LOT: 176 various unsorted world coins, mainly from the period 1900-1980.
Mainly in base metal, but also a few silver.
Various qualities. Sold as is. No returns.
SURPRISE LOT. NO PHOTOS AVAILABLE !

weight 3,17gr. ; silver Ø 17mm.

obv. Laureate head of Vespasianus right, around the text;
IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS III TR PPP
rev. Ceres, draped, seated left in decorated chair with high back, 
holding two corn-ears and poppy in right hand and cornucopia in left, 
around the text; CONCORDIA AVG, EPHE in exergue
(PHE in monogram)

♦ a rare Ephesos denarius in excellent state of preservation ♦

Cohen 67 ; BMC 453 ; RIC 1428 ; RPC 830 ; Sear 2269  R
Wonderful coin with fine details and attractive toning.
Hard to find this nice. Rare.
xf-

gewicht 32,63gr. ; zilver 41mm.
muntmeester: Johan Ernst Novisadi
muntteken: stadsschildje van Utrecht
stempelsnijder: Cornelis van Swinderen
met fijne kabelrand

vz. Geharnaste ridder met een sjerp om en met een geheven zwaard
in de rechterhand gezeten op een naar rechts galopperend paard met
op de voorgrond het gekroonde provinciewapen en omringd door
de tekst: MO : NO : ARG : CON - FOE : BELG : PRO : TRAI •
kz. Gekroond Generaliteitswapen gehouden door twee frontaal
aanziende gekroonde leeuwen, daaronder I755 binnen een
cartouche van bladornamenten, omringd door de tekst;
CONCORDIA - RES PARVÆ - CRESCUNT. stadsschildje

Geslagen met gesoigneerde stempels en met een fijne kabelrand. Het jaartal 1755 is gewijzigd uit 1753. Onbekend bij van der Wiel en Delmonte. Zeer zeldzaam.

De muntstempels werden vervaardigd door de Haagse stempelsnijder Cornelis van Swinderen. Cornelis werd op 7 februari 1707 geboren als zoon van de stempelsnijder Bartholomeus van Swinderen en Sara Drappentier, beiden telgen uit families van stempelsnijders. Zijn oom Daniël Drappentier, de Dordtse stempelsnijder, was getuige van zijn doop; zijn neef Nicolaes van Swinderen was een beroemd medailleur.

In 1738 werd hij aangesteld als stempelsnijder aan de Munt te Utrecht en zou dat tot aan zijn dood op 31 januari 1757 blijven. Zijn munten tonen aan dat hij een artistiek en begaafd man was die het vak beheerste en we kunnen gerust stellen dat de Utrechtse munten uit zijn periode tot de fraaiste gerekend kunnen worden van de Utrechtse muntslag.

♦ fantastisch exemplaar - magnificent example ♦

Delmonte- (vgl.1031) ; Verkade 100.3 ; vgl. van der Wiel  53a (JMP.1961) ;
HNPM.59 ; CNM.2.43.101 RR
unc-

weight 3,81gr. ; silver Ø 19mm.

obv. Laureate head of Augustus right, surrounded by the legend; 
CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE
rev. Caius and Lucius Caesars standing facing, each togate and resting
hand on shield; behind each shield a spear, above simpulum (on right,
turded inwards) and lituus (on left, tuned inwards), surrounded by the
legend; C L CAESARES AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT

Caius Julius Caesar (20 BC – 21 February AD 4) was consul in AD 1 and the grandson of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Although he was born to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder, Augustus′ only daughter, Caius and his younger brother, Lucius Caesar were raised by their grandfather as his adopted sons and joint-heirs to the empire. He would experience an accelerated political career befitting a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, with the Roman Senate allowing him to advance his career without first holding a questorship or praetorship, offices that ordinary senators were required to hold as part of the cursus honorum. In 1 BC Caius was given command of the eastern provinces, after which he concluded a peace treaty with King Phraates V of Parthia on an island in the Euphrates. Shortly afterward, he was appointed to the office of consul the following year in AD 1. The year after Caius′ consulship, Lucius died at Massilia in the month of August. Approximately eighteen months later, Caius died of an illness in Lycia. Although he married his second cousin Livilla prior to his death, they did not have children. Following the deaths of Gaius and Lucius, Augustus adopted his stepson as well as his sole-surviving grandson – Tiberius and Agrippa Postumus, respectively – in AD 4.

Rare variety with simpulum on right, turded inwards and lituus on left, tuned inwards. The visa versa version is much more common (more then 90% of the denarii from this type has the simpulum on the left, and the lituus on the right).  Rare.

