Brennos

Some facing fractions from Syracuse at the time of the signing masters :

My most recent acquisition goes straight into my top 3 Greek Sicily, Syracuse AV 100 Litrai (5,79g). Dionysios I, circa 405-400 BC. Unsigned dies in the style of Kimon. A/ Head of Arethusa to left, wearing triple-pendant earring and necklace, hair in sphendone ornamented with two stars; ΣYPAKOΣIΩ[N] before, A behind R/ Herakles kneeling to right, strangling the Nemean Lion. Bérend 30; Gulbenkian 324 (same dies); Rizzo pl. L, 12 (same rev. die); SNG ANS 332-333 (same dies) I Copy/Paste an interesting writing of Roma Numismatics regarding the story about this coin : "This particular issue dates to circa 405 BC, following the election of Dionysios as supreme military commander of Syracuse in recognition of his achievements in the war against Carthage and his subsequent seizure of total power. Syracuse had only recently repelled an Athenian invasion of Sicily that resulted in the complete destruction of Athens' expeditionary force and ultimately contributed significantly to Athens' defeat at the hands of Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Then under Dionysios in 405 BC, despite the ruin of great cities such as Akragas and Gela, Syracuse overcame a Carthaginian invasion that might have resulted in a comprehensive conquest of the island. Such glory was short-lived, however, as the rule of Dionysios' son and successor was to bring civil strife that would weaken the power of Syracuse. Never again would the city issue coinage on such a grand scale, and this coin represents part of the last great flourishing of classical numismatic art at Syracuse before two centuries of steady decline and eventual conquest at the hands of the Romans. The wonderful Syracusan 100 litrai or double dekadrachms are considered amongst some of the finest gold coinage of the Greek world, and are associated with the magnificent dekadrachms of Euainetos, whose signature also appears on the earlier dies of the gold denomination issue. The serenely graceful head of the sea-nymph Arethusa, rendered in very similar style to the great die-engraver Euainetos, is presented in delightful contrast to the dynamic rendering of the first labour of Hercules, the slaying of the Nemean lion, on the reverse. The die-engraver's masterful composition within the bounds of a circular constraint produces a scene of great power and climax, both Herakles' and the lion's backs arched as the hero bends to tighten his grip around the lion's neck and it strains desperately against him to escape. As a great Doric hero and ancestor of the Doric city of Syracuse, Herakles' defeat of the lion, the symbol of Africa, has powerful connotations for Syracuse's own conflict with the African city of Carthage."

it turns out that one of my recent addition is a coin minted in Troad. Lysimachos. Gold Stater (8.53 g) Alexandria Troas, ca. 297/6-282/1 BC. A/ Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon. R/ BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΛYΣIMAΧOY, Athena seated left on throne without ornament, holding Nike and resting arm on shield set behind her; leaning against her far side, spear; in left field, monogram; in exergue, eagle head. Thompson 141.

Very good job !! an amazing coin.

I also doubt that the name was scratched out in antiquity but it's true that Agathocles considered himself king of Western Greece like the diadochs. good choice for the coins

I suspect Deinomenid is referring to the Italian forum lamonea.it 😉

Big bronzes of Akragas are also impressives My last acquisition : Sicily. Akragas. AE Hemilitron, c. 420-406 BC. Obv. Eagle, wings spread, standing right on, and tearing at, dead hare Rev. Crab; selinon leaf upwards between claws; six pellets in fields; below, crawfish left. HGC 2 136; CNS I 14. AE. 21.22 g. 27.00 mm.

Carthage - Zeugitania Trihemistater, circa 260, AV 12.48 g. Head of Tanit (Kore-Persephone) l., wearing barley wreath, bar and triple pendant earring and necklace with pendants. Rev. Horse standing r., head turned back. Jenkins-Lewis group IX, 389.

Roma and other auction houses also sell some regularly. I have a few similar coins in my "black cabinet" and you can't really be fooled once you have the coins in hand unless you are a complete novice. This is more problematic and here are some fakes they regularily sold as guenuine : etc...

Funny, I have just completed a tray this weekend with a new addition before putting it back in the vault.

This coin is the number 89 (pl. VI) of De Sartiges 1910 catalogue

I may be wrong but i understood that it was Richard Beale who bought the coin few years before offering it for auction...

