Show off your Sicily coinage! New pickup: Syracuse Tetradrachm

[Deinomenid]

Here's one with an owl from the very end of their independence in the 5th Republic, around 213-212BC.

Only owl I have seen on a Syracuse coin from the period.

 

[Alegandron]

Sicily Syracuse Timoleon Third Democracy 344-317 BCE AE Hemidrachm Zeus Thundrbolt

 

Sicily Kainon AE Tetras 367-357 BCE 20mm 6.7g Griffin springing - Horse Prancing SNG COP 133

 

Sicily Gela AR Litra Horse-Achelous 0.63g 13mm 465-450 BCE HGC 2 p 373

 

[John060167]

On 6/8/2022 at 10:42 AM, Alegandron said:

Here is my fat-boy from Syracuse...

Gelon



Syracuse
Gelon 485-478 BCE
AR Tet
24mm 16.7g
Slow Biga Victory
Arethusa 4 dolphins
Sear-Greek S 914
Ex Charles Reeve

love this tetradrachm, really like arethusas head and the detailed obverse! Thanks for sharing!

[John060167]

On 6/8/2022 at 10:58 AM, AncientJoe said:

Syracuse used coinage as a means of showing their strength, producing some of the most influential and beautiful coins in history. Here's just a pair from Syracuse to avoid over-loading the thread:

Kimon dekadrachm (unsigned, but I significantly prefer this style over the signed Kimon dies):

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I, 405-367 BC. Dekadrachm (Silver, 37mm, 43.51 g 7), unsigned but by Kimon, c. 404-400. Quadriga galloping to left, driven by a female charioteer who leans forward, with a kentron in her right hand and the reins in her left; above left, Nike flying right to crown the driver; in exergue below, panoply of arms on pedestal inscribed with ΑΘΛΑ. Rev. ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩ Head of Arethusa to left, her hair bound in an ampyx with a net behind, and wearing a pendant earring and a pearl necklace; around her head, four dolphins: two swimming towards each other before, one swimming downwards behind, and one nestling under the neck truncation. Gulbenkian 309. Jongkees 12. Rizzo pl. LVI, 6.

A tetradrachm with an impressively engraved horse (see the veins on the horse's stomach):

 

Amazing decadrachm, definitely a dream coin…maybe one day! Must feel good to hold that in your hands!

I really do like the diework on the tetradrachm too, so much going for it! I like the detailed horse and the chariot rider, could make out facial features on him! Arethusa looks great too. For these coins, I feel style and die state are very important as they are highly valued for their beauty. 

 

Thanks for sharing, cheers friend!

[kapphnwn]

Syracuse Ar Tetradrachm 466-460 BC Obv Charioteer driving slow quadriga right above Nike crowning driver. Rv  Head of Arethusa right surrounded by four dolphins Boehringer 438 HGC 1310 17.40 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen

Back in 2019 I decided to sell my Syracuse minted during the reign of Heron I . Thus I needed to purchase a replacement. I noticed that there were a number of likely candidates available at the NYINC in 2020. However upon examining all the likely I saw this coin. In my mind this coin was absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately it was minted during the subsequent democracy  a period that I already had represented in my collection. But I bought it anyway.  

[Phil Davis]

Crawford 457/1, struck in Sicily by A. Allienus in 47 BC for Julius Caesar, before Caesar's departure for Africa to fight the Pompeian remnants reestablished there. The obverse depicts Venus; the reverse shows Trinacrus standing left, holding a triskeles and resting one foot on a prow. Trinacrus was a son of Neptune with a particular association with Sicily; the triskeles he holds had deep roots as an emblem for the island.

[Alegandron]

Yeah, SICILY!

Roman Republic Anon AE 28mm 19.2g Quadrans - Sicily mint  214-212 BCE Hercules-Erymanthian boar headress- Bull snake ex RBW Craw 72-7 Scarce

[jdmKY]

5 hours ago, Phil Davis said:

Crawford 457/1, struck in Sicily by A. Allienus in 47 BC for Julius Caesar, before Caesar's departure for Africa to fight the Pompeian remnants reestablished there. The obverse depicts Venus; the reverse shows Trinacrus standing left, holding a triskeles and resting one foot on a prow. Trinacrus was a son of Neptune with a particular association with Sicily; the triskeles he holds had deep roots as an emblem for the island.

Phil - Here’s mine

[Steve]

WOW!! ... those last two coins from Gandalf and jdmKY are absolutely amazing!! (actually, all of the coins in this sweet thread are amazing!!)

 

Ummm, I have a few more Syracuse stragglers ... hopefully they're allowed to mingle with your Sicily-gems?!!

