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Help with coins - Marcus Mummius - 10-19-2006
Salve fratres,
Can anyone tell me some things about these two coins? The first one is a (rather bad) reproduction of a roman coin (in Zamac or something) but I don't know what type or from when.
The second one I have no idea about... I don't know if it's an old or modern type.
First coin:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/M ... CT0286.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/M ... CT0287.jpg
Second coin:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/M ... CT0281.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/M ... CT0284.jpg
Any help would be very much appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Vale,
Jef
Re: Help with coins - Jona Lendering - 10-19-2006
Second one looks like coins from western Sicily, either Panormus (Palermo) or Acragas (Agrigento).
Re: Help with coins - Spurius - 10-19-2006
Could be Roman Republic? The chariot was a common reverse on Republican coins.
Re: Help with coins - hoplite14gr - 10-19-2006
The first one is probably Syracusan during the comflict between Oligarchs ad Democrats just before Timoleon took control.
Second one is from the Greek colony of LEONTINOI.
The anthropomorphic bull is the local rivergod TIRIAS or LISSOS
They had an Olympic champion in the chariot race and probaly the victor is depicted on the other side.
Hope I helped.
Kind regards
Re: Help with coins - Marcus Mummius - 10-19-2006
Thanks for the help!
@Stefanos: Yes, very helpful! Have you got an idea of what denomination this coin could be? I'll look up some things about the Syracusan Oligarch-Democrat conflict. On what do you base your determination?
Kind regards,
Jef
Re: Help with coins - hoplite14gr - 10-19-2006
Jeff,
you will get your first info on Plutarchs life of Timoleon about the political conflict.
Me and my colleague are still working on te Greek shield devices.
Initilally the Greek colonists were were carring the "metropolitan" shield devices and coins. Because arround late 6th century the Italiotic Greek populations got mixed with various refuges-initialy the tyrants who got authority stamped coinage with the symbols of their patron daities or "heroic family" linage. Every time a tyrant was overthrown the holy symbols of the warrior fraternity who overthrough him were appearing on the coin.
Some times to avoid more political conflict a daiety revered in all locality was chosen and the symbol of that deity was adopted being more politicaly neutral. So it was appearing on coinage and probaly on shields
On the Syracusan coin you see probably Faethon (a representation of the Sun) Apollo was too "aristokratic". Arethousa the sea nymph appears on the other side instead of Poseidon-patron God of the rich ship owners.
The two dolphines represent Apolo and Artemis the "Delphic twins of Delos" as protectors of justice; probably as a consent to the oligarchic party. The Syracusan coin was described in P. Descharme Greek Mytology published in 1921 in the chapter about minor sea deities.
Syracusa is Tetradrachm - a very unusual one.
Leontinoi is LITRA but I am not sure
Kind regards
Re: Help with coins - Marcus Mummius - 10-22-2006
I've been reading Plutarch's Timeleon and must say it's very interesting stuff!
Thanks for all the info Stefanos. I can not find the book you mention though... Is P. Descharme the right spelling? I cannot find areference to him...
Kind regards,
Jef
Re: Help with coins - Gaius Germanicus - 10-23-2006
The first coin is possibly a drachm (depending on its weight/size ) looking at the design it is most likely from Syracuse from 317-289 BC and it pictures Arethusa on the obverse , A nymph who in mythology was turned into an underground river
Re: Help with coins - Gaius Germanicus - 10-23-2006
The second coin is from Gela circa 490-475 BC and pictures the local river god. again depending on size it is a drachm or didrachm , Gela was founded by the Rhodians from Lindos , the city was orig named lindii and was located on the banks of the Gelas river according to my reference....