Tiny masterpieces/Great things in small currencies

I have nothing comparable to the wonderfully tiny coins some of you have posted, but here are my two smallest ancient coins:

Mysia, Kyzikos, AR Diobol, ca. 450-400 BCE. Obv. Forepart of boar left; to right, tunny [tuna] upwards. Rev. Head of roaring lion left within incuse square. Seaby 3846 [Sear, David, Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. 2: Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979)]; Von Fritze II, Group II, No. 9 (p. 36) [Von Fritze, H., "Die Silberprägung von Kyzikos" in Nomisma IX (1914), at pp. 34 - 56]; BMC 15 Mysia 108-113 [Wroth, Warwick, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 15, Mysia (London, 1892) at pp. 34-35]; SNG BnF 361-366 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France, Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothéque Nationale, Vol. 5, Mysia (Paris 2001)]. 10 mm., 1.22 g., 6 h.



Thrace, Apollonia Pontika [now Sozopol, Bulgaria], AR Drachm, ca. 450-500 BCE. Obv. Upright anchor with large flukes and curved stock; “A” [for Apollonia] to left and crayfish to right between flukes and stock / Rev. Facing gorgoneion (Medusa), wavy hair parted in middle, 16 thin, open-mouthed snakes around head as additional hair or crown, puffy cheeks, mouth open, tongue protruding (but not extending below chin), all within shallow incuse. Goldsborough Type 3 [Goldsborough, Reid, Apollonia Pontika Drachms (see https://web.archive.org/web/20141115000124/http://medusacoins.reidgold.com/apollonia.html), Catalogue of Types]; Seaby 1655 var. (crayfish to left, A to right) [Sear, David, Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. 1: Europe (Seaby 1978); Topalov 41-42 [Topalov, Stavri, Apollonia Pontika: Contribution to the Study of the Coin Minting of the City 6th - 1st c. B.C., Catalogue of Apollonia Coins, 7th-1st c. B.C. (Sofia, 2007) (English Translation, Kindle edition)]; BMC 15 Mysia 8-10 [Wroth, Warwick, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 15, Mysia (London, 1892) at pp. 8-9]; SNG.BM.159; see also id. Nos. 154-158 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain, Volume IX, British Museum, Part 1: The Black Sea (London, 1993)] [online ID SNGuk_0901_0159 ]. 14 mm., 2.96 g., 3 h.

 

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Very nice examples in this thread!

Here's an obol that I received as a thank you gift for another purchase. It and the other coin came from a US contractor who was working in Afghanistan. Both coins were purchased in Kabul a few years ago.

This diminutive coin of Eucratides, c. 171-145 BCE, weighs 069 grams.

As this type goes, it is a pretty decent example, generally well centered and of good metal quality.

MIG 181, Bop 9

 

Did not see much Roman in there, so here is the smallest coin in the collection - a fantastic early æ half-unit.



Roman Republic. Ca. 235-231 BC. Æ Half-Unit (12mm, 1.37 g, 7h). Rome mint.

Obverse: Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet.

Reverse: Dog standing right, left forepaw raised in pointing stance; ROMA in exergue.

Reference: Crawford 26/4.

Provenance: Heritage Auctions, Weekly auction 231923 (29 May 2019), Ex Goodman collection, Triton I (2 December 1997), lot 842; Ex Virgil Brand (1862-1926) collection, Part VII (Sotheby's , 25 October 1984, lot 478 (part of). Ex Niklovitz collection, Leo Hamburger (19 October 1925), lot 221.

 

Thanks so much for digging this up and for sharing that itty-bitty cutie! I can't tell if it looks more like Ole honest Abe is gonna fight that lion or kiss it!
Here are a couple more bite size (more like nibble size) pieces of fun that I've picked up since.
I'll start with this MASSIVE honker with some love tiny detail:

Macedonia, Neapolis, Hemidrachm, 424-350 BC (14 mm, 1,80 gr)
Obverse: facing gorgoneion with protruding tongue Reverse: head of the nymph of Neapolis to right, her hair coiled around her head and with a bun at the back, around Ν-Ε / Ο-Π. Purchased from Savoca June 2021


These coins are already tiny, but with 2/3 is his face off flan he looks minute:

Ionia. Miletos circa 520-480 BC.
Diobol AR
11 mm, 1,17 g
very fine



MOESIA. Istrus. 5th-4th centuries BC. AR hemiobol (8 mm, 0.50 gm). VF. Facing male heads, the right inverted / IΣTPIH, sea-eagle left, grasping dolphin with talons; Θ below tail feathers.


Think this is Athena?:

Ionia. Phokaia circa 521-478 BC.
Diobol AR
9 mm, 1,13 g
very fine

And lastly a little dude that is all @Pavlos fault:

Lesbos, Methymna, Hemiobol, ca. 350-240 BC; AR (g 0,31; mm 7; h 9); Facing head of Silenos, Rv. Tortoise within incuse circle. Franke -. HGC 6, 900-901. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG von Aulock -.
Purchased from Savoca April 2021

 

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