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Lydia - Croesus |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) LYDIA Croesus, 561-546 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Sixth-Stater Lydia rv bipartite incuse obv lion confronting bull |
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
From "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk - Numismatists are divided on the meaning of the coins's obverse. Many think the lion represents Lydia and the bull someone they defeated. But H.Berk believes the lion symbolizes strength and power, and the bull represents fertility, all highly desired attributes in the ancient world.
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| Slot: |
Thasos - Satyr |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) THRACE, ISL. OF THASOS c.500-450 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Stater Thrace, Isl. Of Thasos rv quadripartite incuse obv Satyr abducts nymph |
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NGC XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
Thasos is the northernmost major Greek island. It was colonized very early by the Phoenicians most likely for its gold mines. In ancient times, the isle was renowned for its wine and its coinage features or celebrates the wine God Dionysos who, along with Herakles, are the main deities of the island. This stater's obverse features a nude, ithyphallic satyr carrying off a protesting nymph with her hand raised in struggle. Satyrs were companions of Dionysus and are usually depicted as a half-man, half horse or goat, nude, with a prominent erection. The scene is thought to symbolize the orgiastic cult revelries that occurred on the island celebrating the wine God.
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Sicily, Gela |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) SICILY, GELA c.490-475 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Didrachm Sicily, Gela rv man-headed bull obv horseman w/spear |
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NGC Ch VF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
From '100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk - "Gela was a very wealthy city on the southern coast of Sicily near the river Gelas. The river was regarded as a local god, and nearly all of the city's coinage bears an image of the river god conceived as a bull with the head of a man, reflecting both the animal strength of the rushing water and its more benevolent divine qualities."
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Attica, Athens |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) ATTICA, ATHENS c.440-404 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Tetradrachm Attica, Athens obv Athena |
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
From "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk - "The Athenian tetradrachm was widely used in transactions throughout the ancient Greek world for over 200 years. Athens had silver mines in Laroium in state ownership, which provided the bullion. The obverse featured the head of Athena, and the reverse the owl of Athena, the iconographic symbol of the Athenian polis, with a sprig of olive and a crescent for the moon. According to Philochorus, it was known as glaux ('little owl') throughout the ancient world and "owl" to present day numismatists. The vast number of owl-tetradrachms available those days financed several key achievements of Athens (eg, reconstructing the Acropolis, building the Parthenon), and the Peloponnesian War."
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| Slot: |
Moesia, Istrus - inverted heads |
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ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) MOESIA, ISTRUS 4th Century BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Drachm Moesia, Istrus rv sea-eagle on dolphin obv inverted heads |
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
Moesia was an ancient land comprising parts of present-day Bulgaria, Serbia, & Romania. Istrus was a city founded by the Milesean's in 7th century BC located where the Danube flows into the Black Sea. The meaning of the inverted heads on the obverse is unknown: the young men represent two branches of the Danube? Or symbolize the rising and setting sun? Or the Dioscuri? Or the slave trade where Istrus made its money? Or a clever solution allowing rapid coin identification from any angle (since there is no “right” side up). One thing is certain, the design is very unique - there are no other coins with similar designs.
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Kingdom of Macedon - Philip II |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) KINGDOM OF MACEDON Philip II, 359-336 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Tetradrachm Kingdom Of Macedon Zeus/youth on horseback early posthumous issue |
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
From "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk - "The horse on the reverse is one of Philip II's own racehorces that won the race at the Olympic Games. The win proved both the ruler's ability as a horseman and his legitimate Greek pedigree, as only true Greeks were allowed to participate in Olympic Games. Philip II's acceptace as a Greek aided his unification of the Greek city-states."
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| Slot: |
Pan - Panticapaeum |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) BOSPORUS,PANTICAPAEUM 4th Century BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AE21 Bosporus,panticapaeum rv griffin forepart; fish obv Pan or Silenus(?) |
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
NGC rated "FINE STYLE". The NGC slab notes the obverse as Pan or Silenus(?), but Harlan Berk's book states it is a satyr as identied by its ass's ears and button nose (Pan has horns & a goat face). Satyrs appear on coins of this region to honor King Satyrus I, who was responsible for the growth and prosperity of the Bosporan kingdom. The Bosporan Kingdom, or Cimmerian Bosporus, was named after the strait connecting the northern coastal Black Sea to the smaller Sea of Azov. The capital, Panticapaeum, was founded on the western side (modern-day Kerch, Crimea) by Milesians sometime in 7th or 6th century BC. It was a prosperous trading port with goods ranging from fish and wheat to slaves. The coin's design is very similar to gold stater included in H.Berk's 100 Greatest Ancient Coin list.
