Oh, Helios yeah! My new facing Helios from Rhodes

[Ryro]

(Helios quadriga flying the sun across the sky)

As we often say about smaller coins, my new Rhodian is a total stunner in hand!

ISLANDS off CARIA, Rhodos. Rhodes . Circa 125-88 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 14mm, 1.48 g 12), Timokrates. Radiate head of Helios, three-quarter facing to right. Rev. Ρ - Ο ΤΙΜΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ Rose with bud to right; below to left, coiled serpent; all within shallow incuse square. Jenkins, Rhodian 156. very fine.

Purchased from Savoca April 2023

"This late series of silver fractions was among the longest-running of all the Rhodian series. Its types continued from that found on previous issues. Helios was adopted as the patron diety of Rhodes

upon the city's foundation in 407/7 BC, and became the nearly universal obverse type of Rhodian coinage over the following four centuries. The rose was a pun on the city's name, a common practice in Greek coinage, and also was the dominant type on the reverse of Rhodian coins until the first century AD. The plinthophoric series runs from circa 190 BC to 84 BC, and represents a complete overhaul of the monetary system, in which the traditional Rhodian standard was abandoned in favor of a new standard based on a 'plinthophoric' drachm of around 3 grams, which was more commensurate with other currencies of the time.

Another innovation was the abandonment of all denominations higher than a drachm, and a proliferation of regular issues of hemidrachms and diobols. As mentioned above, the types remained the same, but certain details were altered. On drachms and diobols Helios was now more often portrayed in profile, rather than facing, and the facing portraits on hemidrachms were now radiate. The reverse design was placed into a shallow incuse square, which is where the name of the series is derived (plinthos = brick or ingot). The exact reason for this major reorganization of Rhodian coinage is not known for certain, but the prevalent theory is that it was undertaken to conform to the changes extant under the terms of the Peace of Apameia in 188 BC. Whatever the reason, this change was enduring, with the series lasting nearly 100 years. The plinthophoric coinage came to an end during the First Mithridatic War, during which the Roman survivors of the Vespers of 88 BC fled to Rhodes, which was subsequently besieged by the Pontic king. The siege lasted for six months, during which time the silver supply had dwindled to such low quantities that the coinage was supplanted by issues of large-denomination bronzes (see Ashton, Coinage, pp. 61-5)."

Let's see those sunny coins of Helios, coins from Rhodes, thoughts or anything that sheds light on us!

 

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by Ryro

[Curtisimo]

Nice Helios Ryan. My example is a hemidrachm also. I think the crown of Isis is a pretty cool control mark on this example.

Islands off Caria
Rhodes
AR Hemidrachm, struck ca. 166-88 BC
Dia.: 13.5 mm
Wt.: 1.2 g
Obv.: Head of Helios right
Rev.: P-O to either side of rose, ϺΑΗΣ above, crown of Isis at lower right, all within incuse square
Ref.: BMC XVIII 268-270 (Var. Hemidrachm)
Ex ancientcoinguru 

[Ryro]

23 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Nice Helios Ryan. My example is a hemidrachm also. I think the crown of Isis is a pretty cool control mark on this example.

Islands off Caria
Rhodes
AR Hemidrachm, struck ca. 166-88 BC
Dia.: 13.5 mm
Wt.: 1.2 g
Obv.: Head of Helios right
Rev.: P-O to either side of rose, ϺΑΗΣ above, crown of Isis at lower right, all within incuse square
Ref.: BMC XVIII 268-270 (Var. Hemidrachm)
Ex ancientcoinguru 

Thanks, my man! 

Very cool crown of Isis control! Here's one on the reverse of Ptolemy Apion:

Ptolemy Apion. King of Kyrenaika, c. 104/1–96 BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 2.1 g, 12h). Kyrene mint. Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right / Headdress of Isis. Svoronos 1845 (Ptolemy XIII–Alexandreia); Weiser –; SNG Copenhagen 685-90 (Uncertain mint in Cyprus); Noeske 392-4 (Indeterminate mint in Cyprus or Alexandria); Asolati 113. VF, dark brown patina with earthen highlights/deposits. Rare. Purchased from Heritage Auction June 2021

and eye popping iridescent toning!

