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Sikyon Stater Pickup


Kazuma78

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I was very excited and blessed to be able to pick up this well detailed Sikyon Stater not too long ago. I've been after an example since I first saw the type about 3 years ago when I got seriously into ancient coins. Please feel free to post anything you feel is relevant! 

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SIKYONIA, Sikyon. Circa 335-330 BC. AR Stater (25 mm, 12.23 g, 3h). Chimaera standing left; wreath above, ΣE below / Dove flying left; N to left; all within wreath. BCD Peloponnesos 218; HGC 5, 201. Superb EF with brilliant lustrous surfaces. NGC CH AU Star Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5 Fine Style.

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Both above are great coins. This mint either has die cutters with great imagination or someone should lay off the fermented grape juice, 

Sikyon Ar Stater 335-330 BC Obv Chimaera standing left. Rv Dove flying left within laurel wreath BCD 219 HGC 201 12.20 grms 23 mm Photo by W Hansen

 

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It would seem to me that this coinage was struck as the Spartans were making a push to regain their dominance over the Peloponnese, This was done with the financial assistance of the Persians. They were hoping that this war would distract Alexander from making any more trouble for them, This in turn caused Alexander's commander in the region Antipater to strike the new coinage bearing the name and types of Alexander.

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18 minutes ago, kapphnwn said:

Both above are great coins. This mint either has die cutters with great imagination or someone should lay off the fermented grape juice, 

Sikyon Ar Stater 335-330 BC Obv Chimaera standing left. Rv Dove flying left within laurel wreath BCD 219 HGC 201 12.20 grms 23 mm Photo by W Hansen

 

sikyon1.jpg.f88b71c319fdbd0d488aa70dc6bdbf72.jpg

It would seem to me that this coinage was struck as the Spartans were making a push to regain their dominance over the Peloponnese, This was done with the financial assistance of the Persians. They were hoping that this war would distract Alexander from making any more trouble for them, This in turn caused Alexander's commander in the region Antipater to strike the new coinage bearing the name and types of Alexander.

That is an excellent example and well centered! Interesting history on the events of the time. I've read a little bit about it, but not as much as I'd like- sounds even more interesting than I could have hoped. 

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An excellent new purchase, @Kazuma78 and @Curtisimoand @kapphnwn's examples are also very attractive (especially the latter's centering which is uncommonly superb).

Here's mine which had a premium for its toning which developed from it being on display at the Cincinnati Museum of Art for ~10 years where they clearly didn't control its conditions well as several coins from the displayed collection acquired vibrant toning:

image.jpeg.525ad5cb198cd4997ed9157500d084f2.jpeg

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5 minutes ago, AncientJoe said:

An excellent new purchase, @Kazuma78 and @Curtisimoand @kapphnwn's examples are also very attractive (especially the latter's centering which is uncommonly superb).

Here's mine which had a premium for its toning which developed from it being on display at the Cincinnati Museum of Art for ~10 years where they clearly didn't control its conditions well as several coins from the displayed collection acquired vibrant toning:

image.jpeg.525ad5cb198cd4997ed9157500d084f2.jpeg

A spectacular example as always! That toning is absolutely stunning. I've seen a few that were displayed there, and they all had acquired similar fantastic toning. If I had loaned them out, I would have been thrilled to get them back that way. I may have lent them some more! Haha

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While toning is always a plus, what I like about Ancient Joe's coin is the snake tail is on the flan.  I find it odd that the slab company can say all those nice things about coins with one of the animals missing.  Mine is not as nice in several ways including graffiti initials on both sides (phi) and crowded flan on both major animals but it is the variation with distinctive snake features.  It was fortunate that the mint made so many thousands of variations on the popular themes so we each can select the one that speaks to us.  Coin collecting is not a binary subject but one where there are as many right answers as the are coins.  The AJ coin is 'fine style'.  Mine is only special in regard to the snake.  If I sent it in to be slabbed, I would hope for a grade of "Fine 3/5 1/5 - Fine Snake".g51395bb3105.jpg.4f3f0ff3ab8a14b2eec2acc26e1a1c6f.jpg

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Great examples everyone. I never got to obtain a full stater but managed to get a nice drachm. And it is from the BCD collection which is a plus.

Drachm (Silver, 5.97 g 2), c. 431-400. Chimaera moving to left, without ground line, right paw raised; below, . Rev. Dove flying left with wings open above and below; all within olive wreath tied on the right and with the branch ends entwined on the left. Pozzi 1791. Traité 762, pl. CCXIX, 30. Weber 3908. From the BCD collection (LHS Numismatik 96, 2006, lot 204).

 

 

Sikyon-Peus.jpeg

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The OP coin is a wonderful example of this highly desirable mythical beast of ancient times.  Any collector would prize it in his/her collection.

If AncientJoe were to have NGC slab and grade his coin, I imagine that it, too, would receive a grade of "Superb EF with brilliant lustrous surfaces. NGC CH AU Star Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5 Fine Style."

From a purely academic perspective, I wonder if a novice collector of ancient coins would view these two NGC slabbed coins as equivalent?  

Dougsmit's observation ("I find it odd that the slab company can say all those nice things about coins with one of the animals missing.") raises a substantive and meaningful topic regarding NGC's grading system, and I'm curious how other NUMISFORUM members think about this topic?

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On 10/23/2022 at 3:57 PM, dougsmit said:

While toning is always a plus, what I like about Ancient Joe's coin is the snake tail is on the flan.  I find it odd that the slab company can say all those nice things about coins with one of the animals missing.  Mine is not as nice in several ways including graffiti initials on both sides (phi) and crowded flan on both major animals but it is the variation with distinctive snake features.  It was fortunate that the mint made so many thousands of variations on the popular themes so we each can select the one that speaks to us.  Coin collecting is not a binary subject but one where there are as many right answers as the are coins.  The AJ coin is 'fine style'.  Mine is only special in regard to the snake.  If I sent it in to be slabbed, I would hope for a grade of "Fine 3/5 1/5 - Fine Snake".g51395bb3105.jpg.4f3f0ff3ab8a14b2eec2acc26e1a1c6f.jpg

 

On 10/23/2022 at 6:26 PM, idesofmarch01 said:

The OP coin is a wonderful example of this highly desirable mythical beast of ancient times.  Any collector would prize it in his/her collection.

If AncientJoe were to have NGC slab and grade his coin, I imagine that it, too, would receive a grade of "Superb EF with brilliant lustrous surfaces. NGC CH AU Star Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5 Fine Style."

From a purely academic perspective, I wonder if a novice collector of ancient coins would view these two NGC slabbed coins as equivalent?  

Dougsmit's observation ("I find it odd that the slab company can say all those nice things about coins with one of the animals missing.") raises a substantive and meaningful topic regarding NGC's grading system, and I'm curious how other NUMISFORUM members think about this topic?

I also much prefer Joe's example because of the better centering and toning, but as these don't come this nice very often (maybe a couple times a year), I couldn't turn it down. I wouldn't mind potentially upgrading it if the right example comes along at some point that's not in the nosebleed section in terms of cost.

 

I did bid competitively on this coin when it crossed the block, and lost. I must say, I probably prefer it over my OP coin.

image00379.jpg.2ceeabeff0272000e3ab57e926a6632f.jpg

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