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New Trade: A Roman and Sicilian
Zohar
Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
I traded a coin for these two. The first may have just become my favorite ancient coin. It's 8mm in diameter yet when I saw it in hand, the decision was immediate. It truly illustrates the skill involved with die making for such small coinage considering we are looking at 2500 years or so since it was minted. The Roman has a superb reverse (see the little guys faces). Very pleased with both.
SICILY. SYRACUSE. Ca. 480-470 BC. AR Obol (litra), 8mm, 0.69gr. Obv. Head of Arethusa right, within dotted circle. Rev. Four-spoked wheel. Boehringer 279-285; HGC 2, 1371. A small coin almost never encountered in such an exceptional grade and degree of preservation. NGC MS★ 5/5, 5/5.
See how small the coin is relative to the holder:
Very difficult to image this small.
ROMAN EMPIRE. CONSTANTIUS I, AD 305-306. AR Argenteus. 17mm, 3.20gr. Rome Mint, 1st officina, ca. AD 295-297. Obv. CONSTANTIVS CAES, laureate head right. Rev. VIRTVS MILITVM, four tetrarchs sacrificing over tripod, city walls behind them, A in exergue. RIC VI 42a; Jeločnik 75; Hunter 26; RSC 314†b. NGC Ch MS 5/5, 5/5.
SICILY. SYRACUSE. Ca. 480-470 BC. AR Obol (litra), 8mm, 0.69gr. Obv. Head of Arethusa right, within dotted circle. Rev. Four-spoked wheel. Boehringer 279-285; HGC 2, 1371. A small coin almost never encountered in such an exceptional grade and degree of preservation. NGC MS★ 5/5, 5/5.
See how small the coin is relative to the holder:
Very difficult to image this small.
ROMAN EMPIRE. CONSTANTIUS I, AD 305-306. AR Argenteus. 17mm, 3.20gr. Rome Mint, 1st officina, ca. AD 295-297. Obv. CONSTANTIVS CAES, laureate head right. Rev. VIRTVS MILITVM, four tetrarchs sacrificing over tripod, city walls behind them, A in exergue. RIC VI 42a; Jeločnik 75; Hunter 26; RSC 314†b. NGC Ch MS 5/5, 5/5.
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World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
Nice coins both. Congrats!
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
Virtus Collection - Renaissance and Baroque Medals
<< <i>Those Sicilians really new how to cut a die! >>
Amen to that!!
The Roman coin is also outstanding. Just outstanding. If your eyes fail when you are buying, Z, then you must hide all of those purchases in the place that shall not be named or something because we sure do not see them.
<< <i>I have not come across that obol at all in my Sicily wanderings. Very nice! >>
Yeah - I am generally a larger coin "guy" but this one just jumped at me. If we ever meet I will bring along to share.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set