♦ exceptional high quality denarius of Augustus ♦

cf. Cohen 43 ; RIC 210 ; BMC 540 ; cf. Sear 1597 R
Very attractive lustrous coin with excellent details.
Near mintstate. Very rare as such.
unc-

weight 6,80gr. ; silver Ø 21mm.

obv. Beardless laureate Janiform head of the Dioscuri
rev. Jupiter in quadriga galloping right, driven by winged Victory; 
Jupiter holding sceptre in left hand and hurling thunderbolt with right hand; 
below, incuse inscription ROMA in linear frame

The quadrigatus is a medium-sized silver coin produced by the Roman Republic during the 3rd century BC. The first Roman silver coins were didrachms, minted in the first half of the 3rd century BC. The didrachm denomination was inspired by similar coins being issued at Greek cities in South Italy,  though Rome′s pieces bore distinctly Roman designs. By the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) the didrachm had been ′replaced′ by the quadrigatus, which simply was a reduced-weight didrachm with a new design showing the janiform head of the Dioscuri, and Jupiter accompanied by Victory in a four-horse chariot (a quadriga). The obverse features a young janiform head of the Dioscuri and the reverse featured Victory driving a quadriga (four-horse chariot), giving the coin its name, with the inscription "ROMA" below. The coin weighed about 6.8 grams (6 scruples), consistent with the weight of a south Italian Greek didrachm. It was minted for a number of years until shortly before the introduction of the denarius (211 BC or a little earlier).

cf. NAC 61, lot 91 in xf- ; SFR 11.000 + 17,5%

Sydenham 64b ; Crawford 30/1 ; BMCRR Romano-Campanian 97 ;
RBW 74 ; Historia Numorum Italy, 336 ; Albert 85 ; cf. Sear 31 R
Attractive example with fine details. Rare.
xf-

weight 5,59gr. ; silver 14x11mm.
Carradice type IV

obv. Persian king with beard and crown, wearing kidaris and kandys,
quiver over shoulder, in kneeling-running stance right, holding akinakès
(dagger) in right hand and bow in left
rev. Oblong incuse punch

This siglos type was introduced during the reign of Artaxerxes II and its production was  continued during the reign of his son Artaxerxes III.

cf. BMC page 171,172 ; SNG.Copenhagen 284 ; SNG.Kayhan 1031 ;
Slg. Klein 763 ; cf. Carradice in BAR 343 (1987), type IV, pl.XV,46 ;
Rosen collection 677 ; Sunrise 33-36 ; Asyut Hoard- ; cf. Sear 4683 ;
Babelon, Traité II, page 62, 26-27 (Pl.LXXXVII, 9-12) ;
Mitchiner ATAEC 1985 (Gordium)
attractive and well-centered
vf

weight 8,33gr. ; gold Ø circa 15mm.
Carradice type IIIb (late)

obv. Persian king with beard and crown, wearing kidaris and kandys,
quiver over shoulder, in kneeling-running stance right, holding transverse
spear in right hand and bow in left
rev. Oblong incuse punch

This dareikos type was probably introduced during the reign of Artaxerxes I and it′s production was continued by his successors into the first quarter of the 4th century BC.

The gold dareikos was named after Darius I the Great (521-485 BC), equaling in value 20 silver coins (sigloi). The gold used in the coins was of very high quality with a purity of 95.83% and it bore the image of the Persian king in his national dress and carrying his national weapon, the bow. One dareikos equaled the monthly wage of a mercenary soldier. It was an international trade coin; hoards have been found from Sicily to Afghanistan. It is one of the few coins mentioned in the Old Testament (I Chronicles 29:7, Ezra 2:69 and 8:27, and Nehemiah 7:72). The Persian policy of provincial freedom allowed vassal kings (of Lycia, Sidon, Cyprus etc.) and Persian satraps of western provinces, where interaction with Greeks was strong, to coin money and evenplace their own images on the coins. But none could coin in gold, which remained the prerogative oft he Great King. The use of sigloi and dareiki ended with Alexander the Great′s invasion in 330 BC, after which they were mostly melted down and recoined as coins of Alexander. This is believed to be the main reason for their rarity, in spite of their widespread usage at the time.

SNG.Copenhagen - ; Babelon page 56, 13 (Pl. LXXXVI, 20) ;
BMC page 156, 58-59 (pl.XXV, 12-13) ; Sunrise collection 28 ;
Carradice in BAR 343 (1987), type IIIb (late) ; Sear 4679 ;
Mitchiner ATAEC 1971
Very attractive and well-centred specimen.
vf/xf

weight 4,41gr. ; silver Ø circa 17x12mm.
Carradice type IIIb (late)

obv. Persian king with beard and crown, wearing kidaris and kandys,
quiver over shoulder, in kneeling-running stance right, holding transverse
spear in right hand and bow in left
rev. Oblong incuse punch

This siglos type was probably introduced during the reign of Artaxerxes I and it′s production was continued by his successors into the early reign of Artaxerxes II.

