First Greek Drachm Purchase

[Prieure de Sion]

Hello all...

I have decided to start another collecting area, I call it "antique coins that I don't actually collect, but that I kind of like and bought just for that reason".

I bid on two coins today and one is this drachm of Lysimachus (Price 1840, SNG Copenhagen 908) with 18mm diameter and a weight of 4.39 grams. 

It is certainly nothing special (for connoisseurs of Greek coins). I simply liked it. As I said - it is nothing rare and nothing special, that is clear to me.

But I hope you tell me - that I have not bought the last nonsense and that the coin is ok.

 

(Maybe you shouldn't sit in the garden with your notebook in full sun and watch an auction) 😄 

[JayAg47]

Nice coin, I've a similar issue, but Zeus's legs are spread apart.

Alexander III posthumous issue, 4 grams. Lysimachus, 305-281 BC, Kingdom of Thrace.
I've never seen Zeus's legs positioned like this on other posthumous coins!

Edited June 16, 2022 by JayAg47

[ominus1]

Beautiful!!...that would be one of the following kings afterwards(i think), but i wouldn't know which..very nice!..:)..i just retook(and posted) a pic of my ATG drachmas 😄

[Prieure de Sion]

1 minute ago, ominus1 said:

Beautiful!!...that would be one of the following kings afterwards(i think), but i wouldn't know which..very nice!..:)..i just retook(and posted) a pic of my ATG drachmas

Ok ok thanks to all.

Normally I only collect Roman-related coins. Therefore, I have zero, really zero idea about Greek coins. I just wanted to know if the beer and the sun in the garden had turned me into a complete idiot and I might have bought something completely stupid.

Then I am reassured.

Thank you for your examples. Then I'll go and do the best thing about the hobby. I'll read the story and find out more. I think I know that Lysimchos was a general of Alexander. Otherwise I know NOTHING about this coin and its background. But that is the beauty of this hobby. You learn a lot of history about the way of the coin.

[Prieure de Sion]

So this is the second and last Greek coin that I liked and that I was awarded.

I liked the nose so much.
Ok, and the portrait.

But it even fits somewhat into the collection of (Roman) tetradrachms from Antioch on the Orontes. So at least I can talk myself into a clear conscience. With its 29mm diameter, it fits in nicely with my large Roman tetradrachms. But I'm so stupid to just buy something without knowing anything about it.

But now I'd better turn off the computer and slowly set up the barbecue. So that I don't have any more stupid thoughts.

[Qcumbor]

I do that all the time : I mean buying coins that I shouldn't buy because they're out of my field(s)

Nice ones @PdS

Q

Edited June 16, 2022 by Qcumbor

[Old Miser]

@Prieure de Sion as a funny coincidence, I did the same thing. I was in the garden following the very same auction. You will be pleased to know that we probably did not compete for the same coins, but I did notice (and thought about for a bit) the Antiochus tet.

Starting with the drachm, very nice example and perfectly OK hammer price. You did well there.

Now the tet.... Wow, what can I say about this one, apart from that you probably got a near perfect example for the type. The style, the centering, the toning, all spot on! Most will focus on the portrait, but let me throw a  bit of praise for the reverse. Usually with these, the reverse can be all over the place as they are so busy. But it is spot on with great legends, and combined with such fine portrait on the other side, it simply doesn't get better than that.  It kinda explains the hammer price which is on the high side, considering that late Seleukid tets still bring affordable prices. However, as your example is top of the range, I can understand people fighting for it. For example, the very next lot was fine as well apart from the gash on the reverse. And that's why it hammered for only a fraction. But if you are going to have one Greek tet, go for the best, right? Congratulations!

That tet deserves its own thread in my opinion. As you are not familiar with Greek tets, the moment you hold it in your hands you will go nuts (in a good way).

