Two Tripods One Haron - Kroton Nomos

Yes the title does sound like a recipe for some serious bird watching.

A longtime on the list finally the gods have sought fit for me to own one. The Kroton nomos, an interesting archaic coin, from Greek Italy. Struck in fine silver these tripods are a symbol of Apollo and patron deity of the city.

This coin still retains a bit of detail considering its advanced age. The legs of the tripod end in lions feet. On the obverse the tripod is flanked by legend to the left and Bennu to right. The reverse is of the same tripod but in the recess. The reverse also has a very odd border around the central design. I can fully appreciate the workmanship of the coin and the amount of effort put forth.

Here is a great picture of Bennu. Come to find out is connect to the phoenix and is a symbol of rebirth and renewal.


Italy, Bruttium, Kroton
Anonymous Civic Coinage (BC 530-520)
AR Nomos 24 mm x 7.77 grams
Obverse ϘPO left field, Lion legged Tripod center , Bennu bird standing facing left.
Reverse Tripod in recess.
Ref: SNG ANS 227

 

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Love that coin ANoob! Incuse designs are always cool.

 

I think @dougsmit has one of these but smaller and scarcer?

 

Hmm? What you talking about?

Yeah, Doug's examples are pretty cool.

 

Ha saw it before you fixed it, you confused me with Doug....hahaha...I take that as a compliment.

 

I really like your coin Nate.
Unfortunately, (for me) I don't have a coin to 'rival' it, but I just finished cataloguing a 'Tripod' of my own when you put yours up. I believe mine to be:-

SICILY, Tauromenion 358-225 B.C.
Obv: Laureate Head of Apollo left
Rev: TAYPOMENITAN, tripod lebes
Bronze AE 20 mm., 5.1 gm., SEAR 1243; BMC 46;SNG Cop 923-5



If my attribution is wrong, please tell me.

 

Closest that I have is a different die broken in the same place as the OP. The small one someone might remember from me is from Metapontum. I would like an example from each city that issued this fabric but am a long way off.

My favorite Kroton is a later stater after they abandoned the incuse reverses. While worn, you can see the eagle on deer head clearly.

 

oh wow, what a great coin AN...i really love these. high on my list...but more like my fantasy list considering the price of most.

 

That's a nice one, anoob... high on my list too.

 

A great type-- nice score!

 

Sweet new tripod addition, Noob ... congrats (very, very cool)

Ummm, I have a couple as well (wanna see 'em?)

Philippi AE17
356-345 BC
Herakles & Tripod



Ponton Amisos, Mithridates VI
125-100 BC
Artemis Head & Tripod

 

I was wondering where you were at Steve. I knew you had some sweet tripods.

I have another small tripod here on this coin of Antiochus I Soter.

Seleucid Kingdom
Antiochus I Soter (r. BC 281-261).
AR Tetradrachm 30 mm x 17.11 grams
Seleucia on the Tigris
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus right
Reverse: Apollo seated left on omphalus, examining arrow held in right hand and resting left on grounded bow. Tripod in left field. Monogram right field.

 

Great OP coin, noob, and wonderful additions from everyone! This coin is Jack's now, but I'll toss it in as one of the nicest tripods I've found on Seleucid bronze...


Antiochos II Theos, 261 - 246 BC
Æ18, 4.6g, 12h; Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint.
Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo right, hair falling in spiral curls down neck and beneath ear;
Rev.: Tripod lebes with lion paw feet; ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ downward on right right, ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ downward on left, monograms outer left and outer right; controls, outer left.
Reference: SNG Cop 95; SNG Spaer 362; BMC Seleucid 13, p. 15.

And I've always enjoyed John Collier's Priestess of Delphi (1891)...

 

Jack is a luck guy. Fairly nice Seleucid bronze, most are really groddy. Now the painting is great, nothing better than an ancient pretty lady sitting on a tripod high on Methane gas. Magical to say the least.

 

Methane, lol. It's supposed to symbolize pneuma, the breath of life. But the Delphic priestesses were breathing in some hallucinogenic fragrances. Ancient stoners - with a religious twist.

 

Aww you guys...(for everyone else I'm Jack)

Thanks for posting the painting John, it is beautiful. I knew about the ladies huffing the gas but I didn't know they sat on the tripods. I thought there were altars. Not sure why I thought that...

 

*edit*

been there

 

Both. You had your sitting tripods and your sacrificial tripods.

 

I have a tripod on a tiny coin from Kroton

Bruttium, Kroton
480-440 BC
AR diobol .67gm - 9 mm
Obv: Tripod in linear circle
Rev: Thunderbolt/fulmen between two annulets OO (to mark the denomination)

 

I've seen Anoobs tripod coin in hand. It is quite nice to look at but it leaves me with a question about the old inverse relief coins. All the coins that I have seen have the obverse & reverse always perfectly oriented as though the two dies were somehow hinged. Anoob's coin has the obverse & reverse not perfectly aligned. I'd like to know your comments & experience with this type of ancient.