SNG.Copenhagen - ; Babelon, Traité page 49, 9 (Pl. lXXXVI, 13-14) ;
SNG.Kayhan 1029 ; BMC page 160, 90 (pl.XXV, 26) ; Rosen collection 671 ;
Carradice in BAR 343 (1987), type IIIb (late) ; Sear 4682 ;
Mitchiner ATAEC 1977
very attractive specimen with attractive toning
vf à vf+

weight 5,34gr. ; silver, circa 14x13mm.
Carradice type IIIb (early)

obv. Persian king with beard and crown, wearing kidaris and kandys,
quiver over shoulder, in kneeling-running stance right, holding transverse
spear in right hand and bow in left
rev. Oblong incuse punch

This siglos type was probably introduced in connection with the accession of
Xerxes I in 485 BC. Its production was probably continued into the early
reign of Xerxes′ successor, Artaxerxes I.

In the lower left field of the obverse a tiny punched mark is visible. It looks like a monogram of the Greek letters Y (ypsilon) and Q (thèta). It is missing among the 207 listed marks by George F. Hill. Highly interesting and very rare as such.

Tiny stamps frequently found on ancient Persian sigloi (silver shekels of the Achaemenid Empire) are most commonly referred to by numismatists as bankers′ marks, countermarks, or chopmarks. These markings offer a fascinating glimpse into the economic landscape of the ancient Near East and Western Asia Minor.

The primary purpose of a banker′s mark was purity verification. Because sigloi were struck from a thick, bean-shaped globule of silver and lacked standard textual inscriptions, it was relatively easy for ancient counterfeiters to circulate plated coins (base metal cores covered in a thin layer of silver). Local bankers, merchants, and moneychangers would punch small symbols or test cuts into the coin to ensure it was solid silver throughout. Once satisfied, the mark essentially acted as a "stamp of approval" for that specific merchant′s network. 

The Semitic Connection

While many sigloi circulated in the Satrapy of Lydia (Western Turkey) and feature Greek symbols (like the letter Pi or triskeles), a significant portion of these countermarks are linked to Semitic-speaking regions (such as Babylonia, Phoenicia, Cilicia, and the Levant) where West Semitic scripts were used.

• Aramaic Letters: Individual Aramaic characters (the lingua franca of the Achaemenid Persian bureaucracy) are frequently recognized among the documented punch shapes.

• Geometric & Regional Symbols: Many punchmarks feature crescent moons, stars, specialized knots, and regional floral designs native to Near Eastern merchants. 

The definitive master list for classifying these marks was originally cataloged by George F. Hill in the British Museum Catalogue (BMC) for Persia and later updated in the Journal of Hellenic Studies. Hill painstakingly documented over 200 distinct varieties of countermarks found on imperial Persian sigloi.

SNG.Copenhagen 281 ; SNG.Kayhan 1030 ; Sunrise 25 ;
Carradice in BAR 343 (1987), type IIIb (early), pl.XII, 16 ; Sear 4678 ;
Babelon, Traité II, page 46, nos.1-4 (pl. LXXXVI, 4-9) ; Winzer 1.11 ;
Rosen collection 673 ; Asyut Hoard 715-731 ; Mitchiner ATAEC 1948-1960 ;
Babelon, Traité I, pl. X, 14-18, 21-23
f+

weight 8,35gr. ; gold circa Ø 14mm.

obv. Persian king with beard and crown, wearing kidaris and kandys, 
quiver over shoulder, in kneeling-running stance right, holding spear 
in right hand and bow in left holding bow and transverse spear
rev. Oblong incuse punch

This dareikos type was probably introduced in connection with the accession of Xerxes I in 485 BC. Its production was probably continued into the early reign of Xerxes′ successor, Artaxerxes.

The gold dareikos was named after Darius I the Great (521-485 BC), equaling in value 20 silver coins (sigloi). The gold used in the coins was of very high quality with a purity of 95.83% and it bore the image of the Persian king in his national dress and carrying his national weapon, the bow. One dareikos equaled the monthly wage of a mercenary soldier. It was an international trade coin; hoards have been found from Sicily to Afghanistan. It is one of the few coins mentioned in the Old Testament (I Chronicles 29:7, Ezra 2:69 and 8:27, and Nehemiah 7:72). The Persian policy of provincial freedom allowed vassal kings (of Lycia, Sidon, Cyprus etc.) and Persian satraps of western provinces, where interaction with Greeks was strong, to coin money and evenplace their own images on the coins. But none could coin in gold, which remained the prerogative of the Great King. The use of sigloi and dareiki ended with Alexander the Great′s invasion in 330 BC, after which they were mostly melted down and recoined as coins of Alexander. This is believed to be the main reason for their rarity, in spite of their widespread usage at the time.

