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Pontos, Amisos  ca. 100BC Aegis Gorgon AE20


thenickelguy

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I wanted one of these types from my first jump into ancient coins and think I found a satisfactory example although it might be the most common encountered and just above average at least. I hope so, but I like it.

PontosAmisosAE20AegisGorgonHeadNikeOnRev100BC.jpg.0149c5e998dc55491aea57a390c001e2.jpg

Pontos, Amisos  ca. 100BC (Coast of Southern Black Sea Turkey) AE20 
Obverse Aegis (skin of a slain gorgon) with facing head of Gorgon at center Reverse Nike walking right, holding palm over shoulder with both hands.
Not sure but I believe this is BMC 72

At first glance, the obverse might look like some kind of flower with a face in the center but it is far from it.

OK, that's just me maybe, silly me.

PontosAmisosAE20AegisGorgonHeadNikeOnRev100BCart.jpg.717811155ee759ad18f285682edc27ae.jpg

The head in the center is a gorgon. The most famous gorgon was Medusa. Upon looking into the eyes of Medusa it would turn a human to stone. What looks like petals of a dahlia type flower are actually scales of the hyde of the gorgon. 
 

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That is one of the most pleasant designs for affordable ancient coins (IMO).

Here is my example with the attribution I found

image.png.3bbde7e720b27303ebc6cb3f14a2d19a.png

Bronze Æ 22 mm, 6,37 g

Pontic Kingdom, Amisos. Mithradates VI. 120-63 B.C, local civic issue of common type under Mithradates VI. 100-85 B.C. Facing Gorgonion as boss of fleece (aegis)-covered, octagonal shield / AMI-ΣOY, ethnic across fields divided by Nike, walking right, holding wreath and palm-branch; monograms in lower fields. SNG Cop.167 var; SNG BM Black Sea 1177-91; HGC 7, 242; Waddington Recueil, pg. 57, 44

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