20080912

Greece/Sicily; Syracuse 3rd Cent. BCE, Two examples

Hieron II BCE 270-215
AE 18 mm, 5.25 g, 11 h. circa BCE 270-230
SG 1223 v.

O: Head of Poseidon left wearing tainia
R: Ornamented trident head between two dolphins dividing IEPΩ/NOΣ in lower field.


Hieron II BCE 270-215
AE 19 mm, 5.74 g, 10 h. circa BCE 270-230
SG 1223 v.

O: Head of Poseidon left wearing tainia
R: Ornamented trident head between two dolphins dividing IEP/ΩNOΣ in lower field.

Both examples Ex: FSR

Acquisition: 2008


“One of the commonest of all Sicilian coins is the bronze bearing the head of Poseidon on the obverse, and his trident on the reverse, with IEPΩNOΣ across the field. Enormous quantities of this coin must have been struck, to judge by the numbers found in modern times.”
---- G.F. HILL, Coins of Ancient Sicily (London, 1903) p. 193