Please help with an ID! This coin is unattributable...

[zadie]

Have you ever found yourself stuck when trying to ID a coin? I'm sure we've all been there. This coin belongs to a friend of mine, he recruited me to help find an ID and ever since then it has been a huge thorn in my side. Despite having multiple people look, no one has been able to narrow down the region it comes from or even the time period it was struck. I know for a fact that a few of the heavy hitters in the industry has looked at this coin and not been able to find anything useful. We need help to solve this mystery!

 

Here's a few key points that most everyone has agreed on thus far:

 

• Most likely Roman Provincial or otherwise greek-related.
• Legend on the "obverse" reads: AN.
• Legend on the "reverse" reads ΛE.
• The coin weighs 8.6 g and has an extremely thick flan.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Topcat7]

(If it helps,) Similar to :

Lycia 410-390 B.C.

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Topcat7

[JeandAcre]

@Topcat7 has to be in the right neighborhood, never mind the obvious legend variant(s), relative to both sides.  @Topcat7, I'm having to wonder whether your pic corresponds more closely to @zadie's obverse.

...Before reading your post, the most traction I was getting was with standard-brand, scyphate Himyarite AR issues, c. 2nd c. CE. 

...Even in reference to the ensuing Himyarite influence on Aksumite /Axumite issues, over a couple of centuries (also with profiles on either side), I was having to say, 'Highly-I Unlikely-I.'

Edited June 19, 2022 by JeandAcre

[Topcat7]

2 hours ago, JeandAcre said:

@Topcat7 has to be in the right neighborhood, never mind the obvious legend variant(s), relative to both sides.  @Topcat7, I'm having to wonder whether your pic corresponds more closely to @zadie's obverse.

...Before reading your post, the most traction I was getting was with standard-brand, scyphate Himyarite AR issues, c. 2nd c. CE. 

...Even in reference to the ensuing Himyarite influence on Aksumite /Axumite issues, over a couple of centuries (also with profiles on either side), I was having to say, 'Highly-I Unlikely-I.'

@JeandAcre  Could be. Could be.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Topcat7

[JeandAcre]

...Well, mmmMaybe an earlier prototype.  I don't know beans about the series.  Thanks for the vote of confidence, though.

Edited June 19, 2022 by JeandAcre

[Topcat7]

Content removed by poster. Not relevant. Sorry.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Topcat7

[zadie]

Felt it best not to leave you all with an annoying cliffhanger...

After many trials and tribulations, an attribution for this coin has finally been found! This has easily been the hardest, most obscure coin that I've ever researched. After many hours and many people pitching in to help, we had just about given up when by pure coincidence this very similar coin was spotted on Edgar L. Owen's site:

Once we were able to find this piece of puzzle things progressed very quickly. SNG Copenhagen provided more insight and finally we were able to land on a definitive attribution. Ladies and gents, I give you...

 

SICILY, Uncertain Roman mint. Circa 190 BC. Æ (17mm, 8.60 g, 12h). Head of Hephaistos right, wearing pilos / Head of Hermes right, wearing petasos. Cf. Bahrfeldt 67; cf. BAR 52; cf. CNS 155-6; (for similar type with different legend arrangement and lower weight) HGC 2, –. Brown patina, slightly off center. Near VF. Extremely rare and unpublished with this legend variety and weight. BAR gives a weight range of only 2.14-3.40 g. No examples of any of these types are in CoinArchives.

While tentatively dated to roughly 190 BC, it is quite possible that this rare issue was struck during the Second Punic War, when Rome was struggling to dislodge Carthage from Syracuse and the rest of the island.

 

This coin is for sale in the current CNG e-sale, here: https://auctions.cngcoins.com/lots/view/4-7NCT51/sicily-uncertain-roman-mint-circa-190-bc-17mm-860-g-12h-near-vf