Officials seize two ancient coins at NYINC

http://www.coinworld.com/articles/officials-seize-two-ancient-coins-at-nyinc/

http://phdiva.blogspot.com/2012/01/greek-coins-seized-from-cng-auction.html

Greece; Macedon, Alexander III BCE 336-323

AR Obol;  0.69 g, 9 mm, Ake mint c. BCE 326/5

Price 3253 var.

O: Hd of Herakles r. in lion skin

R: inscription off flan, Zeus Aeotophoros std l holding eagle. Phoenician inscription reading ‘AK with date possibly 21 =BCE 326/5

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus VII Sidetes BCE 138-129 New Variety Tyrian Drachm

AR Drachm (Attic weight), 19 mm, 3.86 g, Tyre mint c. BCE 138-134 off flan (see below for date confirmation).


SC 2108.2 var, HSC 1080 L (R3 two known examples), CSE 2:629 var, Newell Tyre ----, this variety otherwise unpublished.


O: diad hd of Antiochus VII r., some porosity

R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ] ANTIOXOY in two lines on right, ΕΥ-EPΓETOY on l., Nike adv l holding wreath, Tyrian monogram TYP on club as mintmark and Σ inner right under wing as control. Date off flan but normally below Nike’s feet.

This control Σ is unrecorded in the sources for this type. It is published for the Phoenician Wt drachms where it appears between the eagle’s feet, therefore this example appears unpublished at present and possibly unique.

UPDATE 12 June 2024:

The above illustrated example can no longer be considered unique, a second example has been noted and is being auctioned by RÖNESANS SALTZGITTER GmbH Auction 12 (23 June 2024) lot 106.

Their example measures 19.1 mm in diameter and weighs 3.9 g. It is not identified by mint or catalogue number or any reference whatsoever. It appears to be from the same dies.  Opening bid is €10. Certainly not a comment on it's being rare or unpublished in the corpus. 

Of great importance is the ability to identify the year the coin was struck from this example as the date is missing from the example depicted above. The Seleucid year appears to be "ΘOP" or SE 179 which converts to BCE 134-133, during which time magistrate "Sigma" was working in Tyre. His tenure appears to have lasted from BCE 138-132/1. 

Greece/Pontus; Amisos, Time of Mithradates VI Eupator BCE 120-63

AE 19 mm, 8.2 g c. BCE 85-65



SNG BMC Black Sea 1177-1183 v, Sear 3642, SNG XI Stancomb 687-690

O: Aegis

R: Nike advancing r with palm tied with fillet over left shldr AMI-ΣOY with two monograms flanking.

England; James I 1603-1625

AR Sixpence, 1603, 25 mm (2.84 g) second bust, mm thistle

O: IACOBVS DG ANG SCO FRA ET HIB REX, VI in field
R: EXVRGAT DEVS DISSIPENTVR INIMICI (legend based on Psalm 68:1), 1603 above COA.

S. 2648

Great Britain; a few Hanoverian Farthings 1714-1837

George II (1727-1760) S. 3722

George III (1760-1820) Soho mint 1799, S.3779

George IV (1820-1830) S. 3822

William IV (1830-1837) S. 3848 die axis 12h/12h

Priceless Treasure of Benghazi Stolen

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2055283/Libya-Robbers-loot-priceless-Treasure-Benghazi-bank-vault.html

This speaks for itself and does not aid those who argue that such items need to be stored solely in museums. The collection has been back in Libya for 50 years and apparently has not been studied and now it is in the wind. Good thing it was secured in a vault and not in private collections, eh?

Brazil; 1000 Rs 1922 Centenary of Independence Error

KM 532.2  Unc. Obs depicts Dom Pedro I and Pres. Epitacio Pessoa and you will note the error in the ex where BRASIL is spelled BBASIL. This error adds only about three times to the value of the BRASIL example, though recently eBay had one in in slightly poorer condition that was bid up to $97 US! Current catalogue value for this item is about $20 US.

For more info on  Dom Pedro I or Pres. Epitacio Pessoa click on the links.

