 0.14 grams). Uncertain / Head of roaring lion left; V in upper left field; all within incuse square. Apparently unpublished (except for its sale appearances) Ex Nomos AG, Winter-Spring FPL (2012), 44 (asking price $2,600.00) Ex Hauck & Aufhäuser Auction 15 (2000), 95 (sold for $1,800.00) Research: A truly enigmatic coin. By the early fifth century BC the obverse types on Greek coinage typically served as a civic emblem to identify the issuing authority. However, this mid-to-late fifth century coin is a rare exception as nothing exactly like this remarkable design has been seen before and at present its symbolism is a true mystery. It consists of two crescent shaped objects back to back. One crescent has a pellet attached to the tip of one end and two lines forming a V-shape at the tip of the other end. The second crescent is plain with no attachments and has a greater arc to its semicircular shape. Two other pellets are positioned just below the pellet attached to the crescent, with one to the left and other to the right. Although I am not convinced that the asymmetrical design represents two crescents, I cannot offer a satisfactory alternative and will continue to describe them in this manner. Unfortunately, the reverse type featuring a roaring lion’s head is such a common coin type throughout the Greek world that it provides no information pointing to a mint, or even a particular province. Dr. Alan Walker of Nomos AG wrote (see provenance): “This is a truly bizarre coin. It was sold as uncertain Asia Minor, but the types themselves are inconclusive. The curious obverse pattern is paralleled both by some early electrum and by rather later Celtic issues from Britain and Gaul (?). As for the lion’s head, it could certainly also be from Asia Minor, but the possibility that the lion’s mane was also used as the fronds of a palm tree suggests that it could well be western! If there was ever a coin that needed further research, this is the one.” All things considered, this may symbolize an ornamental or floral motif though these types were more commonly found on earlier archaic coinage and in a much different form." If the coin is from Kyzikos why would the lions image devolve despite the coin no longer needing the archaic incuse reverse? How would a seemingly Celtic obverse design make it all the way from England to Turkey? Why would Kyzikos switch the lion to the reverse? If Celtic, I've not seen such a drastic juxtaposition as the image on the reverse and design on the obverse from them. What does it mean??? You have pals that used to write for the Celator? I LOVE The Celator! We need to start a petition for them to bring back thre Celator #nomoreCelatorskelter!
What a magnificent piece, Terrence. Thanks so much for sharing her. I say "her" as Spuds was a female History and art repeating itself?? ... not so much
Lost in SHAG carpeting! How on earth did she find it? The ol' vacuum cleaner with a piece of hosiery stretched across the nozzle? Those itty bitty coins can be a real pain but I love them anyway. This lion and pig tidbit is one I keep meaning to acquire but so far have failed. Yours is very attractive. Apparently I have no Greek coins from Kyzikos! How can that be when they are so cool?! Maybe it's time for a Vcoins excursion . Mysia I can do. From Pergamon, the largest city in Mysia: KINGS of PERGAMON, Eumenes I 263-241 BCE AR tetradrachm 29 mm, 16.94 gm Obv: head of Philetairos right, wearing laurel wreath Rev: ΦIΛETAIPOY; Athena enthroned left, right hand resting on shield set at her feet, gorgon on shield; left elbow resting on small sphinx seated right; transverse spear in background, ivy leaf above knee, monogram on throne, bow to right Ref: BMC Greek (Mysia) 31, p.115; SNG France 1606–9 Formerly slabbed, NGC Ch AU 5/5 3/5, Fine Style Ex Dr. Spencer Paterson Collection of Ancient coins, Great Collections 15 Sept 2019 A 9 mm beauty (so dang hard to take focused pictures of these!) MYSIA, Pitane AE, 4th-3rd c. BCE 9 mm, 0.64 gm Obv: Head of Zeus Ammon right Rev: ΠΙΤΑ; Pentagram, branch in center