[Curtisimo]

13 minutes ago, Ryro said:

Thanks, my man! 

Very cool crown of Isis control! Here's one on the reverse of Ptolemy Apion:

Ptolemy Apion. King of Kyrenaika, c. 104/1–96 BC. Æ Chalkous (13mm, 2.1 g, 12h). Kyrene mint. Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon right / Headdress of Isis. Svoronos 1845 (Ptolemy XIII–Alexandreia); Weiser –; SNG Copenhagen 685-90 (Uncertain mint in Cyprus); Noeske 392-4 (Indeterminate mint in Cyprus or Alexandria); Asolati 113. VF, dark brown patina with earthen highlights/deposits. Rare. Purchased from Heritage Auction June 2021

and eye popping iridescent toning!

Thanks Ryan. I should also add that the facing portrait on you hemidrachm is very nicely done.  It is hard enough to pull off a facing portrait on a large flan so it is even more impressive to see one well done on a fractional coin. Great score!

[DonnaML]

Thanks for this thread, @Ryro. Great coin. I am not an active collector of ancient Greek coins in general, but I find the Rhodian coinage very appealing. I have three silver coins from Rhodes depicting Helios -- one early didrachm, one plinthophoric drachm (also with an Isis crown on the reverse), and one late post-plinthorphoric drachm (Attic weight standard); two are in full-face and one is in profile. See the footnotes to the third coin for a discussion of some of the dating issues relating to the later silver coinage.

Islands off Caria, Rhodos, Rhodes, AR Didrachm, ca. 340-316 BCE. Obv. Head of Helios facing slightly right, hair parted in center and swept to either side / Rev. Rose with bud to right and grape bunch to left [stem connecting bud to rose on right is off flan, as is “E” beneath grape bunch on left], POΔION [RODION] above, all within incuse square. Ashton 98 [Ashton, R., "The Coinage of Rhodes 408-c.190 BC" in Money and its Uses in the Ancient Greek World (Oxford, 2001), pp. 79 - 115, Pls. 6.1 - 6.6.], HGC 6, 1433 [Hoover, Oliver D., Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegean, and Carpathian Seas (Excluding Crete and Cyprus), 6th to 1st Centuries BC, Vol 6 (Lancaster/London, 2010)]; HNO [Historia Numorum Online] 813 (temp.) (see http://hno.huma-num.fr/browse?idType=813 ). 16 mm., 6.55 g., 12 h. Purchased from London Ancient Coins, 26 June, 2020.

Islands off Caria, Rhodes, AR Plinthophoric Drachm (ca. 188-170 BCE), Artemon, magistrate. Obv. Radiate head of Helios right / Rev. Incuse square containing rose with bud right, Isis crown in left field, APTEMΩΝ above, P - O across fields. Jenkins, Rhodian, Group A [ca.188-170 BCE], No. 20 [Jenkins, G. "Rhodian Plinthophoroi - a Sketch" in Kraay-Mørkholm Essays (1989), pp. 101-119, pls. XXIX-XXXIV); HNO [Historia Numorum Online] 1999 (temp.) (see http://hno.huma-num.fr/browse?idType=1999); BMC Caria 253 at p. 253 [Head, Barclay V., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Caria, Cos, Rhodes, etc. (London 1897)]; SNG Copenhagen 813 var. (symbol of shield on rev.) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Volume 5: Ionia, Caria & Lydia (Parts 22 - 28) (West Milford, NJ, 1982).)]; HGC 6, 1457 [Hoover, Oliver D., Handbook of Coins of the Islands: Adriatic, Ionian, Thracian, Aegean, and Carpathian Seas (Excluding Crete and Cyprus), 6th to 1st Centuries BC, Vol 6 (Lancaster/London, 2010)]. 16x17 mm., 3.04 g. Purchased from Silbury Coins, Ltd., UK, 30 Nov. 2020.

