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New Trade: A Roman and Sicilian

ZoharZohar Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭✭✭
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:

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Very difficult to image this small.

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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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Habsburg Talers

TalerUniverse.com is a curated numismatic project dedicated to the silver talers, crowns, and medals of the Habsburg Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, spanning the 16th–18th centuries. The collection emphasizes historically significant issues, rare mint varieties, and high-grade NGC/PCGS examples, presented with detailed historical context, scholarly references, and high-resolution photography. TalerUniverse aims to serve both as a private collection showcase and a growing reference resource for collectors, researchers, and students of early-modern European coinage.

Comments

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    JCMhoustonJCMhouston Posts: 5,306 ✭✭✭
    Those Sicilians really new how to cut a die!
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    EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,856 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow, that Obol is tiny -- smaller than a sceat!

    Nice coins both. Congrats!

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

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    IosephusIosephus Posts: 872 ✭✭✭
    Amazing workmanship on that tiny obol!
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    SwampboySwampboy Posts: 13,239 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Those Sicilians really new how to cut a die! >>



    Amen to that!!

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

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    love that little obol and a choice MS argenteus of Mr Constantius Chlorus is nothing to sneeze at either image
    =Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award 4/28/2014=
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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 45,032 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow, and wow. As usual.

    Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.

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    nicholasz219nicholasz219 Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭
    I have not come across that obol at all in my Sicily wanderings. Very nice!

    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.
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    ZoharZohar Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <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.
    Habsburg Talers

    TalerUniverse.com is a curated numismatic project dedicated to the silver talers, crowns, and medals of the Habsburg Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, spanning the 16th–18th centuries. The collection emphasizes historically significant issues, rare mint varieties, and high-grade NGC/PCGS examples, presented with detailed historical context, scholarly references, and high-resolution photography. TalerUniverse aims to serve both as a private collection showcase and a growing reference resource for collectors, researchers, and students of early-modern European coinage.
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    nicholasz219nicholasz219 Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭
    I would thoroughly enjoy meeting and seeing that and many of your other coins, Z.
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    marcmoishmarcmoish Posts: 6,912 ✭✭✭✭✭
    way way up on the cool factor Z image
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