Phil Anthos

How about torches?... Apameia, Phrygia 3rd Century AD Pseudo-autonomous AE15 (15mm, 2.27g) O: Draped and turreted bust of Tyche right; AΠA-MEIA. R: Hekate Triformis standing facing, wearing polos and double chiton, and holding 4 torches and 2 patera; CΩTEI-PA. SNG von Aulock 3475; SNG Cop 195-96; BMC 110-13 ex Gert Boersema "O Nox, Mother of Mysteries, and all ye golden Astra who with Luna succeed the fires of day, and thou, divine three-formed Hecate, who knowest all my enterprises and dost fortify the arts of magic." ~ Ovid, The Metamorphoses Next: veiled Demeter

Hadrian / Salus 119-138 AD Orichalcum Dupondius (25mm, 13.39g) O: Radiate bust right, slightly draped; IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANUS AVG PM TR P COS III. R: Salus standing left, foot on globe, holding patera and rudder; SALVS PVBLICA, S-C. RIC 604a / Cohen 1358 / van Meter 110 / BMC 1237 ex Francis J. Rath Next: water nymph

Diocletian 284-305 AD AE Antoninianus (22mm, 2.83g) O: Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; IMP CC VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG. R: Diocletian receiving Victory from Hercules; IOV ET HERCV CONSER AVGG, XXI in ex. RIC 275v ex M&R Coins Next: any forepart

Behold the hippopotamus! We laugh at how he looks to us, And yet in moments dank and grim, I wonder how we look to him. Peace, peace, thou hippopotamus! We really look all right to us, As you no doubt delight the eye Of other hippopotami. ~ Ogden Nash

Also Otis Redding, Joe South, and on and on. And a real country-blues gem he did slide on called 'Gypsy' by Cowboy. And of course 'Loan Me a Dime' by Boz Scaggs.

One of my all time favorites, with him and the incredible Duane Allman trading guitar solos. Such a pretty song.

Valerian / Hekate Ephesus, Ionia 253-260 AD AE26 (7.86g) O: Laureate and draped bust of Valerian right; AYT K ΠO ΛIK BAΛEPIANOΣ. R: Hekate standing facing, head left, wearing long chiton and holding two torches; EΦEΣIΩN Γ NEΩKOPΩN. Lindgren 474; SNG Cop 499 ex Gerhard Rohde

Dicky Betts, singer, guitarist and songwriter for (in their day) one of the premier American rock bands ever, died yesterday at 80. This song was written by Gregg Allman as a eulogy for his brother Duane, but it fits here too. RIP Dicky... Ephesus, Ionia 390-320 BC AR Diobol (10mm, 1.02g) O: Bee with straight wings, within dotted border. R: Confronted heads of two stags; EΦ above. SNG Cop 242-43; SNG von Aulock 1835; SNG München 32; Sear 4375v; BMC Ionia 53, 53; ex Forvm Ancient Coins The bee was sacred to the goddess Artemis, whose famous sanctuary at Ephesus was tended by Her priestesses, known collectively as Melissae, a word which translates as ‘bee’, or by some accounts ‘honey gatherer’. It is no surprise then that the coins of this city should feature the bee on their obverse.

Yes.

Other than me?

Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR Hexas (5mm, 0,11g) O: Wheel of four spokes. R: Wheel of four spokes. D'Andrea IV, 79; Vlasto 1123; SNG France 1620; HN Italy 978 Very rare ex Goduto The spoked wheel motif was fairly common on archaic Greek coins, and its simplicity of design was especially suited to diminutive silver coins such as this one.

Apollo... Abdera, Thrace 352-323 BC AE Dichalkon (14.5mm, 4.19g) O: Griffin lying right on club; [star] above, MENAN (magistrate) below. R: Laureate head of Apollo right within linear square; AB∆-HPI-TE-[ΩN] around. SNG Cop 374; AMNG II 221; BMC Thrace 75; 83v (MEN) ex Forvm Ancient Coins “Beware of the sharp-beaked hounds of Zeus that do not bark, the Grypes (Griffins) who dwell about the flood of Plouton's stream that flows with gold. Do not approach them.” ~ Aeschylus (Prometheus Bound)

What do you want to know?