Islands off Caria, Rhodos, Rhodes, AR Drachm (Attic weight standard, ca. 88/42 BCE – AD 14).* Obv. Radiate head of Helios facing, turned slightly to the right / Rev. Rose of six petals seen from above; corn- ear beneath rose to left; Ρ – O [= “RO”] flanking rose; above, magistrate’s name ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ [Kritiokles/Kritokles**]; all within circle of large dots. Ashton & Weiss No. 142a-c at p. 8 (die catalog A36/P140) (ill. Pl. 6) [Ashton, Richard & Arnold-Peter Weiss, "The Post-Plinthophoric Silver Drachms of Rhodes" in Numismatic Chronicle 1997 pp. 1-39 & pls. 1-16]; BMC 18 Caria 337-338 (same obverse die; ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ on reverse) [Head, Barclay V., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Caria, Cos, Rhodes, etc. (London 1897)]; SNG Keckman 742 (same obverse die) [Westermark U. and Ashton R., Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Finland, The Erkki Keckman Collection in the Skopbank, Helsinki, Part 1: Karia (Helsinki, 1994); SNG Lockett 2971 (same dies, ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ on reverse) [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain III, R.C. Lockett Collection Part III (Macedonia - Aegina) (London 1942)] [see description & ill. of that specimen at http://www.s391106508.websitehome.co.uk/PHP/SNG_PHP/04_03_Reply.php?Series=SNGuk&AccessionNo=0300_2971 ]; Sear Greek Coins II 5069 (ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ on reverse; see p. 460) [Sear, David, Greek Coins and their Values, Vol. 2: Asia & Africa (Seaby 1979)].  19 mm, 4.13 g, 6 h. Purchased from Nomos AG, Zürich, Switzerland, Fixed Price List 15, 12 Jan. 2023, Lot 69 [picked up at NYINC 2023]; ex Nomos Obolos Auction 15, 24 May 2020, Lot 398; from Collection of Dr. Arnold-Peter Weiss (partner in Nomos AG).***  

*See the Ashton & Weiss article cited above (which Dr. Weiss has kindly provided to me) at p. 21, concluding, after an analysis of the weights of all known examples of this series of Rhodian drachms, that the series conformed to the Attic weight standard (which, in practice, was approximately 4.2 g. for the drachm during the “New Style” period; see John Melville Jones, A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Coins [London, Seaby, 1986], entry for “Attic weight standard” at p. 35):

“Although there is considerable variation in the the above table, there is now a rough but definable peak at about 4.1 – 4.2 g., which seems by and large to be consistent throughout the series. This is of course too high for a denarius, but too low for a cistophoric trihemidrachm, whatever cistophoric weight standard is used. On the greatly expanded weight table which the new material now makes possible, the coins weighing above 4.3 g. look more like exceptional outliers than a separate group, and it seems to us unnecessary to suppose that there was more than one standard in use. We thus come full circle and conclude that our coins were intended as full Attic weight drachms.”

In terms of the absolute chronology of the series, which previously was “conventionally dated to the period 88-43 BC, immediately after the end of the plinthophoroi” (id. p. 32), Ashton & Weiss reach a different conclusion, as follows, for the reasons stated at length in their article:

“We thus suggest tentatively that the Attic weight drachms ended some time during the reign of Augustus, when they were succeeded by the large bronze 'drachms' with the same types. The date when the Attic weight silver commences is, on present evidence, unclear. If a specific occasion is sought for some of the issues, not necessarily early ones, one might speculatively suggest the need for money to rebuild the city of Rhodes and the fleet after the destruction wrought by Cassius and by Cassius Parmensis in 43 and 42 BC. BC. It is true that Cassius is said to have exacted inter alia 8500 talents of public and private money from Rhodes, but Herod the Great is known to have sent money to Rhodes for reconstruction work after his visit to the island in 40 BC.  If at least part of the Attic weight drachms are thus to be brought down to the 40s BC and later, the gap in coining plinthophoroi which this might imply could, if necessary, be explained by the activities of the pirates or a dislocation in silver supplies caused by the Sullan indemnity. It is worth noting that the the Lycian League apparently ceased to mint silver by the late 80s BC and resumed only in the 40s BC.”

