Two nice Greek bronzes, but can't find them

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Brian Bucklan, May 26, 2018.

  1. Brian Bucklan

    Brian Bucklan Well-Known Member

    These two are kind of aggravating me. One is extremely nice and the other has a distinctive reverse design, but I can't seem to identify either. Help!

    First: Looks like a coin of Cilicia. 15mm

    Ox: Bust of Tyche
    Rx; Nike standing left

    Tyche Nike Unknown.jpg


    Second: Probably Antioch. 16mm

    Ox: Bust of Apollo, legend to right
    Rx: ETO()-ZE; Central figure of ?, caduceus to left and branch to right

    Apollo etoy Unknown.jpg

    Any ideas?
     
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  3. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    Man, I don't know...is that a tropod? Antoich had a thing for tripods. And maybe a thyrsos?

    Maybe Dionysos instead of Apollo also?
     
  4. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Hmm, I thought the first one would be relatively easy but I've also struck out. Even Ed's ISEGRIM interface didn't hit anything. Bust of Tyche right / Nike walking (advancing, flying) left is common enough but I can't find that with the "...ΩNK" reverse legend.

    The second coin's reverse has a blockiness which calls to mind some crude coins of the Levant but the obverse is at odds with that. Is the reverse a facing Hermes, since there is a caduceus? Who else is associated with a caduceus? Nemesis? Hermanubis (he's often shown with a caduceus and a palm branch and there is a non-palm branch on this coin)? Is that even a person or deity or as Chris postulated, is it a tripod or table or trophy? It's an interesting challenge and I'm going to spend more time on it this morning.
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2018
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  5. Brian Bucklan

    Brian Bucklan Well-Known Member

    Thanks @TIF : Did a little more research and I found a piece from Syria with a different design, but it used a reverse inscription of (city name) TΩN KAI which fits this one. Just not sure if the two large letter in left field (Z-I) are part of the name.

    @chrsmat71 : Could definitely be Dionysos. The reverse is odd and I guess it could be a lyre. I've seen a lyre-bucranium combination used but it didn't really look like this. I will check it out though. Thanks!
     
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  6. Brian Bucklan

    Brian Bucklan Well-Known Member

    Ed Snible, Andres2 and TIF like this.
  7. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    The reverse on the second one reads ETOC ZE, which means year 12. I'm thinking some city that indicated years in this way, such as Neapolis in Samaria.

    The figure with the caduceus and branch may be Eutychia, the Greek equivalent of Felicitas.
     
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