♦ Very attractive lustrous and well-centred example ♦

SNG.Copenhagen 274 ; Sunrise 24-27; BMC 43 (pl.XXIV, 26) ;
Babelon pag.46, 1 (Pl. LXXXVI, 2-3) ; Meadows, administration 321 ;
Carradice in BAR 343 (1987), type IIIb (early), group A/B, pl.XIII, 27 ;
SNG.Berry 1447 ; Mitchiner ATAEC 1970 ; Sear 4679
xf-

weight 0,93gr. ; silver Ø 6mm.
Carradice type II

obv. Persian king with beard and wearing crown kneeling right,
shooting arrow from bow and with quiver at back
rev. Oblong incuse punch

After Croesus was defeated by Cyrus II of Persia, the Lydian kingdom, including the wealthy city of Sardis, fell to the Persian Empire, which was ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty. Cyrus II had two sons: Cambyses II and Smerdis. After Cyrus′ death in 530 BC, he was succeeded by Cambyses II. The latter secretly had his brother and rival Smerdis murdered and disappear. Somehow, the Persian magician Gaumata found out about this. When Cambyses undertook a journey abroad in 522 BC, Gaumata posed as Smerdis, to whom he bore a strong resemblance, and dethroned Cambyses. After seven months, the deception came to light through the intervention of one of his harem women, and Smerdis was put to death. Cambyses II died on his way to reclaim his throne. He had no legitimate heirs. Ultimately, the Persian nobles chose Darius I, a distant relative of Cyrus I, as their new king. This proved to be a fortunate choice, as Darius turned out to be a good administrator and organizer with strong military capabilities. He would go down in history as ′Darius the Great′. He also introduced a new monetary system based on the dareikos. In theory, these coins should have been valid throughout his Empire, but based on archaeology, we know that they circulated primarily in the western parts of his Empire, particularly in Asia Minor. They were also minted there, specifically in Sardes. In addition to being King of Persia, he was also Pharaoh of Egypt. After his death in 485 BC, he was succeeded by his son Xerxes.

♦ Extremely rare denomination. Only a few specimens known ♦

BMC - ; SNG.Copenhagen - ; Carradice- ; Sear - ; Babelon, Traité - ;
Slg. Klein- ; Slg. Dr. Göbl, Peus Nachf. Auktion 363, Lot 5004 ″unpubliziert″ ;
Mitchiner ATAEC 1944 ; SNG.Kayhan - ; Rosen collection - ; Winzer 1.8 RRR
vf

weight 5,19gr. ; silver ca. Ø 13mm.
Carradice type II

obv. Persian king with beard and wearing crown kneeling right,
shooting arrow from bow and with quiver at back
rev. Oblong incuse punch

After Kroisos was defeated by Cyrus II of Persia, the Lydian kingdom, including the rich city of Sardis, fell to the Persian Empire, ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty. Cyrus II had two sons; Cambyses II and Smerdis. After Cyrus′s death in 530 BC. he was succeeded by Cambyses II. He had Smerdis, his brother and rival, murdered and had his body hidden in secret. Somehow the Persian magician Gaumata had found out about this. When Cambyses II stayed abroad during a trip, Gaumata took his chance. Gaumata pretended to be Smerdis, whom he bore great resemblance to, and overthrew Cambyses. After seven months the deception was revealed by one of his harem women and Smerdis was put to death. On the way to retake his throne, Cambyses II died. He had no legal heirs. In the end, the Persian nobles chose Darius I, a distant relative of Cyrus I, as their new king. His rule started september 521 BC. That turned out to be a lucky choice, because Darius turned out to be a good administrator and organizer with also good military capabilities. He would go down in history as ′Darius the Great′. He also introduced a new coinage system based on the dareikos. In theory, those coins should be valid throughout his Empire, but from archeology we know that those coins circulated mainly in the western parts of his Empire, especially in Asia Minor. There they were also struck, namely at Sardis. In addition to being king of Persia, he was also Pharaoh of Egypt. After his death in 485 BC succeeded by his son Xerxes.

BMC Arabia, page 173, 185 ; SNG.Copenhagen 280 ;
Carradice in BAR 343(1987), type II, Pl.XI, 11-13 ; Sear 3428 ;
Noe Sigloi, plate XIII, 215 ; Winzer 1.6 ; Asyut Hoard 714 ;
Mitchiner ATAEC 1936 ; Kayhan - ; Rosen - ; Winzer 1.6 R
f/vf

weight 0,41gr. ; silver Ø 7,5mm.

obv. Head of Gorgoneion, with long hair, facing
rev. Head of Lion left, astragalos behind

The astragalos can be considered as the city mintmark of Selge.