Brazil; 1000 Rs 1932 4th Centenary of Colonization

KM#531 Unc  
The obs. depicts Martim Afonso de Souza (c 1500-1571) for more info on de Souza go to this URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martim_Afonso_de_Sousa

Great Britain; Festival of Britain Crown 1951

S. 4111 unc. CuNi  
 Festival of Britain info

Update

Since I have a somewhat substantial and always growing collection of worldwide coins accumulated since I was a kid from my travels and those of friends as well as outright purchases, I am going to start posting (more frequently) interesting items from this collection that cover the eras from the end of antiquity to the present day.

The essence of this blog is and will remain ancient coins, and regular posts in this regard will continually be added or updated.  The worldwide items posted will consist of those items that catch my eye for artistic or historical reasons or for the story they carry.

Harry Truman once said that an 'expert is an expert because they are afraid to learn something new, then they wouldn't be an expert anymore.' I have never considered myself an expert and certainly have never stopped trying to learn something new on a daily basis, and trust that those of you who are regular or new visitors will find something of interest herein and will find new and hopefully interesting items to appreciate on this continuing exploration through collecting.

JG

Islamic/ Artuqids of Mardin; Najm ad-din Alpi AH 547-572/CE 1152-1176

AE Dirham; 31 mm, 11.95 g, 2h, obs. slightly double struck

Spengler/Sayles 27

O: based on obs of a tetradrachm of Antiochus VII Sidetes, with the laqam Najm ad-Din inscribed on the subject's neck. dotted border.

R: Inscription within dotted border reading: Malik al-Umara Abul-Muzaffar Alpi bin Timurtash bin al-Ghazi bin Artuq

                                         Example of the type the Artuqid piece was based upon,
                                         which was issued almost 1,300 years before the Artuqid
                                         piece.

Greece/Seleucid; Seleucus I Nicator BCE 312-281

AE 21 mm, 8.82 g, Antioch mint, circa BCE 300-295


O: laureate hd of Apollo r, with wavy locks on back of neck, dotted border.

R: BAΣΙΛΕΩ[Σ on r., ΣEΛEYK[OY] on l., Athena Promachos in Corinthian helmet stg r., brandishing spear and shield, dotted border. Seleucid symbol, inner right, Anchor, flukes upward.

SC 15.1, SNG Spaer 3-5 v, CSE 1, 2 v., CSE 2, 8 v., WSM 911

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius I Soter BCE 162-150

AE 24 mm serrate (3 mm thick), 14.37 g,  Antioch mint.


SC 1644, HSC 821 (S)
O: laureate hd of Apollo r, hair twisted in long plait on back of neck. Dotted border

R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ on r., ΔHMHTPIOY on l., tripod

Controls: none

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius I Soter BCE 162-150

AE 24 mm serrate (6 mm thick), 18.01 g, Perhaps Antioch mint.

SC 1648 variety unlisted without controls

O: laureate hd of Apollo r, hair flowing down back of neck. Dotted border
R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ on r., ΔHMHTPIOY on l., tripod

Controls: none

Greece/Pontos; Amisos, Time of Mithradates VI Eupator BCE 120-63

AE 25mm, 13.46 g c. BCE 115-c. 89/88

BMC 13. 18, 61, Sear 3639

O: Mithradates as Perseus wearing a Phrygian helmet

R: Pegasus grazing l. AMIΣOY and two monograms below.

Pegasus was apparently utilized as a symbol on Mithradatic coinage until about BCE 89/88 when the stag became the prominent symbol.

http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8977.html            This book is an interesting and even fun read if one overlooks the minor editorial errors that ultimately do not detract from the well told story unless you take them too seriously.

Greece/Seleucid; Alexander I Balas BCE 152-145

AR Drachm, 18 mm, 3.59g, Antioch mint, BCE 149/8-148/7

SC 1785.5b, CSE 185, SMA 173

O: Diademed hd of Alexander I r., clean shaven or with sideburn, diadem ends falling straight behind, dotted border.
R: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ in two lines on r., ΘΕΟΠATOPOΣ EYEPΓETOY in two lines on l., Apollo std l., on omphalos, testing arrow and resting hand on grounded bow.

Primary control outer left, secondary in ex.
EX: FSR MBS 82 #109 (13-09-2011)

Ancient Coins and the Cultural Property Debate; another installment

http://numismatics.org/wikiuploads/DigitalPublications/WitschonkeTompaFinal.pdf