Congratulations ! This is one of my favorite coins. three fake obverse dies made by the sicilian forger Fichera are known for this type. The big hoard is supposed to have been found at Carlentini near Leontini (not IGCH 2206). The auction house Sternberg also dispersed many coins in the 1980s. Mine : The “maestro della foglia” has also made some bronze coins dies.

This guy is unbearable ! I'm french so the post-purchase was easy, it was much harder to win the coin at the auction 🙂

23 purchases in 2022 Bertolami 12 (but the cheapest invoice 😄) Roma 2 Peus 2 Nomos 1 NAC 1 CNG 1 Künker 1 PF Jacquier 1 Prunier 1 Vinchon 1

I must say i was shocked by your price ! It sold for $3000, at the opening price which I thought was already way too high.

Calciati doesn't give many denomination names. Mariangela Puglisi's book (La Sicilia da Dionisio I a Sesto Pompeo. Circolazione e funzione della moneta), which I believe is one of the most recent references on the sicilian bronze coinage, gives this type the denomination Hemilitra or Tetras.

The reference of your coin is clearly Calciati II, 109 Ds95. It is not a dotted line , it is the exergue ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ and behind Kore, it is an ear of corn and not an astragalos. The other coin seems to be the variety 109 DS95/1 (Calciati's picture is not very clear for this one)

As far as I know, there is no study in English. It is therefore difficult to study the details of this coinage if you don't read German and French. The overall arrangement in 7 groups is by Imhoof-Blumer in 1884. It is based on a stylistic study and on die links. Successive scholars have confirmed the robustness of this relative chronology (Von Fritze 1910, Westermark 1961, Le Rider 1989 and Marcellesi 2012) Westermark has analysed the hoards in order to establish an absolute chronology modified by Le Rider based on the Meydancıkkale hoard (1980). The standard attributions today are : Group I and II struck by Philetairos Group III to V struck by Eumenes I (263-241 BC) Group VIa struck by Attalos I Group VIb Attalos I and Eumenes II (220 - 190 BC) Group VII after 189 BC The obverse of group I represents the portrait of Seleucos I The others the portrait of Philetairos The Westermark study "Das Bildnis des Philetairos von Pergamon" is really worst a read.

good catch ! i agree that the relief is really amazing on this type. Here is mine, Westermark group IVa V.LIII-R.1b

I'd be curious to know if you have found any ?

ahah for sure. I have many myself ( relatively to the size of my collection of course) including the one with my oldest pedigree Bruttium. Rhegium. 415-387 BC. AR Tetradrachm (16.77g, 3h). Obv: Lion’s head facing. Rev: ΡΗΓΙΝΟΝ, Laureate head of Apollo right; behind, olive sprig. Herzfelder 95f = Larizza 248 (this coin). From the E.L. collection; Adolph Hess 1983 (254) 63; former Barone Pompeo Bonazzi di Sannicandro (1876-1956) collection, Rodolfo Ratto 1926 (25 January) lot 776; Naville 1923 (5) lot 758; former Wilhelm Fröhner (1834-1925) collection, Rodolfo Ratto 1912 (13 May) lot 353; idem, Rodolfo Ratto 1909 (26 April) lot 1059; former Charles Billoin (1813-1869) collection, Rollin & Feuardent 1886 (22 March) lot 159; former Ferdinand Bompois (1813-1881) collection

Link : Ex Roma Numismatics September 2022 Greek Macedon, Akanthos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 525-470 BC. Bull collapsing to right, attacked and mauled by lion upon his back to left; floral ornament in exergue / Quadripartite incuse square of swastika pattern. Desneux 2 (D2/R2); SNG ANS 1-2; Boston MFA 515-6; HGC 3.1, 381. 17.22g, 25mm.

Link : Graffito The Carthaginians in Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and North Africa. Trihemistater, Carthago (?) circa 255-241, EL 24 mm, 10.62 g. Head of Tanit l., wearing barley-wreath, bar and triple pendant earring and necklace with pendants. Rev. Unbridled horse standing r. graffito punic letter 'Beth' between the legs ; above, sun disk. SNG Fitzwilliam 1516. Jenkins-Lewis 428 ff.

Fourrée Bruttium, Kroton, c. 430-420 BC. Fourrée Stater (20mm, 7.83g). Tripod. R/ Tripod. Cf. HNItaly 2113.