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Click here to subscribeLesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 375-326 BC. Head of Athena facing three-quarters right, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet, earring, and pearl necklace / Head of Hermes right, chlamys around shoulders and petasos behind neck, within linear frame. Bodenstedt 86. 2.53g, 10mm. Good Very Fine.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Hekte. Circa 500-450 BC. Bearded head of Poseidon to left, wearing a helmet in the form of the head of a sea monster; below, tunny fish to right / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze -; cf. Hurter & Liewald, SNR 81 (2002), p. 28, no. 17; SNG Aulock 7291. 2.70g, 11mm. Good Extremely Fine; unusually complete. Extremely Rare. The male head on this coin has been variously identified as a nameless hero, Perseus wearing a griffin skin helmet, or Herakles wearing a lion skin. Other specimens of the type have revealed that the helmet in fact bears a fin-like crest and pointed ears (which on the present coin are off the flan). It has therefore seems that the headdress is actually in the form of a ketos, one of the familiar sea monsters of Greek myth which is most frequently seen on Sicilian coinage, in particular that of Katane and Syracuse. Given that the bearded head is less likely to represent Perseus (who appears beardless, as on von Fritze 65) it could well be Herakles, who killed a ketos in the course of rescuing the Trojan princess Hesione, daughter of Laomedon and sister of Priam. According to some versions of the myth, Herakles was swallowed whole by the monster, and slew it by hacking at its innards for three days until it died, by which time he had lost all his hair. Perhaps during the course of this contest, Herakles temporarily misplaced his trademark lion skin headdress, and resorted to covering his baldness with a nice ketos skin hat. We must bear in mind however that Kyzikene electrum is more frequently influenced by religion (and, it has been supposed, by cult images in particular) than by myth, and so we must look elsewhere for a positive identification - given the marine monster, Poseidon is a prime candidate. Although the god is more frequently encountered with a trident attribute to facilitate identification, a ketos headdress attribute is also appropriate. F. Catalli (Monete Etrusche, Roma 1990, p. 90) included in his work an image of the remarkable Volterra kelebe which depicts a very similar god head wearing a ketos, which though formally identified as Hades, must in fact be Poseidon due to the presence on the one side of a marine monster, and on the other of a bridled horse – both symbols of the God of the Sea. This identification is confirmed by the Etruscan coinage – see Vecchi, Etruscan Coinage I, part 1 pp. 319-321, nos. 2-4 – on these coins we find an identical head identified as Nethuns (Neptune-Poseidon), paired with a reverse showing a hippocamp and border of waves.
Parthia(?), 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Ekbatana(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram of Andragoras(?) behind / Owl standing right, head facing; behind, prow and grape bunch on vine with leaf, AΘE before. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45; cf. Mitchiner 24, third illustrated specimen (appears to have appropriate reverse symbols, but is not described in text and listed, probably erroneously, as local weight standard). 8.03g, 19mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.
Lucania, Sybaris AR Trihemiobol or heavy Obol. Circa 444-440 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested and laureate helmet / Bull standing left, head turned to right; ΣYBA in exergue. HN Italy -; Kraay, Sybaris -; SNG ANS -, cf. 862-7 (triobols, bull to right). 0.57g, 10mm, 7h. Good Extremely Fine; a miniature gem of a coin. Apparently unpublished in the standard references, and possibly unique. From a private North American Collection. In 446 the citizens of the (once again) destroyed city of Sybaris appealed to Athens for aid (Diodorus XII.10). Athens, seeing the opportunity to expand its influence in the west, thus assisted in the refoundation of the city. In 444 this new Sybaris was reinforced by Athens with settlers drawn from many parts of the Greek mainland. Soon however, dissension arose between the original inhabitants and the panhellenic colonists who were now more numerous, leading to the expulsion of the Sybarites in c.440. The again homeless Sybarites founded Sybaris V on the river Traeis, while the original city renamed itself Thurium. The coinage of Sybaris IV was therefore very short-lived, and it is not surprising that it survives in very small numbers.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Didrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Owl standing right, head facing; behind, kerykeion, prow, and grape bunch on vine with leaf, AΘE before. Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; SNG ANS -; N&A -; Mitchiner -. 7.98g, 21mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Apparently unpublished with three reverse symbols.
Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 500-450 BC. Hoplite, nude but for Corinthian helmet, with shield on left arm, and right arm extended forward, standing in a semi-crouched stance to right on ground line; to right, tunny downward / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 119; Greenwell 91; Boston MFA 1497; SNG France 265 = de Luynes 2452; BMC 78; Gillet -; Gulbenkian 620; Jameson 1404. 16.03g, 21mm. Very Fine. Very Rare.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; monogram behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, [grape bunch] over tail, AΘE before. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner 13e; N&A 13-15; SNG ANS -; Svoronos pl. 109, 8; Leu 83, 263. 16.99g, 25mm, 6h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Ekbatana(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Eagle standing right, head left; grape cluster on vine with leaf and kerykeion above. SNG ANS -; Mitchiner -; N&A -; for type with eagle to left, cf. Mitchiner 26d and Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A. 3.55g, 15mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Apparently unpublished with eagle to right.
Baktria, Sophytes AR Drachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 246/5-235 BC. Attic standard. Head of Seleukos(?) right, wearing laurel wreathed Attic helmet decorated with spiral pattern on crest and eagle wings on cheek-guard; MNA on bust truncation / Cockerel standing right; kerykeion behind, ΣΟΦYΤΟΥ to right. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 3A, pl. I, 3; G&M 169, 149 (same mark on bust truncation); cf. SNG ANS 21-23 (M only on bust truncation); cf. Mitchiner 29b (M only); cf. Whitehead NC 1943, pp. 64, 1 and pl. III, 7-8 (M only). 3.89g, 17mm, 6h. Mint State.
Seleukid Empire, Seleukos I Nikator AV Stater. In the name and types of Alexander III of Macedon. Babylon, circa 311-305 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with coiled serpent / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis; BAΣIΛEΩΣ to left, AΛEΞANΔPOY to right, MHP monogram within wreath under left wing, MI under right wing. SC 81.1; Price 3745; Müller 733. 8.58g, 20mm, 10h. Mint State.
Kingdom of Macedon, Alexander III 'the Great' AV Hemistater. Salamis, circa 332-323 BC. Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet / Nike standing left, holding wreath and stylis; ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ to right, dove at her feet. Price 3130; Leu 13, 122. 4.27g, 15mm, 12h. Very Fine; scuff on obv. Extremely Rare.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Hemidrachm. Ekbatana(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Eagle standing left, head right; grape cluster on vine with leaf above. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS 17-18; cf. Mitchiner 26c (drachm). 1.49g, 11mm, 6h. Near Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare, and among the finest known examples.
Parthia, Andragoras AR Tetradrachm. Ekbatana, circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Turreted head of Tyche right, wearing pendant earring and necklace; monogram of Andragoras behind / Athena standing left, wearing helmet, long chiton and himation, holding owl on extended right hand and resting left hand on grounded shield, transverse spear in background; ANΔPAΓOPOY to right. Mitchiner 20; BMC 3-4, pl. xxviii, 2-3. 16.65g, 26mm, 6h. Very Fine. One of exceedingly few known examples.
Parthia(?), 'Eagle series' AR Drachm. Ekbatana(?), circa 246/5-239/8 BC. Local standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl / Eagle standing left, head right; grape cluster on vine with leaf and kerykeion above. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 2A; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner 26d; N&A 63-64. 3.62g, 14mm, 6h. Near Mint State. Extremely Rare.
Baktria, ‘Athenian Series’ AR Tetradrachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; ΦA over prow behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig, crescent and grape bunch behind, AΘE before. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; Mitchiner -; N&A 20-22; SNG ANS -. 16.45g, 24mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare.
Baktria, 'Athenian Series' AR Drachm. Uncertain mint in the Oxus region, circa 261-239/8 BC. Attic standard. Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl; MN[A] behind / Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE before. Bopearachchi, Sophytes -; SNG ANS -; Mitchiner -; N&A -, cf. 18-19 (tetradrachms); cf. CNG E-115, 180 (didrachm, misdescribed). 3.81g, 15mm, 6h. Extremely Fine. Excessively Rare.