The trihemiobols, obols and hemiobols of Selge were in fact imitations of samelike coins struck in the Pamphylian city of Aspendos, minted a few decades earlier. Also this hemiobol has its prototype from Aspendos (see SNG.Paris nos.39-43). The main differences are in the style of the Gorgoneion portrait and the addition of the astragalos for Selge. The hemiobols are much less common than the obols. Rare.

cf. BMC 14-15 (Gorgoneion with short hair) ; SNG.Copenhagen- ;
SNG.von Aulock 5276 ; Slg.Klein 633 (Gorgoneion with short hair) ; 
McClean- ; cf. Sear 5481 (Gorgoneion with short hair) ; SNG.Paris 1956 ; 
cf. Weber collection 7429 (astragalos below) R
vf

weight 0,58gr. ; silver Ø 10mm.

obv. Facing head of Gorgoneion, with long hair and closed mouth
rev. Head of Athena right in crested helmet, astragalos and spearhead behind

The city of Selge was situated on a mountainside near the mouth of the Eyrymedon River. Because the city was difficult to access due to its location in the mountains, it was simultaneously highly defensible against enemy attacks. For this reason, it remained an independent city for a long time, refusing to submit. In the 4th/2nd century BC, it was the most important city of Pisidia and, if necessary, could raise an army of 20,000 men. The Selgers were known for their courage and military capabilities and are therefore often compared to the Spartans. In Roman times, it no longer played an important role and was no more than a provincial town. This coin dates from the city′s heyday. A popular coin type from the city of Aspendos, which was located about 40 km from Selge, was clearly imitated here.

The trihemiobols, obols and hemiobols of Selge were in fact imitations of samelike coins struck in the Pamphylian city of Aspendos, about 30 km. south of Selge, minted some earlier or at the same time. Also this trihemiobol has its prototype from Aspendos (see SNG.Paris no.37). The main distinction between the pieces of Aspendos and Selge is the addition of the astragalos, the town symbol of Selge, on the pieces of Selge.

♦ a lovely small silver coin from the Greek Classical period ♦

BMC 28 ; SNG.Paris 1951 ; SNG.Copenhagen 254 ;
SNG.von Aulock 5279 ; Slg. Klein 632 ; McClean 9018 ;
SNG.Kayhan- ; Babelon, Traité II, 1599 ; Sear 5479
vf/xf

weight 10,54gr. ; silver Ø 22mm.

obv. Athena standing left, holding Nikè with wreath in right hand 
and resting left hand on grounded shield decorated with Gorgoneion′s head,
vertical spear in background, pomegranate in left field
rev. Apollo standing to left, nude but for chlamys over his shoulder;
holding patera in right hand and long laurel-branch in left, altar in front,
raven standing right behind, Pamphylian legend in outer right field.

A double-feature of the gods Athena and Apollo, the Greeks replacements for the Anatolian Gods Kybele and Mên. Side was an ancient city on the eastern part of the Pamphylian coast. Founded by Greek settlers from Kyme, Aeolia, its coins were minted in honour of Athena, the patroness god of their city. The people of Side abandoned the Greek language for one of their own. The inscriptions on this coin are in their unique language, and to date, are yet to be successfully deciphered.

BMC 15 ; SNG.v.Aulock 4770 ; SNG.Copenhagen 374 ; Sear- ;
Weber collection- (cf. 7356) ; McClean- ; SNG.Paris 650var. ;
Jameson- ; Babelon, Traité 1540 (Pl.CXLII, 21) R
Very attractive example of this rare coin type.
vf/xf

weight 10,40gr. ; silver Ø 22mm.

obv. Athena standing left, holding Nikè with wreath in right hand
and resting left hand on grounded shield, vertical spear in background,
pomegranate in left field
rev. Apollo standing left, altar with raven right in front, chlamys draped over
his arms, holding laurel branch and bow, Pamphylian legend in field to right.

A double-feature of the gods Athena and Apollo, the Greeks replacements for the Anatolian Gods Kybele and Mên. Side was an ancient city on the eastern part of the Pamphylian coast. Founded by Greek settlers from Kyme, Aeolia, its coins were minted in honour of Athena, the patroness god of their city. The people of Side abandoned the Greek language for one of their own. The inscriptions on this coin are in their unique language, and to date, are yet to be successfully deciphered.

BMC- ; SNG.v.Aulock- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; Sear- ;
Weber collection- ; McClean- ; SNG.Paris- (cf. 641) RR
Attractive example of this very rare coin type.
vf

weight 5,88gr. ; silver Ø 18mm.
Aeginetic standard

obv: Head of roaring lion right with paw extended
rev: Facing head of bull, +ΕΡ to left, branch to right, in square incuse

Khersonesos (also Kherronesos), was a town of ancient Caria. Khersonesos is Greek for ′peninsula′ and several ancient Greek cities used the name. It was a member of the Delian League since it appears in tribute records of Athens between 452/1 and 428/7 BC, paying a phoros of two to three talents. It is also mentioned in a tribute decree of Athens dated to 425/4 BC. We also know that this Carian Khersonessos was the donor of the votive gift in Olympia. That suggests an independent city of prestige. Coins are preserved that have been dated around 500/450 BC, bearing the legend «ΧΕΡ»., which are attributed to Khersonessos (Kherronesos). Its site is unlocated.