 

 

HERACLIUS AE 40 nummi follis (below)

Struck at Syracuse, Sicily. Overstruck on a large follis of Anastasius from Constantinople

circa 622 AD or earlier

Diameter: 33.5mm

Weight: 13.6g

Obverse: Facing bust of Heraclius, monogram-cross beside, all within 9mm countermarked circle, bust of Anastasius clearly identifiable underneath

Reverse Large M from original undertype, mintmark CON overstamped with SCLS mintmark.

 HOST COIN - ANASTASIUS I AE 40 nummi follis. Constantinople mint, circa 512-517 AD. D N ANASTASIVS P P AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right. Reverse - Large M, star to left, cross above, star to right, A below. Mintmark CON. SB 16, DOC 20a. Countermark S 884

Heraclius overstruck 40 nummi folles on earlier coinage, dating from the time of Anastasius to Justin II, at Syracusae, Sicilia, as part of a renewed focus on the island's importance as a strategic base.

Ex-stevex6

 

SICILY. Syracuse, AE Hicetas (below)

288-279 BC

Diameter: 22 mm

Weight: 8 grams

Obverse: Laureate head of young Zeus Hellanios left

Reverse: Eagle with spread wings standing left on thunderbolt. “A” in left field

Other: sweet sprue!

Ex-stevex6

 

 

 

SICILY - SYRACUSE – HEMILITRON - 6 Onkia (below)

TIME OF DIONYSIOS I

Diameter: 16 mm

Weight: 3.4 grams

Obverse: ARETHUSA

Reverse: WHEEL OF FOUR SPOKES , DOLPHINS

Reference: sng ans 404

other: good vf

Ex-stevex6

Edited June 11, 2022 by Steve

[Alegandron]

Carthage Zeugitania AR ½ Shekel 17mm 3.8g 2nd Punic War 218-202 BC Sicily mint 216-211 BC Tanit l Horse r sun as double uraeus SNG COP 359

 

Syracuse Sicily Pyrrhus 278-275 BCE  AE 24mm 9.2g HeraklesHd - Athena Promachos SG1213 LE584 Left

 

SICILY Syracuse Hieron II 274-216 BC Æ26 15.9g diademed Left -  ΙΕΡΟΝΩΣ Hrsemn gallping r hldng spear HGC 2 1548 CNS II 193

 

Sicily Menainon Hermes in petasos, kerykeion caduceus, two pellets Hexas

 

SYRACUSE 2nd Democr 466-405 BCE Æ Tetras 2.7g 15mm c.425 BCE Arethusa dolphins - Octopus 3 pellets SNG ANS 376 Calciati II.21.1

[Theodosius]

I really enjoy coins from Syracuse.

Sicily, Syracuse. Deinomenid Tyranny. Hieron I, 485-466 BC.

AR Tetradrachm, struck 478-475 BC, 17.08 grams, 1h.

Obverse: Charioteer driving quadriga right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses.

Reverse: Diademed head of Arethusa right; hair in band and pearl diadem, four dolphins around.

References: Boehringer series VIIIa, 114 (V52?/R88); Randazzo 287.

It is very unusual that Arethusa has her hair in a band in addition to a pearl diadem. Later coins often show Arethusa with her hair restrained by a band, but it is very rare for this to be shown on archaic style tetradrachms from Syracuse.

Fine style. Very rare.

John

[Theodosius]

Another I have had for a long time:

Sicily, Syracuse, Dionysius I, 405 - 367 BC,

AR Tetradrachm, Struck 405/399 BC, 17.32 g

Obverse: Quadriga with chariot, Nike flies above with wreath, ear of grain in the exergue.

Reverse: Head of Arethusa with hair in ampyx and sphendone, decorated with stars made from points, wearing pendant earrings with three drops, surrounded by 4 dolphins, one emerging from behind her head.

References: Tudeer 83 (O56/R30) Dewing Coll. 850, SNG ANS 291

Fine style, very rare, likely the unsigned work of Eukleidas, who used the dolphin emerging from behind Arethusa’s head on another tetradrachm (Tudeer 58-59), which he signed.

Ex Fred Shore, August 26, 1989

John

[Theodosius]

Some Syracusan bronzes are just as well done as the silver.  I really need to re-shoot this one.

SICILY, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. 344-317 BC.

Æ Hemidrachm, 24mm, 16.08 grams.

Timoleontic Symmachy coinage. 1st series, circa 344-339/8 BC.

Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios right.

Reverse: Upright thunderbolt; to right, eagle standing right.

References: Castrizio Series I, 1γ; CNS 72; HGC 2, 1440.

Ex Continental Collection

John

[dougsmit]

People have posted most of the usual Sicilian coinage but I wonder how many of you have this Syracuse ---- New York, that is.  It was given as an advertising premium in 1898 by the Sterns bicycle company from Syracuse NY. 

 

A bit more appropriate is my Gelas AE onkia (AE12) 420-405 BC showing a river god with floating hair.