Your favorite coins by century.

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fred13 => at the pace we're travellin', we'll be there in a couple of months!!

 

Time travel is so slow......

 

Perhaps we should realize there is a downside to these long threads and people won't read the first page to see the gameplan was to spend three days on each century including the 21st which would come up in about 75 more days. Of coure the modern post could just be someone who doesn't like ancients people taking over their Coin Talk which you have to admit we did. We each will have our preferences but I would have preferred starting a new thread for each century so there would be clarity on that page that this was the place to show coins of that particular century. Will we have enough interest among our group here to keep this moving to the end? Will I get flak from someone if I post a US coin when we get to the appropriate century? Stay tuned.

 

Here's a 4th-century BC coin that certainly won't win any beauty pageants, but I'm always fascinated with issues struck by one ruler in the name of another. This is technically a coin of Alexander the Great, issued by the Cypriot king Nikokreon.

Cyprus had been a vassal of the Persian Empire prior to the rise of Alexander III. After the Macedonian victories at Granicus and Issus, it became clear that Alexander was going to conquer the Persians in the East, and the Cypriot kings rose up against their Persian overlords, declaring their allegiance to Alexander. Eventually, Alexander's empire would encompass a wide swath of the Near East...



As you can see, Cyprus was well-situated to establish lines of communication and trade between Greece, Phoenicia, and Egypt. This coin was acquired by me from a Cypriot dealer, perhaps in violation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Cyprus concerning the export of antiquities (which amounts to an embargo), but I wasn't aware of the issues at the time of purchase. It's a very complicated business that I don't fully understand.

 

I suggest that we up-the-pace and change the century every day, rather than waiting 3 days ... sure, a few coiners may miss-out posting one of their coins, but in general the members that post their examples can usually be found lurking around CT on a daily basis, right?

... I'm just sayin'

NOTE => I'm a loyal team-player and I'm sure that'll I'll continue posting to whatever format is determined

 

Yeah, that sounds fine to me. Doug is right. This is going to take forever. Let's move on to the 3rd-century BC today. One century per day, and if anyone has a burning desire to back-track for a coin or two, that's OK too.

 

Fine by me. I'm on here every day anyway.

 

Okay then ...

=> 3rd century it is ...

CARTHAGE Æ20
Circa 300-264 BC
Diameter: 20 mm
Weight: 4.79 grams
Obverse: Wreathed head of Tanit left
Reverse: Horse’s head right; palm tree before, pellet below





I found this tidbit kinda interesting ...

... ummm, but not a very happy tidbit if you're a Carthaginian

 

This 2nd offering is one of my all-time favourite coins ...


Sicily, Syracuse: Agathokles Æ24
317-289 BC
Diameter: 23.9mm
Weight: 9.26gm
Obverse: Diademed head of the young Herakles left, ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ before
Reverse: The Nemean lion striding right, club above, ΣΩ in exergue
Reference: Calciati II, p290, 150, R1 7; c.f. SNG ANS 733ff
Other: superior portrait with sculpted features usually represented by simpler forms

 

You're all aware of my interest in Nabataeans, so here is a comparison between a common Ptolemaic bronze, Svoronos 711 and a proto-Nabataean of Athena/Nike typology, overstruck on a Ptolemaic issue. The Ptolemaic bronze was definitely struck in the 3rd-century, but the dating of the Nabataean is uncertain. A range could be proposed anywhere from the late 3rd-century to the 1st...

 

I occasionally have to enforce a Carthaginian peace on my kids.

 

As before it is really hard to choose and I'll have to apologize to my 3rd century 'also ran' losers but here are three coins of the 200's BC that I hope you all don't have but would like to see.

Demetrios Poliorketes (besieger of cities) 294-288 BC AR tetradrachm

I bought this coin because it was damaged enough that I could afford it and even I occasionally get the urge for big silver. We see nike on a prow and Poseidon hurling his trident.


Far up in my favorite coins is this Ptolemy II (Egypt - 251 BC) overdate showing year 34 cut over year 33 (delta over the gamma following the lambda on the reverse). Die corrections are not common. This belonged to a friend who died 25 years ago now and I felt lucky to get it when his coins were sold. To most people it is just a low grade Ptolemaic silver but it is special to me.


To keep me from being a specialist in large silver dogs, I'll show an AE15 that I really wish were in better condition. It is from the Brettian League of 215-205 BC and shows a crab on each side. The one on the obverse is serving as a hat for the marine goddess Amphitrite.

...and now, the rest of the story. I like this coin and it is not in bad condition for my collection standards but it makes me think of another example of this coin I saw at a show not long after I bought this one. It belonged to Brian Kritt, a show only dealer of impeccable tastes. Brian never sells ugly coins. He also knows more about coins than any ten dealers have any right to know. His little crabby was the sharpest, best struck coin with the prettiest green patina that I have ever seen. Yes, he wanted well over five times what I paid for this one but you could see parts of the crab bodies that never show on big coins let alone AE15's. I don't know who eventually bought that coin but I still remember how it glowed in that tray calling to my deaf and cheapskate ears. I probably have a better coin for #3 of the third century but this is what you get along with the lecture. When one coin calls your name. Answer. When every coin calls you name. Ask your wife what to do.

 

I had not seen the double-crab type before, Doug - marvelous! As far as asking my wife what to do, uh...I think I'll pass.

 

Egypt..3rd century..
Ptolemy lll Euergetes...
Ae 42
Obv. Diademed head of Zesus Ammom right.
Rev.Eagle standing left on thunderbolts,
cornucopia in field to right.
42mm x 70g. Monster...

Ptolemy lll Euergetes was the oldest son of ptolemy ll. his first wife Arsinoe l.
he came to power in 246 BC. after the death of his Father.
Ptolemy lll was responsible for the first know example of a series of decrees published
as bilingual inscriptions on massive stone blocks in there writing systems.

 

That's a monster, John.

 

Your time traveling antic has unbalanced the universe. We are all doomed now....

 

SICULO PUNIC,
SICILY, Entella.
AR Tetradrachm.
300-289 B.C.

16.72 grams, 23 mm
Obv: Head of Hercules rt. in lion skin
Rev: Horse head left with date palm tree
behind & MHSBM in exergue
[Mint of the Quaestors] series 5b
Grade: aEF nice detail centered & toned
only MHSBM in exergue is weak
Other: Carthaginian mercenary coin ☺
Sim. Sear 6438, SNG.Cop.91, Jen
From Pegasi Numismatics 4/2013

 

Zeugitania, Carthage
Obv: Bust of Tanit facing left and wreathed with corn
Rev: Bust and neck of horse facing right
300-264 BC

 

My oldest Roman Republican:

ANONYMOUS ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, X
REVERSE: The Dioscuri galloping right; in exergue, ROMΛ in raised letters within linear frame
Struck at Rome 214-213 BC
19.8mm, 3.45g
Sydenham 140. Crawford 44/5