The location of Carian Khersonessos, which was responsible for this coinage, has not yet provided a clear picture to historians. The fact that there probably were two cities of that name in Caria also plays a complicating role; one on the Knidian Peninsula and one on the Loryma Peninsula.

Possibly the Cnidian Khersonessos was a settlement that was located not far from early (Archaic) Knidos on the eastern slope of Cape Krio and was therefore highly dependent on Knidos. However, we are looking for a more autonomous city, which also had its own currency. This brings Khersonessos into the picture, which is mentioned in texts together with the island of Syme. An island that is approximately 20 km. was located offshore of the Loryma Peninsula.

The currently most likely location of the Khersonessos, which was responsible for this coinage, is on the Loryma Peninsula. A Doric settlement not affiliated with the Hexapolis, but in the late 6th and 5th centuries BC. a city of some significance. In a slightly later time the Loryma peninsula was also known as Rhodian Khersonessos. With a lion depicted on the obverse of her coins, Khersonesos probably sought connection with the coinage of Knidos. Her own distinctive symbol was a bull. We see a bull′s head or front part of a bull depicted on all her coins.

BMC - (cf. 2) ; Sear- (cf. 3547) ; SNG.Kopenhagen- (cf. 190) ;
SNG.Keckman- (cf. 29-30) ; SNG.Kayhan - ; SNG.Tübingen- ;
SNG. von Aulock (cf. 8077) ; Rosen collection 627 ; Cahn X, 18  RRR
Very attractive specimen. Extremely rare.
vf/xf

weight 1,99gr. ; silver Ø 12mm.
Milesian  standard

obv. Head of Ketos left with gaping mouth
rev. Incuse geomatric pattern

On the obverse of these Greek tetrobols from the ancient city of Kindya in Caria is the head of a sea monster known as a Ketos with its tongue protruding. On the other side is a geometric pattern within an incuse square.

In Greek mythology, both Perseus and Herakles killed a Ketos (Latin cetus). When Kassiopeia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, this invoked the wrath of Poseidon who sent the sea monster Ketos to attack Æthiopia. Upon consulting a wise oracle, Kepheus and Kassiopeia were told to sacrifice Andromeda to Ketos. They had Andromeda chained to a rock near the ocean so that Ketus could devour her. Perseus found Andromeda chained to the rock and learned of her plight. When Ketos emerged from the ocean to devour Andromeda, Perseus managed to slay it. In one version, Perseus drove his sword into Ketos′ back. In another version, Perseus used Medusa′s severed head to turn Ketos to stone.

SNG.Kayhan 812 ; Rosen Collection 617 ; Asyut Hoard 687 ; 
Historia Numorum Online 213 (Halikarnassos) ; Keckman 920 ;
SNG.Ashmolean 295-315 ; Sear- ; Ashton/Konuk 2 ;
SNG.Copenhagen 356 ; SNG.von Aulock 2340 ;
Kagan/Kritt ″the coinage of Kindya″, NC 1995, 103
Very remarkable cointype in an wonderful condition.
vf

weight 2,98gr. ; silver Ø 14mm.

obv. Bee, E - Φ in upper field
rev. Quadripartite square incuse

Milesian standard. Bee with spirals and with curved wings.

♦ beautifully depicted bee ♦

BMC 7 ; SNG.Copenhagen 208 ; SNG.von Aulock 7818 ;
Head, period II, page 19, no.2 (pl. I, 11) ; Sear 4360 ; 
SNG.Tübingen 2760 ; Rosen Collection 571 ; McClean 8061 ;
Weber collection- ; Mitchiner ATAEC 484 ; Sammlung Klein- ;
SNG.Kayhan 121-122 ; Karwiese, series VI, type 2A (plate 4) ;
Babelon, Traité II, 1866 (pl. CLII, 10)
very attractive specimen
vf+

weight 1,14gr. ;  electron Ø 7mm.

obv. Head of lion right, with globule on forehead
rev. Square punch with rough pattern

This 1/12 stater is one of the very earliest coins. It was made from electrum, a natural occurring alloy of gold and silver. The Lydians were the first to have fixed retail shops, probably contributing to the development of the coins. The coin above looks like a tiny nugget with a design on one side only. This ancient stater was hand struck. A die with a design, in this case a lion′s head, for the front of the coin was placed on an anvil. A blank piece of metal was placed on top of the die, and a punch hammered onto the reverse. The result was a coin with an image on one side and a punch mark on the other. Even though it looks crude, the weight was strictly monitored. Rare.