Ref: BMC 5-10 var. (pellet in center) A favorite flying pig: MYSIA, Kisthene Orontes, satrap of Mysia, c. 357-352 BCE AR Half Siglos or Tetrobol; 13 mm, 2.75 gm Obv: Nude hoplite crouching left behind shield, spear at ready Rev: Forepart of winged boar right Ref: Troxell, Orontes 4; SNG France 1164A (Lampsakos); SNG von Aulock Very rare. ex X6 Collection One of my earliest attempts at animating a coin: Peloponnesian war coin: A bunch of itty bitties: I've added many more little coins since the above composite but am behind on photograph and cataloging! Here's a notable one, made "famous" here on CT by @Severus Alexander when he skillfully deployed the coin and writeup in the 2018 Coin Imperator match. (edited imaged from Sev) Magnesia ad Maeandrum under Themistocles, 465-459 BCE AR hemiobol, 0.35g 7.5mm Obv: Barley grain with Θ to left, E to right Rev: Male head right (Apollo?), (flanked by M A?) Reference: Nollé and Wenninger Th 5c Another coin I should have shown long before now, an incredibly thoughtful gift from @rrdenarius! The reverse looks like my TIF logo . IONIA, Kolophon circa 450-410 BCE AR tetartemorion I can't find my scales but the flip insert says 0.2 gm; 6 x 7 mm Obv: laureate head of Apollo right Rev: TE monogram (bottom leg of E off flan) within incuse square. Ref: Milne, Colophon 31 (unverified) Here's the mischievous monkey mentioned upthread: MACEDON, uncertain c. 500 BCE AR 5 mm, 0.26 gm Obv: monkey squatting left Rev: round shield or pellet within incuse square Ref: "Uncertain Thraco-Macedonian Coins, Part II", Nomismatika Khronika (1998), 67 Dropped it on Berber carpeting shortly after opening the package. Took a while to find it!
Great coin and write up as always @Ryro ! I’ll throw in a couple of very humble Roman era coins for the thread.
What an excellent tiny enigma, @Ryro. Congrats on the score, and bravo to Mrs Ryro for rescuing it from shag carpet hell. I don't have anything similar to show, but here's another uncertain Asia Minor (Kyzikos?) fraction. ASIA MINOR, Uncertain (Kyzikos?) AR Hemiobol. 0.26g, 6.8mm, Uncertain mint, possibly MYSIA, Kyzikos (?), circa 525-475 BC. Apparently unpublished; cf. CNG 213, lot 151); G&N Pecunem 15, lot 168. O: Head of Attis right, wearing Phrygian cap. R: Quadripartite incuse square.
Those are really interesting. We don't have Celts in the region til 277 or so. I can't find much on their early coinage, though they're minting lion type reverses by the 1st century: Source: https://balkancelts.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/coins-of-the-galatian-kings/ Also are they cup shaped??? I thought we didnt see coins like that for another 1500 years
The HIMYARITE KINGDOM begs to differ! Funny little concave coins of very obscure rulers. HIMYARITE KINGDOM, Amdān Bayān Yahaqbiḍ. Denomination: AR Drachm, minted: Raydan (?); 100-120 AD Obv: Head right within dotted circle interrupted by monogram Rev: Small head right; 'scepter' to right Weight: 0g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: (unsure): CAF 3.4ii, fig. 168. Raydan mint. Provenance: Ex. van Eldijk ; acq.: 10-2019
I'm working on improving the photo editing/processing part. Pretty soon I'll work on the actual photo taking improving part. Especially if I'm going to try and show these small guys on here. Bear with me.. heh MYSIA. Kyzikos. 6th Century BC. AR Hemiobol (7mm 0.58g) O: Tunny right, lotus flower and stem below. R: Quadripartite incuse square. Unpublished?
Valentinian, I picked up this one for the same reason. The almost comical expression of the Emperor and the uneven lettering give it a certain "style" that appeals to me. Phocas, AD 602-610. Æ Follis (31mm, 10,35g, 1h). Cyzicus Mint, 2nd officina. Dated RY 4 (AD 605/606). Obv: ∂ И FOCAS PЄRP AV[G]; Crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa in his right hand and cruciform scepter in his left, cross to left. Rev: Large XXXX, ANNO IIII (date) above and to right, KYZB in exergue. Ref: DOC -; SB 665. Very Fine, dark patina with sandy highlights. Ex Savoca. From The Tareq Hani collection.