DANTE

An oversized almond-eye from Phokaia might illustrate the OP's point:

I hope this is multi-colored enough. The patina is quite lively in hand: Next: (spokes of) a wheel:

Next: mainland Magna Graecia (Sicily is out)

Sad and inevitabe. A combination of common looting and an attempt to deprive Ukraine of its history (and therefore, its identity), and at the same time, appropriating it as Russian. Cultural genocide is an appropriate term, should Russia have its way.

Poor Athena here hasn't gotten any shut-eye in weeks. She's scary enough to keep me wide awake as well!

I guess I'm a hybrid: eclectic enough to be interested in whatever tickles my esthetic and historical fancy, yet focused enough to have some area's that I frequently return to. So I do a lot of jumping around between different areas and era's: Greek, Aexander and Diadochi and satrapies, Roman before 211 BC. What I buy depends mostly on a combination of budget, availability and mood. (Sadly, budget is the limiting factor here: my virtual wishlist is almost endless!😊) Research? Depends. Beauty needs no research, it needs no justification. As for historical context: if a coin has been on my wishlist for a long time I usually already know what I need to know. Otherwise my rule of thumb is to do just enough research to confirm my interest in a coin, but not too much. This in order not to become too invested. Becoming invested means becoming attached, which, in turn, may lead to either paying ridiculous sums of money for a coin, or to severe disappointment when you end up the underbidder.. So, to protect myself, I postpone the fun of a detailed research until I'm sure the coin is mine.

Not much of a coin estheically, but here's Victory taking a day off from all tiresome celebrations and working as a teacher at a local elementary school instead.

I just had a peek. Looks lovely, and I can make out some deep green patina. I really believe you ended up with the best of both worlds! As for pictures, I always try to factor in the photography-style of the different auction houses when I browse or bid. Which doesn't mean I'm not in for surprises every now and then. For better or worse On a different note: I read your mail in groups.io about the almost twin ushabti's. It got me slightly worried since I recently bought a cylinder seal from the V-coin seller in question. I accept that I know too little about antiquities to make a judgement on authenticity, so I try to be very careful from who I buy. V-coins felt safe. So I'm holding my breath on the outcome...(insert nailbiting emoji's...), Although it wouldn't surprise me if he had several items from one and the same tomb...

Next: part of the legend off-flan.

Good poin. Could be part of the explanantion. But electrum was widely used (and could easily be madefrom gold of high purity) and Achaemenid darics, which were around, were a well known and sought after currency.

Get one!😉

The protruding aegis' snake on the cuirass is something I haven't seen before. Great acquisition. Congratulations! And those are really two completely different pictures. Better detail on the HJB, but very busy. The Roma is more pleasing to the eye, but lacks depth. I hope in hand the coin combines the best of both worlds.

A less than mediocre coin, but with a good portrait between the cracks and the corroded edge: Next: a poor coin, but one you wanted nonetheless.

Here is my confession: For me it started three years ago with the simple idea that I wanted an ancient Roman coin. Why exactly I got this idea I don't know. I suppose I was just curious what it would feel like, to hold history in hand. (some memories travelling with my parents in South Italy may have played in, or a passing interest in Greek mythology when I was a child). Whatever the reason, I wanted an ancient coin. To scratch the itch I bought a lot of 4 worn LRB's on e-Bay, then decided in my infinite wisdom that they must be fake (of course they were real!), and bought a bona fide slabbed Constantine commemorative follis instead. She-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, as Roman as it gets. A genuine Roman coin! And this is where it should have ended. And it did, for half a year. But somehow the itch didn't go away and needed to be scratched some more. And more. What could I do? I gave in. I visited a MA-shop dealer while in Holland, bought a few Republican denarii (galleys!),and a Marcus Aurelius from him, and I was sold. I decided I wanted to collect ancient coins. And that was before I discovered the Greeks. There was simply no way back from the Greeks. A whole new world of history, mythology and artistry opened up for me. Books were bought, plans were made. Soon coins began to trickle in from sellers all over the world: bronze from Sicily, silver from Greece, a spec of electrum from Ionia, a tetradrachm from as far as Babylon... Simply put, I was hooked. And I can happily say I still am today. I collect mostly Greek, although I catch myself looking more and more at pre-211BC Roman coinage. And seals, yes, I need more seals. And a few coins from Persis. Satraps. I definitely need more satraps. And those lovely and mysterious obols from Cilicia. And how about some more Magna Graecia? Trust me, I'm hooked...

Thasos produced some lovely coins, in Classical days and later on. There is one thing I never quite understood about their coinage, though. The Thasians owned rich gold mines, both on the island itself and on the the mainland they controlled. According to Wikipedia these yielded up to 2-300 talents yearly. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, they never minted any gold or electrum coins next to their silver. I never really got that bit. But I'm sure there's a logical explanation somewhere. Here is a Thasos coin:

Macedonian Babylon: Next: another recently captured city:

And a golden highlight around the posts. No doubt they get two feet extra leg room and complementary drinks as well ...😊

4mm. small enough? Not a beauty, but I like that the monogram spells the denomination: Next: another silver fraction:

There's much good advice here. I can add one tip: @Spaniardmentioned there are a few ancient coin dealers not far from where you live. A house call to one of them would be a good idea. Dealers are knowledgeable, generally helpful, can give you a little nudge in the right direction and can physically show you some of the coins you may be interested in (coins in hand often feel and look different than in pics) (And yes, he might try to sell you a coin or two in the process, but that's only fair 😊). This is how I bought my first ancients, and I felt it was a great introduction to the hobby. I still regret that there is no dealer near where I live now.

I'm going through a dry spell at the moment. The only bright side: I'm waiting on one item to be shipped from France, an Eastern seal (Syrian, Mesopotamian, Babylonian?) Looking forward to that one.

Sorry if it was too difficult...🤔 It was a bee...

What, no turtles yet?! Not having a Aegina stater in my collection, I'll share my baby turtelette instead. Lion, bull, and unknown quadriped included free:

Thank you for the explanation, @robinjojo I forgot to ask if you had any notes on the coin😊 I assumed the iconography was Egyptian, Byblos being the city that had the closest ties to them of all Phoenicians. But I was amazed to see the coin, It's a treasure! It's also very uncommon, I believe. I did a quick check and saw only three on Acsearch. So I probably won't have it in my collection any day soon...

WOW!😍 Very cool coin! First time I see this variety. Great vulture and ram! I only knew the lion/bull variety of this coin.

Tiny coin, small contribution, but there's no seal yet in this thread A pun on the city's name, 'phoke' meaning seal. It's still 'phoque' in modern French, I recently learned.