Sear 3402 ; BMC 17 ; SNG.Copenhagen 453 ; SNG.Kayhan 1015 ;
SNG.von Aulock 2869 ; Rosen collection 654 ; Weidauer 90
very attractive for the type
vf

weight 2,34gr. ; electrum Ø 10x8mm.

obv. Head of lion right, with globule on forehead,
remains of text “VALVEL” in font
rev. Square punch roughly divided in two parts

This 1/6 stater (hekte) is one of the very earliest coins. It was made from electrum, a natural occurring alloy of gold and silver. The Lydians were the first to have fixed retail shops, probably contributing to the development of the coins. The coin above looks like a tiny nugget with a design on one side only. This ancient stater was hand struck. A die with a design, in this case a lion′s head, for the front of the coin was placed on an anvil. A blank piece of metal was placed on top of the die, and a punch hammered onto the reverse. The result was a coin with an image on one side and a punch mark on the other. Even though it looks crude, the weight was strictly monitored. This denomination is much more rare then the 1/3 and 1/12 electrum stater.

The trites, hettes and smaller denominations usually bear no text. However, there are trites and hettes with the native Lydian text "KUKALIM" and "VALVEL" (also FALFEL or WALWEL). These texts probably do not refer to the ruling kings, but to officials or local rulers who had these coins minted on behalf of the king. Very rare.

Sear 3400 ; BMC- ; SNG.von Aulock- ; SNG.Copenhagen 452 ;
Weidauer, Group XV, 76-78 ; vgl.SNG.Kayhan 1014 ;
Rosen Collection- ; Mitchiner ATAEC 12 RR
very attractive for the type
vf

weight 0,61gr. ; billon Ø 7mm.
Light Lesbian Standard
Series IV

obv. Confronted heads of two boars, AN-monogram above
rev. Incuse square with rough pattern

On these denominations the obverse features the monogram AN, a reference to the city of Antissa. These are considerably more rare than the pieces of the Lesbian Koinon (with inscription Λ, ΛE or ΛEΣ).

ANTISSA
The ancient city of Antissa, one of the six most important city-states of Lesbos in antiquity, originally was a Bronze Age settlement. It flourished from the end of the second millennium onwards. Antissa was the birthplace of Terpandros (Terpander), a Greek poet and citharede who lived about the first half of the 7th century BC. He was the father of Greek music and through it, of lyric poetry, from who is said to be the inventor of the seven-stringed lyre. He gained a reputation as a singer and composer, but after having killed a man in a brawl, he was exiled. He is perhaps the earliest historically certain figure in the music of Ancient Greece. According to legend, the head and lyre of Orpheus, the mythical poet and musician of antiquity, who was dismembered and thrown into the sea of Evros by the Maenads of Thrace, ended up in Antissa.

The Classical town originated in the early geometric period. Three apsidal buildings (possibly temples), stretches of a probable city wall, and remains of a harbour mole have been identified. The Mytileneans strengthened the defences during their revolt of 428 BC. To the west of the city, there was the fertile valley by Voulgaris river and to the east, the ancient harbour, from which parts of the engulfed in water jetty and few building remains of the fortification are preserved to this day. The necropolis of ancient Antissa extended to the south and southwest. The Athenian general and democratic leader Thrasyboulos captured the town c.389; later it joined the Second Athenian Confederacy. Antissa was destroyed by the Romans (ca.167/166 BC) after the conquest of Perseus, king of Macedonia (168 BC), because the Antissaeans had received in their port and given supplies to Antenor, the admiral of Perseus. Its territory was given to Methymna and the people were removed to that city.

The German architect and archaeologist Robert Johann Koldewey (1855-1925) was the first to locate, identify and map the ancient city of Antissa, which, as is shown in the relevant topographic maps, was surrounded by walls built according to the masonry system of Lesbos. It is assumed that it occupied a total of 165 hectares, while the perimeter of its walls was approximately 2 km. The important data provided by Koldewey were largely confirmed by the findings of the excavations carried out by the British archaeologist and historian Winifred Lamb (1894-1963) between 1930 and 1932. Apart from fragmentarily preserved parts of the walls, the building remains and the wells, the archaeological excavation brought to light a wealth of portable finds, such as pottery, inscriptions, coins and figurines, covering a wide chronological range from the end of the 2nd millenn. BC to the 16th c. AD, which attest to the continuous and uninterrupted occupation of the site. The most important archaeological finds include the building remains of an early sanctuary, which seems to have been founded around 1000 BC. It is an arched, four-part cult building from which at least two building phases can be distinguished, with the second one dating back to the 8th c. BC, when the cult building was transformed into an ellipsoidal building, acquiring a double arch at its narrow ends. An elongated, rectangular building of the 4th c. BC which is associated with a stoa, seems to be related to the wider sanctuary area.