(Id. pp. 35-36.)

In short, although Ashton & Weiss believe that there is a somewhat certain end-date to the series (the reign of Augustus), the beginning-date could be anywhere during a period of more than 40 years. I have not seen anything to indicate that the beginning-date of the series has been more firmly established since the 1997 publication of this article.

**There are 351 different die-combinations listed for this series of Rhodian drachms in the 1997 Ashton & Weiss Numismatic Chronicle article. 110 of those combinations are unsigned (the earliest examples of the issue), and 241 bear one of 43 different magistrates’ names. 21 of those 241 signed die combinations (nos. 138-158, including my specimen’s die combination no. 142) -- comprising only four different obverse dies together with 21 different reverse dies -- bear the name of magistrate ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ on the reverse above the rose. The ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ drachms are always accompanied by a corn ear beneath the rose. (See id. pp. 7-9, 19, 21). In their relative chronology, Ashton & Weiss place the group of issues with a corn ear symbol beneath the rose, including four other magistrates’ names besides ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ, as the second earliest main group of these drachms, directly following the unsigned issues. Within that group of five magistrates, they place the coins of ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ and one other magistrate, with Helios oriented towards the right, after the coins of the three other magistrates, which depict Helios oriented towards the left. (See id. pp. 19-20, 28-29.)

In eight examples recorded on acsearch, including the previous 2020 auction of my specimen, Nomos AG's descriptions of Rhodian drachms bearing the name of magistrate ΚΡΙΤΟΚΛΗΣ  have transcribed the name as "Kritiokles," as did one example auctioned by Davissons -- as well as the Nomos FPL listing from which I purchased my specimen in connection with the 2023 NYINC. In one 2021 auction description by Nomos, and in the descriptions of all other auction houses (in the 21 examples found on acsearch), the name has been rendered instead as "Kritokles." Indeed, the Ashton & Weiss article itself also transcribes the name as “Kritokles”; see Ashton & Weiss, op. cit. at pp. 20, 22-23, 27-29. However, in response to my email inquiry about the reason for Nomos’s “Kritiokles” transcription, given the absence of a vowel between the “T” and the “O,” Dr. Weiss stated in an email dated Jan. 16, 2023 that “We believe that our ‘translation’ of the ancient Greek is correct but there is some variability as these names don't translate one-to-one often.”

***Confirmed by email correspondence dated Jan. 16, 2023.
 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by DonnaML

[ominus1]

..great coin Ryro...i've been about these seems like forever but ain't pulled the trigger hard enough to get one yet...9_9

[Roman Collector]

Beautiful little coin, @Ryro, and informative and entertaining write up, too, as usual. I'm sorry to say I have no Helios coins. I do have this one of Sol, though!

Aurelian AD 270-275.
Roman silvered billon Antoninianus, 3.60 gm; 21.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, officina 9, issue 11, early – September AD 275.
Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: ORIE-N-S AVG, Sol walking r., holding olive branch in r. hand and bow in l. hand, l. foot resting on a captive in oriental dress kneeling on the ground to r., head turned l., r. hand raised; * in left field, XXIR in exergue.
Refs: RIC 64; MER/RIC temp 1834; RCV 11569; Hunter 23; Cohen 159; La Venera 1321-32.

[kapphnwn]

Rhodes Ar Stater 340-320 BC Obv Head of Helios facing slightly to the right, Rv Rose. Ashton 98 HGC 1433 6.88 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen

At about the time that Alexander was busily campaigning in Asia Minor Rhodes gave up on the Chian standard and started minting didrachms at a standard all their own. The types remained essentially the same however at least in this case the quality of the engraving was very high. The three quaters facing head is a very difficult design to get right. 