Roman Republic AV 60 Asses. Rome, circa 211-207 BC. Bearded head of Mars right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet; ↓X (mark of value) behind / Eagle standing right on thunderbolt, with spread wings; ROMA below. Crawford 44/2; RBW 160-1; Bahrfeldt 4a. 3.36g, 15mm, 5h. Good Extremely Fine. Struck circa 211 BC during the latter stages of the Second Punic War, the types chosen for the three small gold denominations valued at 60, 40, and 20 asses like the present piece, could not have been more fitting. On the obverse we find Mars, God of War and defender of Rome, who in myth was the father of Romulus, the city founder. The eagle on the reverse symbolised strength and immortality in the face of adversity, and together these types make a very appropriate opening statement for the gold coinage of Rome, most especially when struck at a time of war. The war with Carthage had ravaged the Italian peninsula, and in addition to the wholesale destruction of Rome's armies, the most crucial damage inflicted by Hannibal's invasion of Italy was the total collapse of Rome's young monetary system. At that time, the Roman currency was based entirely on bronze, for which the demand in wartime was competing with the needs for weaponry. The weights of the bronze currency were radically decreased, and it therefore became necessary to make bronze convertible to silver which, however, was also in short supply. The strain on the Roman treasury was extreme. The decision was therefore taken in circa 216 BC to issue a gold coinage as an attempt to provide further stability for and increase faith in the bronze coinage by creating the impression that bronze could be freely exchanged for gold, thus making the token bronze coinage acceptable. In "The Mars/eagle and thunderbolt gold and Ptolemaic involvement in the Second Punic War" (Essays Hersh, 1998) A. R. Meadows convincingly argues that the influx of gold after the decision of 216 most likely came from the Ptolemaic kingdom in response to a direct appeal for help and that the reverse type of eagle on thunderbolt, so clearly similar to the Ptolemaic coinage, was the tacit acknowledgement of the financial aid that was received by Rome.
Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 454-430 BC. Head of Athena right, in crested Attic helmet ornamented with three olive leaves above visor and spiral palmette on bowl, wearing round earring with central boss / AΘE, owl standing three-quarters right, head facing, olive sprig and crescent moon behind; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; Dewing 1591-8; SNG Copenhagen 31. 17.22g, 25mm, 10h. Good Extremely Fine. Lustrous metal.
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Godric, helmeted bust l., rev. GODRIC MΩO LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.44gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2594), wavy flan, otherwise good very fine *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Aethelmaer, helmeted bust l., rev. ÆÐELMÆR M‘O LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.41gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2147), bent, otherwise about very fine *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Eadmund, helmeted bust l., rev. EΛDMVND MΩO LVN, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.48gms. (S.1152: N.775; Hildebrand 2349), slightly bent, otherwise very fine and toned *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Leofric, helmeted bust l., rev. LEOFRIC MΩO LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.26gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2701), bent, flan crack in centre, otherwise very fine and toned *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Aethelweard, helmeted bust l., rev. ÆDELPERD MO LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, small crosses in two quarters, wt. 1.36gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2022), creased, otherwise very fine and toned, rare *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Aethelmaer, helmeted bust l., rev. ÆÐELMÆR M‘O LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.48gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2147), creased, otherwise very fine and toned *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Aethelweard, helmeted bust l., rev. ÆÐELPERD M‘O LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.20gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2175), bent, otherwise about very fine and toned *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Leofric, helmeted bust l., rev. LEOFRIC MΩO LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.47gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2701), creased, otherwise about very fine *ex Baldwin’s vault
British Coins, Aethelred II (978-1016), penny, helmet type (BMC VIII), London, Brunstan, helmeted bust l., rev. BRVNSTΛN M‘O LVND, voided long cross over quadrilateral in centre, trefoils at corners, wt. 1.39gms. (S.1152; N.775; Hildebrand 2267), bent, otherwise about very fine *ex Baldwin’s vault
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