[Prieure de Sion]

7 minutes ago, Qcumbor said:

I do that all the time : I mean buying coins that I shouldn't buy because they're out of my field(s)

Nice ones @PdS

Q

That in itself is not a bad thing. It's just dangerous or stupid of me, because I don't know what I'm doing. I should perhaps be more careful and ask before buying - and not after.

😄

Edited June 16, 2022 by Prieure de Sion

[Prieure de Sion]

6 minutes ago, Old Miser said:

as a funny coincidence, I did the same thing. I was in the garden following the very same auction. You will be pleased to know that we probably did not compete for the same coins, but I did notice (and thought about for a bit) the Antiochus tet.

That's funny 😄

Yes... But that was a "dangerous" combination. In the garden. The sun. The glorious weather. A beer. Music. Holiday mood. I should probably not do serious shopping in this combination. It's like going to the supermarket very hungry.

 

9 minutes ago, Old Miser said:

Starting with the drachm, very nice example and perfectly OK hammer price. You did well there.

Ok, I'm glad to read that.

 

10 minutes ago, Old Miser said:

That tet deserves its own thread in my opinion. As you are not familiar with Greek tets, the moment you hold it in your hands you will go nuts (in a good way).

Ok, that makes me happy and reassures me a lot to read this from an expert. The coin was not quite cheap and actually I should not bid so much money on a coin in an area that I do not know at all. Then you can say that I was lucky again. Luck beats stupidity (or negligence). 

I only dared to bid a little higher because it was being auctioned at Roma and I thought there was less risk of buying something wrong here.

But I think in the future, should I plan to do something like that again, I will rather ask here first. The Greek market is full of fakes and a layman like me can easily fall into the trap.

So I was lucky today. And it was ok. But you shouldn't always push your luck, I think.

Thank you for the opinions of the experts.
Now the barbecue can taste good tonight.
And after that I'll have to research the history behind the coins.

[kapphnwn]

Antiochos VII Ar Tetradrachm Ake Ptolemais 116-114 BC Obv Head right diademed Rv. Zeus Uranius standing left holdinf star. SC 2336(2) HGC 1197h 16.08 grms 32 mm Photo by W. HansenWhen I started collecting ancient coins I concentrated on the portraits found on Roman Imperial coins. I found them to be endlessly fascinating as one could lock at a coin  and see an image of an individual that is recognizable.  Later when I added Greek coins into my collection I still found portraits to be interesting. Thus I really liked the Seleukid series. They link the first portraits found on Greek coins to those found on Roman coins.

[Prieure de Sion]

1 hour ago, kapphnwn said:

Antiochos VII Ar Tetradrachm Ake Ptolemais 116-114 BC Obv Head right diademed Rv. Zeus Uranius standing left holdinf star. SC 2336(2) HGC 1197h 16.08 grms 32 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

1 hour ago, kapphnwn said:

When I started collecting ancient coins I concentrated on the portraits found on Roman Imperial coins. I found them to be endlessly fascinating as one could lock at a coin  and see an image of an individual that is recognizable. 

 

Oh yes... also a very beautiful coin - a very vivid portrait I think. A very lively portrait, I would even say.

[Prieure de Sion]

One question again please...

At the last coin from Seleukid Empire, Antiochos VIII Epiphanes - I have some references like:

SC 2298.2e 

HGC 9, 1197e

 

I try to find with google, what SC or HGC mean, but I only find this ablations - not what it was (others like RRC, RIC, SNG, Prieur etc. I know - but this two are new for me). Thanks!

 

PS: and at last - which one was the priority? with my roman tetradrachm the standard is "Prieur" and then comes other like RPC or so. What is the standard with this coins? 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Prieure de Sion

[NewStyleKing]

Seleucid Coins= SC Houghton, Hoover Lorber

 

HGC  = Houghton's Greek coins

NSK=John

[Prieure de Sion]

8 minutes ago, NewStyleKing said:

Seleucid Coins= SC Houghton, Hoover Lorber

 

HGC  = Houghton's Greek coins

NSK=John

Thanks so much!