[shanxi]

A lot of nice examples: 

 

Here are two of mine:

Rhodes, 304-166 BC
Asia Minor, Caria
AR Drachm, magistrate Stasion
Obv.: Head of Helios facing slightly right.
Rev.: ΣΤΑΣIΩΝ, P - O, Rose with bud right, winged thunderbolt in field left.
Ag, 2.75g, 14mm
Ref.: "Neue Beiträge zur antiken Münzkunde aus schweizerischen öffentlichen und privaten Sammlungen", p. 63, no. 59, RSN 30 (1945) p. 1-103. (1 specimen cited)

Caria, Rhodes
Drachm (Circa 88/42 BC-AD 14).
Obv: Radiate head of Helios facing slightly right.
Rev: P – O, Rose seen from above. Control: below, grain ear left.
AR, 4.08g, 18mm
Ref.: HGC 6, 1456; SNG von Aulock 2839

[expat]

Beautiful new addition @Ryro and some wonderful coins from others. My only contribution has to be Sol, fully draped and with chlamys on shoulders

[David Atherton]

13 hours ago, Ryro said:

(Helios quadriga flying the sun across the sky)

As we often say about smaller coins, my new Rhodian is a total stunner in hand!

ISLANDS off CARIA, Rhodos. Rhodes . Circa 125-88 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 14mm, 1.48 g 12), Timokrates. Radiate head of Helios, three-quarter facing to right. Rev. Ρ - Ο ΤΙΜΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ Rose with bud to right; below to left, coiled serpent; all within shallow incuse square. Jenkins, Rhodian 156. very fine.

Purchased from Savoca April 2023

"This late series of silver fractions was among the longest-running of all the Rhodian series. Its types continued from that found on previous issues. Helios was adopted as the patron diety of Rhodes

upon the city's foundation in 407/7 BC, and became the nearly universal obverse type of Rhodian coinage over the following four centuries. The rose was a pun on the city's name, a common practice in Greek coinage, and also was the dominant type on the reverse of Rhodian coins until the first century AD. The plinthophoric series runs from circa 190 BC to 84 BC, and represents a complete overhaul of the monetary system, in which the traditional Rhodian standard was abandoned in favor of a new standard based on a 'plinthophoric' drachm of around 3 grams, which was more commensurate with other currencies of the time.

Another innovation was the abandonment of all denominations higher than a drachm, and a proliferation of regular issues of hemidrachms and diobols. As mentioned above, the types remained the same, but certain details were altered. On drachms and diobols Helios was now more often portrayed in profile, rather than facing, and the facing portraits on hemidrachms were now radiate. The reverse design was placed into a shallow incuse square, which is where the name of the series is derived (plinthos = brick or ingot). The exact reason for this major reorganization of Rhodian coinage is not known for certain, but the prevalent theory is that it was undertaken to conform to the changes extant under the terms of the Peace of Apameia in 188 BC. Whatever the reason, this change was enduring, with the series lasting nearly 100 years. The plinthophoric coinage came to an end during the First Mithridatic War, during which the Roman survivors of the Vespers of 88 BC fled to Rhodes, which was subsequently besieged by the Pontic king. The siege lasted for six months, during which time the silver supply had dwindled to such low quantities that the coinage was supplanted by issues of large-denomination bronzes (see Ashton, Coinage, pp. 61-5)."

Let's see those sunny coins of Helios, coins from Rhodes, thoughts or anything that sheds light on us!

 

 

One of the better pun thread titles on Numis .... and a very lovely coin. Well done!

[Al Kowsky]

15 hours ago, Ryro said:

(Helios quadriga flying the sun across the sky)

As we often say about smaller coins, my new Rhodian is a total stunner in hand!

ISLANDS off CARIA, Rhodos. Rhodes . Circa 125-88 BC. Hemidrachm (Silver, 14mm, 1.48 g 12), Timokrates. Radiate head of Helios, three-quarter facing to right. Rev. Ρ - Ο ΤΙΜΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ Rose with bud to right; below to left, coiled serpent; all within shallow incuse square. Jenkins, Rhodian 156. very fine.