Athena left... Mesembria, Thrace 250-175 BC AE19 (19mm, 5.54g) O: Diademed female head right. R: Athena Alkidemos advancing left, brandishing spear and holding shield; METAM-BPIANΩN to either side. SNG Cop 661; Sear 1676; BMC 3, 12 ex Nova Coins

Chariot drawn by snakes... Athens, Attica Eleusinian Festival Coinage 340-335 BC AE 16 (16mm, 3.65g) O: Triptolemos seated left in winged chariot drawn by two serpents, holding grain ear in right hand. R: Pig standing right on mystic staff; EΛEYΣI above, bucranium in ex. SNG Cop 415; Agora 38h; Sear 2586v Next: anything Greek

Nice coin, and the reverse is beautiful. Here are a couple of mine... Metapontum, Lucania 330-300 BC AR Didrachm (21mm, 7.76g) O: Head of Demeter right, wreathed in grain and wearing triple earring and necklace; ΔAI under chin. R: Ear of barley with seven grains, leaf to right; plow above leaf, MAX below, META upward to left. Johnston C-1; SNG ANS 470; SNG Cop 1227; HN Italy 1581; Sear 416 ex Windsor Antiquities Founded around 700 BC by Achaean colonists, Metapontum strived to remain neutral through the many wars common in Magna Graecia. They took no active role in the struggle between fellow Achaean colonies of Kroton and Sybaris, although they did give sanctuary to Pythagoras and his followers after they were banished from Kroton. Here he taught until his retirement, and here he died (c. 500 BC). Metapontum joined Taras in an alliance with Alexander of Epirus during his wars against the Lucanians and Bruttians (332 BC). However when Metapontum declined a similar offer to ally with Kleonymus of Sparta in 303 BC, Taras became hostile and attacked, eventually extorting a large sum of gold from the Metapontines. The animosity between them subsided by 281 BC, when Metapontum once again sided with the Tarentines in an alliance with Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, in the war against Rome. By this time their influence in the region had waned, and we hear less and less of the city until the Second Punic War (216 BC), at which time Metapontum declared in favor of Hannibal. By 212 BC Hannibal occupied the city, and it seems to have been a major base for his forces. However, after his military reversal Hannibal was forced to give up possession of the region, departing Italy from Metapontum in 207 BC and evacuating the population at the same time. Metapontum would never again play a major role in Magna Graecia, and although Cicero mentions visiting the city, Pausanias tells us that the site was a complete ruin by his time. Metapontum, Lucania 470-440 BC AR Diobol (11mm, 0.82g). O: Ear of barley with six grains. R: Incuse barley grain; annulet to left. Noe 304; HN Italy 1488 ex Agora Auctions; ex Artifact Man Metapontum was located on the Gulf of Taras between the rivers Bradanus and Casuentus. This ideal location, lying on a richly fertile plain, would provide the Metapontines with the abundant grain harvests from which they became both wealthy and influential. By the fifth century Metapontum had grown so prosperous that she paid an annual tribute to Delphi in the form of a "golden harvest" (Strabo), thought to be a sheaf of grain fashioned from gold.

Not at all like the virtuous Greeks. I have nazi items which I inherited from my grandfather who flew in WWII and was an RAF representative during the surrender in Berlin. I find them interesting and historically relevant, but the flag is pretty creepy. But history is history, and collecting it doesn't condone it in my mind.

Sounds like eastern Washington.

$250k for a phone, and it doesn't even have a camera! ~ Peter

Go small or not at all!... Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR Hexas (5mm, 0.08g) O: Scallop shell with 7 teeth, within linear border. R: Wheel with four spokes. D'Andrea IV, 78; Vlasto 1118; SNG France 1617; HN Italy 836 Very scarce From the E.E. Clain-Stephanelli collection. ex Naville Numismatics I saw Manson live in '96, back when he was still relevant. Now he's a perfect model for "don't let this happen to you."

I have seen that type before, now that you post it, and I've always been intrigued by the symbolism.

Here's an unusual item, a bird trap. Note that neither of these coins belong to me, the first being a late 4th century bronze of Herakleia, Lucania (from Marc Breitsprecher), the second an early 4th century stater of Kaulonia, Bruttium (from Musa Numismatic Art). ~ Peter

Here's Nike sittin' on a cippus... Terina, Bruttium circa 300 BC AR Drachm (16mm, 2.21g) O: Head of nymph Terina left; triskeles behind, TEPINAIΩN left. R: Winged Nike seated left on cippus, holding bird in extended right hand; star to left. Holloway & Jenkins 111; HN Italy 2642 ex Bertolami Fine Arts

Gordian III / Pax 238-244 AD AE Sestertius (32mm, 26.38g) O: Laureate bust right; IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG. R: Pax standing facing, head left; PAX AVGVSTI, S-C. RIC 256a / Cohen 175 / Sear 2493 ex Francis J. Rath Next: portrait framed by dolphins

Taras: Its History and Coinage, by George Brauer