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<p>[QUOTE="Pavlos, post: 7769000, member: 96635"]Interesting, I did not see that before on a litra. Nice coin too!</p><p><br /></p><p>I have a couple of coins that somehow show the denomination.</p><p><br /></p><p>First, an obvious one, an abbreviation of tetartemorion. Kolophon also did the same for their hemiobols.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/uaEVK2Y.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>Ionia, Kolophon. AR Tetartemorion, circa 500-450 B.C. Persic standard.</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Facing head of Apollo.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Monogram of TE (mark of value) within incuse square.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> Milne, Colophon, 7. SNG Kayhan 356.</p><p>0.25g; 7mm</p><p><i>Ex Münzen & Medaillen GmbH 36, 30 May 2012, 412.</i></p><p><i>Ex Münzen & Medaillen GmbH 30, 28 May 2009, 476.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><img src="https://i.imgur.com/0LONNt1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></i></p><p><b>Ionia, Kolophon. AR Tetartemorion, circa 450-410 B.C. Persic standard.</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Laureate head of Apollo to right.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Monogram of TE (mark of value) within square incuse</p><p><b>Reference:</b> Milne, Colophon, 31. SNG Kayhan 358.</p><p>0.32g; 7mm</p><p><br /></p><p>Then a bronze coin that shows it denomination by a ΔX monogram. Δ being the 4th letter of the Greek alphabet, followed by X for χαλκοῦς (Attic Greek) or χάλκεος (Ionic Greek), meaning Chalkous. In other words a tetrachalkon.</p><p>See a write up about this special coin here: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/special-seleukid-elephant-coin-from-ekbatana.343802/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/special-seleukid-elephant-coin-from-ekbatana.343802/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/special-seleukid-elephant-coin-from-ekbatana.343802/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/bFHoidW.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>Alexander I Balas (152/1-145 BC). AE Tetrachalkon. Ekbatana mint, 150-147 B.C.</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Diademed and draped bust of Alexander Balas right.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY ΘEOΠATOPOΣ EYEPΓETOY (“of King Alexander, Son of a Divine Father and Benefactor”). Elephant standing right; ΔX monogram above.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> SC 1876; HGC 9, 894.</p><p>6.28g; 21mm</p><p><br /></p><p>Then this is a quite unusual way to show the denomination of small silver fractions. I can imagine it must be hard for an ancient person to see the difference between an obol and a hemiobol (or other tiny fractions). Perhaps the locals were familiar about the design for each denomination and could separate it this way. But let's say there is a traveler, who has no clue about this and is new to the poleis, what then? Boeotia had a plan.</p><p><br /></p><p>An Obol shows a full shield on the obverse:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/gVxTwkk.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>Boeotia, Tanagra. AR Obol. Early-mid 4th century B.C.</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Boeotian shield.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Τ-Α Forepart of a horse to right; below, grape bunch.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> BCD Boeotia 297. SNG Copenhagen 227.</p><p>0.71g; 10mm</p><p><br /></p><p>But a hemiobol, being half of an obol, could be differentiated by a half shield!</p><p>I think it is the first time I show this coin on the forum:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1332176[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Boeotia, Thebes. AR Hemiobol. Circa 405-395 BC. </b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Half Boeotian shield.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> Grape bunch on vine.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> BCD Boiotia 464b.</p><p>0.33g; 8.5mm</p><p><i>Ex. CNG, E-Auction 344, lot 60</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Boeotia went really far and even did 3x a half shield for a trihemiobol (not mine):</p><p><img src="https://www.cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/720623.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><a href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=84391" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=84391" rel="nofollow">https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=84391</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Should we go even further?</p><p><img src="https://www.cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/710452.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>One shield and a half for a Trihemitetartemorion</p><p><a href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=75370" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=75370" rel="nofollow">https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=75370</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I guess they were extremely unpopular hence the extreme rarity.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Pavlos, post: 7769000, member: 96635"]Interesting, I did not see that before on a litra. Nice coin too! I have a couple of coins that somehow show the denomination. First, an obvious one, an abbreviation of tetartemorion. Kolophon also did the same for their hemiobols. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/uaEVK2Y.jpg[/IMG] [B]Ionia, Kolophon. AR Tetartemorion, circa 500-450 B.C. Persic standard. Obverse:[/B] Facing head of Apollo. [B]Reverse:[/B] Monogram of TE (mark of value) within incuse square. [B]Reference:[/B] Milne, Colophon, 7. SNG Kayhan 356. 0.25g; 7mm [I]Ex Münzen & Medaillen GmbH 36, 30 May 2012, 412. Ex Münzen & Medaillen GmbH 30, 28 May 2009, 476. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/0LONNt1.jpg[/IMG][/I] [B]Ionia, Kolophon. AR Tetartemorion, circa 450-410 B.C. Persic standard. Obverse:[/B] Laureate head of Apollo to right. [B]Reverse:[/B] Monogram of TE (mark of value) within square incuse [B]Reference:[/B] Milne, Colophon, 31. SNG Kayhan 358. 0.32g; 7mm Then a bronze coin that shows it denomination by a ΔX monogram. Δ being the 4th letter of the Greek alphabet, followed by X for χαλκοῦς (Attic Greek) or χάλκεος (Ionic Greek), meaning Chalkous. In other words a tetrachalkon. See a write up about this special coin here: [URL]https://www.cointalk.com/threads/special-seleukid-elephant-coin-from-ekbatana.343802/[/URL] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bFHoidW.jpg[/IMG] [B]Alexander I Balas (152/1-145 BC). AE Tetrachalkon. Ekbatana mint, 150-147 B.C. Obverse:[/B] Diademed and draped bust of Alexander Balas right. [B]Reverse:[/B] BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY ΘEOΠATOPOΣ EYEPΓETOY (“of King Alexander, Son of a Divine Father and Benefactor”). Elephant standing right; ΔX monogram above. [B]Reference:[/B] SC 1876; HGC 9, 894. 6.28g; 21mm Then this is a quite unusual way to show the denomination of small silver fractions. I can imagine it must be hard for an ancient person to see the difference between an obol and a hemiobol (or other tiny fractions). Perhaps the locals were familiar about the design for each denomination and could separate it this way. But let's say there is a traveler, who has no clue about this and is new to the poleis, what then? Boeotia had a plan. An Obol shows a full shield on the obverse: [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/gVxTwkk.jpg[/IMG] [B]Boeotia, Tanagra. AR Obol. Early-mid 4th century B.C. Obverse:[/B] Boeotian shield. [B]Reverse:[/B] Τ-Α Forepart of a horse to right; below, grape bunch. [B]Reference:[/B] BCD Boeotia 297. SNG Copenhagen 227. 0.71g; 10mm But a hemiobol, being half of an obol, could be differentiated by a half shield! I think it is the first time I show this coin on the forum: [ATTACH=full]1332176[/ATTACH] [B]Boeotia, Thebes. AR Hemiobol. Circa 405-395 BC. Obverse:[/B] Half Boeotian shield. [B]Reverse:[/B] Grape bunch on vine. [B]Reference:[/B] BCD Boiotia 464b. 0.33g; 8.5mm [I]Ex. CNG, E-Auction 344, lot 60 [/I] Boeotia went really far and even did 3x a half shield for a trihemiobol (not mine): [IMG]https://www.cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/720623.jpg[/IMG] [URL]https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=84391[/URL] Should we go even further? [IMG]https://www.cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/710452.jpg[/IMG] One shield and a half for a Trihemitetartemorion [URL]https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=75370[/URL] I guess they were extremely unpopular hence the extreme rarity.[/QUOTE]
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This is NOT an obol
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