Purchased from Savoca April 2023

"This late series of silver fractions was among the longest-running of all the Rhodian series. Its types continued from that found on previous issues. Helios was adopted as the patron diety of Rhodes

upon the city's foundation in 407/7 BC, and became the nearly universal obverse type of Rhodian coinage over the following four centuries. The rose was a pun on the city's name, a common practice in Greek coinage, and also was the dominant type on the reverse of Rhodian coins until the first century AD. The plinthophoric series runs from circa 190 BC to 84 BC, and represents a complete overhaul of the monetary system, in which the traditional Rhodian standard was abandoned in favor of a new standard based on a 'plinthophoric' drachm of around 3 grams, which was more commensurate with other currencies of the time.

Another innovation was the abandonment of all denominations higher than a drachm, and a proliferation of regular issues of hemidrachms and diobols. As mentioned above, the types remained the same, but certain details were altered. On drachms and diobols Helios was now more often portrayed in profile, rather than facing, and the facing portraits on hemidrachms were now radiate. The reverse design was placed into a shallow incuse square, which is where the name of the series is derived (plinthos = brick or ingot). The exact reason for this major reorganization of Rhodian coinage is not known for certain, but the prevalent theory is that it was undertaken to conform to the changes extant under the terms of the Peace of Apameia in 188 BC. Whatever the reason, this change was enduring, with the series lasting nearly 100 years. The plinthophoric coinage came to an end during the First Mithridatic War, during which the Roman survivors of the Vespers of 88 BC fled to Rhodes, which was subsequently besieged by the Pontic king. The siege lasted for six months, during which time the silver supply had dwindled to such low quantities that the coinage was supplanted by issues of large-denomination bronzes (see Ashton, Coinage, pp. 61-5)."

Let's see those sunny coins of Helios, coins from Rhodes, thoughts or anything that sheds light on us!

 

 

Handsome coin struck in surprisingly high relief for a miniature ☺️.

[Broucheion]

Hi All,

RHODES, ca 229 - 226 BCE and afterwards
Æ Hemiobobl
Size: 19 mm
Weight: 5.41 g
Dies Axis: 0
Broucheion Collection G-2014-10-08.001

Obv: Laureate head of Zeus facing right. Solid border.
Rev: Rose with bud to right. Left field: monogram (MI ???). Ρ - Ο to either side of rose stem. Border not visible.
Refs: SNG Copenhagen-759 var; Sear 5075 var: monogram.
Prov: ex Muenzen & Medaillen (MA-Shops)

Notes: Ashton links this and several related coinage issues to the period immediately after the great earthquake that struck Rhodes circa 229-226 BCE. The city and port were devastated, and the great bronze Colossus beside the harbor was demolished. Greek states all over the eastern Mediterranean shipped in relief supplies, with Ptolemy III of Egypt being particularly generous. The Zeus head may reflect an Egyptian connection - the Rhodians honoring their benefactors.

The group 3b monograms are all similar and could perhaps be variants of a single monogram. They are not dissimilar from the monogram found on some of the earlier Rhodian Alexander tetradrachms. It is tempting, though in the absence of other evidence dangerous, to suggest that this monogram has the same reference as the group 3b monograms.

- Broucheion

 

 

[Qcumbor]

Cool little coin and writeup @Ryro

Helios on a Commodus (1) and a Mamaea (2) alexandrian tetradrachms

Q

[DonnaML]

13 hours ago, kapphnwn said:

The three quarters facing head is a very difficult design to get right. 

Indeed! The reason I bought the first coin I posted above (the 4th century BC Rhodian didrachm), even though Helios's rays are all off the flan, is that it had the best-looking face I could find among the many examples in my price range that I looked at on VCoins. Unfortunately, the majority I saw were rather ugly-looking. The nose seems to have been especially difficult to render in an attractive way!