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| Slot: |
Corinth, Corinthia - Pegasus/Athena |
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ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) CORINTHIA, CORINTH 4th Century BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Stater Corinthia, Corinth Salton Collection obv Pegasus. rv Athena. |
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NGC Ch XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
Provenance: Mark and Lottie Salton Collection. From "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk: "The Athenian tetradrachm was widely used in transactions throughout the ancient Greek world for over 200 years. Athens had silver mines in Laroium in state ownership, which provided the bullion. The vast number of owl-tetradrachms available those days financed several key achievements of Athens (eg, reconstructing the Acropolis, building the Parthenon) as well as the Peloponnesian War. The owl of Athena was the iconographic symbol of the Athenian polis, with a sprig of olive and a crescent for the moon. According to Philochorus, it was known as glaux ('little owl') throughout the ancient world and "owl" to present day numismatists."
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Achaemenid Empire - Persia |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) ACHAEMENID EMPIRE 5th-4th Centuries BC |
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| Item Description: |
AR Siglos Achaemenid Empire |
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NGC Ch XF |
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Aspendos, Pamphylia - wrestlers |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) PAMPHYLIA, ASPENDUS c.325-250 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Stater Pamphylia, Aspendus rv slinger,triskeles,club obv wrestlers |
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NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
Aspendos was one of the earliest cities to mint coins. It began issuing coinage around 500 BC, first staters and later drachmas; "the slinger represents the soldiery for which Aspendus was famous in antiquity, the reverse frequently depicts a triskelion."
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Calabria, Taras |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) CALABRIA, TARAS c.early 3rd Century BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AR Didrachm Calabria, Taras rv Taras(?) on dolphin obv horseman w/buckler |
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NGC AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5 |
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Owner Comments
From "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk - "Legend tells that Taras fell into the sea during a shipwreck and only survived because Poseidon sent a dolphin to carry him to shore. The city of Tarentum was founded where he landed."
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Syracuse, Sicily - Hieron II- Poseidon |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) SICILY, SYRACUSE Hieron II, c.275-215 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AE22 Sicily, Syracuse |
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NGC Ch XF |
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Owner Comments
NGC-rated "FINE STYLE". The coin features a fictionalized profile of Poseidon on the obverse, and his mighty trident flanked by two dolphins on the reverse. Poseidon was one of the twelve Olympian deities in Greek mythology (aka Neptune in Roman myth). He was called the "God of the Sea" because his main domain was the ocean, but also "Earth Shaker" because he caused earthquakes and tidal waves (from striking the earth in anger with his trident), and terrible sea storms (from stirring his trident). In Greek myth, Poseidon used his trident to create water sources and to create horses (he was also known as "tamer of horses"). He is usually depicted as an older male with curly hair and a beard. Many ancient cities depicted Poseidon on their coinage to ensure the God looked favorably on their seafarers.
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Man headed bull - Herbessus Sicily |
| Origin/Country: |
SICILY, HERBESSUS c.339-325 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AE Drachm Sicily, Herbessus rv man-headed bull obv Sikelia(?) |
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NGC VF Strike: 4/5 Surface: 3/5 |
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Owner Comments
NGC rated "FINE STYLE (overstruck)". The NGC slab notes the portrait might be Sikelia, which is the Greek word for Sicily.
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Caria, Isle of Rhodes - Helios |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK CIVIC (7th CENT BC - 1st CENT AD) CARIA, ISL. OF RHODES c.250-230 BC |
| Design Description: |
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AR Didrachm Caria, Isl. Of Rhodes obv Helios 3/4-facing |
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NGC Ch XF |
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Owner Comments
From "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" by Harlan Berk - "Isle of Rhodes was originally 3 colonies that combined in 408 BC to form a new capital named after the island. The new city required a new God, Helios, a sun god often equated to Apollo. The rays of the sun are depicted around Helios' hair on the coin's obverse, and the sun god gazes directly at the observer. The rose on the reverse is the flower which the island is named for, and remains noted for today."
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Kingdom of Macedon - Alexander III |
| Origin/Country: |
ANCIENT - GREEK EMPIRES (6th CENT BC - 5th CENT AD) KINGDOM OF MACEDON Alexander III, 336-323 BC |
| Design Description: |
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| Item Description: |
AE Unit Kingdom Of Macedon James Lomiento, Jr. Coll. early posthumous issue |
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NGC XF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5 |
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Owner Comments
Provenance: James Lomiento Jr. Collection
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