♦ Attractive for the type and extremely rare ♦

BMC - (cf. 11 = 1/12 stater) ; McClean - (cf. 7959) ;
Weber collection - (cf. 5588) ; Sear -- ; SNG.Copenhagen 289 ;
Babelon, Traité I, - (cf. p.350, nr. 567-568 = 1/12 stater) ;
Slg.Klein - (cf.349) ; SNG.von Aulock - ; SNG.München - ;
cf. HGC 6, 1068 (=1/12 stater) ; Rosen collection - ;
cf. Lazzarini, series IV, page 96 RRR
vf

weight 4,14gr. ; silver Ø 16mm.

obv. Head of  young Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress,
rev. Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter,
bee in left field, ΛΘ-monogram beneath throne, ΦIΛIΠΠOY in right field

Müller P72 ; Price P.104 ; HGC 3, no.974g
very attractive drachm with fine details
vf/xf

weight 3,99gr. ; silver Ø 16mm.

obv. Head of  young Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress
rev. Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, holding eagle and scepter,
ΠA -monogram to left, ΦIΛIΠΠOY to right, A beneath throne

Müller P136 ; Price P47 ; HGC 3, 974d
vf

weight 9,97gr. ; silver Ø 21mm.
first type ″archaic style″

obv. Naked ithyphallic Satyr, with ponted beard, in kneeling-running
attitude right, carrying in his arms a struggling nymph who raises her
right arm in protest
rev. Rough quadripartite incuse square

The overtly sexual displays seen on many early Greek coins can be disconcerting to the modern eye, viewing them through the lens of centuries of Christian fulminations against ′paganism′ and its erotic excesses. These scenes are at their most graphic in northern Greece, showing the interplay of nymphs and satyrs. The towns and tribes of this region were only newly introduced to the ′civilizing′ influences of the south, and were still close to their roots in farming and herding cultures. Their gods were not the Olympian super beings, but the spirits of nature, and the emphasis was on celebrating the fecundity of fields and flocks.

Very rare earliest issue of Thasos. This magnificent example of the first dies (Svoronos 1-5) of the long-running Thasos series of staters exudes power in the face of the satyr. Each of the heads is exceptionally detailed. The metal is superb.

♦ Exceptional quality for an archaic coin. Extremely rare as such ♦

cf. NAC, auction 84, 20-21 May 2015, Lot 614 (in about xf  SFR 9.000 + 17,5%)

Sear 1357 ; BMC 5 ; Weber collection 2500 ; SNG.Copenhagen 1007-1008 ;
McClean 4195 ; Asyut hoard 117 ; Svoronos Plate 10, 5 ;
Babelon, Traité p. 1198, 1743 (Pl. LV, 18) ; Le Rider, Thasiennes 1-2 ;
Jameson 1066 ; Pozzi 1109-1113 ; HGC 6, no. 331
Beautiful lustrous specimen. Near mintstate.
xf/unc

weight 9,69gr. ; bronze Ø 27mm.

obv. Laureate ans draped bust of Severus right, surrounded
by the legend; ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ Λ ϹΕΠ ϹΕΥΗΡΟϹ ΠΕΡ ϹΕ
rev. Incusum image of the obverse
(Normally a draped bust of Julia Domna is depicted on the
reverse, with the legend; ΙΟΥΛ ΔΟΜΝΑ ϹΕΒ ΙΕΡΟΠΟΛΙΤωΝ)

HIERAPOLIS-KASTABALA
The ancient city of Hierapolis-Kastabala (also known as Kastabala or Hierapolis ad Pyramum) is located in southern Turkey in Osmaniye Province, near the Ceyhan (Pyramus) River. Often called the "Ephesus of Çukurova," it has a history spanning from Late Hittite origins through the Roman, Byzantine, Armenian, and Crusader periods.

The settlement dates back roughly 2,700 years, beginning as a Late Hittite/Luwian site in the region of Cilicia. The city later fell under the control of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire. It entered broader Western historical records in 333 BC when Alexander the Great passed through the area around the time of the Battle of Issus. In the 1st century BC, it became the capital of the local dynast Tarcondimotus, who was an ally of Rome. The city reached its architectural and cultural peak during the Roman period, when it was incorporated into the Roman provinces of Cilicia Secunda and Cappadocia.  At the city there was the sanctuary of Artemis Perasia. According to Strabo, the priestesses were walking with naked feet over hot embers without pain. The city continued to be inhabited and fortified through the Byzantine era, later seeing use by Armenian and Crusader forces who built a medieval castle (Bodrum Kalesi) atop the ancient acropolis hill.

BMC- ; SNG.Copenhagen- ; SNG.von Aulock -; SNG.Levante 1590 ;
SNG.Paris- ; Ziegler- ; Sammlung Leypold 2373 ; Lindgren III, 843a ;
SNG Pfalz 576 ; RPC online 74035 RR
Attractive specimen with good portrait and dark patina. Very rare.
vf