I had two tiny Greek coins, one an electrum 1/24 stater from Phocaea (about 600 BC), a seal's head on obv., the reverse incuse. 7 mm, .69 gr. And a AR tetartemorion from Colophon (about 450-400 BC), that's 1/24 drachm. Head of Apollo to the right on obv., reverse a stork and the monogram TE - one of not so many Ancient coins bearing its denomination. 7 mm, .24 gr. For 35 years, it was the smallest coin in my possession. But this one (it came in today) is much smaller! Apparently, it's an AR 1/96 stater from either Milete or Erythrae in the west of Anatolia, 520-480 BC. Obv. a whirl (!). Rev. a rosette. 4 mm, .12 gr! A great coin, being that small! And I love the whirl, a phenomenon of nature that musthave baffled the Ancients.
wow, that is a wee lil' baby, eh? (pretty sure that beats my smallest) ... I'm gonna go check => congrats, either way Man, that is a tiny coin!! (totally awesome) NOTE: I'm sure that some of our cool CoinTalk followers would "hate" having a coin that is sooooo small, eh? (that's why this place is so fricken cool!) => there are enough normal and weird coins to go around!!
Even smaller than the 5th century LRB. Man, that is one tiny coin! How would the mint even strike it?
Those three great coins. I have fallen in love with these tiny coins. As I've said before, it baffles the mind how the heck the engravers were able to do what they did. I believe my smallest are from Caria: CARIA, KASOLABA AR Hemiobol OBV: Head of ram right REV: Head of young male right Struck at Caria, Kasolaba, circa 420-400 BC .5g; 8mm Konuk, Kasolaba 10; SNG Keckman 883-902 MYLASA, CARIA AR Tetartemorion OBVERSE: Lion's head left with reversed foreleg below REVERSE: Lion's scalp facing, flanked by leg on both sides, in incuse circle Struck at Mylasa, 392-376 BC .2g, 6mm SNG Keckman I 837-846 (lion left)
Congrats again on your sweet OP-score (it's fricken tiny) => here are a few of my wee examples ... Mysia, Kyzikos AR Hemiobol Date: 600-480 BC Diameter: 6.5 mm Weight: 0.23 grams Obverse: Tunny fish right Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square IONIA, Erythrai. AR Hemiobol Circa 480-450 BC Diameter: 6 mm Weight: 0.29 grams Obverse: Rosette Reverse: Simpler rosette within incuse square MACEDON, Mende. AR Tritartemorion Circa 460-423 BC Diameter: 10 mm Weight: 0.62 grams Obverse: Ass standing right Reverse: Crow standing left within incuse square MACEDON, Mende. AR Hemiobol Circa 460-423 BC Diameter: 8 mm Weight: 0.33 grams Obverse: Forepart of ass right Reverse: Kantharos within incuse square => here is my smallest and coolest coin (one of my top five favourites!!) IONIA, Ephesos, AR Tetartemorion Circa 500-420 BC Diameter: 5 x 8 mm Weight: 0.17 grams Obverse: Bee Reverse: Head of eagle right within incuse square wow => your OP-coin at 0.12 grams is a real winner
Aha! Erythrai, eh. I already thought Miletus was improbable: that's where the lions and boars roam, not the whirls. Your obverse is more like a sunflower, though. I just found a possible identification for the whirl or rosette, in Wikipedia, here. The small city of Erythrai was famous for the production of millstones! So - maybe it's that.
It was quite common for coins to be carried in practically the only place possible where they didn't risk being lost - but being swallowed accidentally must surely have happened often. Some of the coins like the 1/96th of a stater above are quite rare because they are not easily found in digs - but they must have been much more common when they actually circulated.
@Pellinore - great FIND! Great looking tiny-coin! I am also amazed as to how they cut the die, carefully hammered them, then carrying them (mouth, purse, HAND???), and also as to where they all went. Being so small, it would be easy to lose them and missing them today in digs /hoards being so small. I have a few small ones... Uncert West Asia Minor Karia 5th C BC AR tetartermorion 5mm 0.15g Female - Frprt Bull r Kayhan 968 exc rght Iona Kolophon AR Tetartemorion 530-520 BCE Archaic Apollo Incuse Punch 0.15g 4.5mm- SNG Kayhan 343 Ionia AR Tetartemorion 4mm 0.13g 530-500 BCE Rosette - Incuse sq punch 5 pellets SNG von Aulock 1807 (my smallest diameter) Persia Achaemenid Empire Darius I 510-486 BC AR 0.11g 5mm 1/32nd Siglos Persian hero-king in running incuse Klein 758 Rare (my lightest weight)
That's a really cool one, Pellinore. The idea that the device may represent a millstone is very intriguing! My smallest: IONIA, Teos AR Tetartemorion. 0.14g, 4.7mm, IONIA, Teos, circa 540-478 BC. Cf. CNG 63, lot 506. O: Head of griffin left. R: Quadripartite incuse square with raised central pellet.
My luck, I'd lose a coin that small. It makes one wonder how something that tiny practically circulated. Congrats on acquiring a miniature masterpiece!
Neat coins! Ar 0.249g, 6.7mm maybe Elea(Elia?), Aeolis, AR Hemiobol. Late 5th century BC. Head of Athena left, in crested helmet / E L A I, around olive wreath, all within incuse square. SNG Cop 164
Sweet coins @Pellinore! I'll have to get a gold one now. CARIA, Satraps of. Hekatomnos. 395-377 BC. AR Tetartemorion Obv: Head of a roaring lion left. Rev: Facing head of Apollo 6mm, 0.25 gm.
Instead of asking random questions Doug, you could look it up: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000023815377;view=1up;seq=1