Edited May 7, 2023 by DonnaML

[DonnaML]

Some coins depicting Helios from places other than Rhodes:

Hadrian, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 14 (129/130 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ - ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Radiate and draped bust of Helios right, L - ΙΔ (Year 14) across fields.  RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 5737 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5737 ; Emmett 852.14 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Milne 1280 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; BMC 16 Alexandria 584 at p. 71 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892)] (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_CR-1075); Sear RCV II 3735; K&G 32.478 (ill. p. 136) [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria (2008)]. Purchased Jan. 14, 2022 from Pars Coins at 2022 NYINC; ex. Pegasus Numismatics (Nick Economopoulos).  26x23 mm., 10.51 g.

Antoninus Pius AE Drachm, Zodiac Series, Sun in Leo (day house), Year 8 (144-145 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΑYΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤѠΝƐΙΝΟϹ ϹƐ-Β ƐYϹ (legend begins at 8:00) / Rev. Lion springing right; above to left, bust of Helios, radiate and draped; above to right, 8-pointed star; L H (Year 8 ) below.  RPC IV.4 Online 13547 (temp.) (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/13547 ); Emmett 1530.8 (ill. p. 74A); BMC 16 Alexandria 1084 at p. 127 (ill. Pl. 12); Milne 1813-1815 at p. 44 (No. 1815 has same obv. legend break as this coin, i.e., ϹƐ-Β ƐVϹ); Dattari (Savio) 2968; K&G 35.278 (ill. p. 173); Köln (Geissen) 1495.  Ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger, Auction 428, Lot 555, 28 Apr. 2021; ex Heidelberger Münzhandlung Herbert Grün e.K., Auction 79, Lot 1284, 10 Nov. 2020.* 33 mm., 20.95 g. [Footnote omitted.]

Gordian III, AE 26x28 mm., AD 238-244, Thrace, Hadrianopolis (now Edirne, Turkey). Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right [small planchet defect on cheek], seen from rear, AVT K M ANT – ΓΟPΔIANOC AVΓ (AVΓ ligate) / Rev. Helios, radiate, standing facing, head left, nude apart from cloak falling from left shoulder, raising right hand, and holding globe and whip in left hand, AΔPIANO – Π – OΛEITΩN. 26x28 mm., 9.56 g. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Online VII.2 708 (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/7.2/708) [Specimen 20 is this coin, used as “plate coin” for type]; Varbanov II 3793 [Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Vol. II, Thrace (from Abdera to Pautalia) (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria 2005)]; Jurukova 479 (die combination 249/497=465, a new combination) [Y. Jurukova, The Coinage of the Towns in Moesia Inferior and Thrace, 2nd-3rd centuries AD: Hadrianopolis (Sophia 1987)].      Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 223^rd Buy or Bid Sale, 20 Apr. 2023, Lot 397, from Mark Gibbons Collection; ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Online Auction 271, 20 May, 2020, Lot 257. (Video of coin at https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/inventory/item-detail/ancient-coins/100346?fromBbs=223rd Buy Or Bid Sale.)

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by DonnaML

[kirispupis]

I'm a bit jelly since I've been wanting a Helios from Rhodes, but haven't picked one up yet. I do have a bronze from Rhodes sans Helios, but thought I'd share these other bronzes I have with him.

ARKADIA. Kleitor
Circa 300-270/60 BCE
AE Chalkous 13 mm, 2.12 g, 4 h
Radiate facing head of Helios.
Rev. Monogram of ΚΛΗ.
BCD Peloponnesos 1434.1-2. HGC 5, 881
Ex CNG 2009
Ex BCD Collection
Ex Davissons 2014

 

Memnon of Rhodes
Mysia, Lampsakos Mid 4th century BCE
Æ 8mm, 0.62g
Youthful radiate head of Helios to right. Rev. M - E Rose
Ashton, Memnon 1 (A1/P1). SNG BN -
 

 

Caria. Dodekanese Islands. Astypalaia
13.22mm, 2.05g 4th Century BCE
Obverse: Head of Helios facing three-quarter right
Reverse: [ΑΣ]ΤΥ, Amphora, oinochoe to right
BMC 8

Caria. Kranaos
circa 300-280 BCE
Æ 11 mm, 1,06 g
Radiate head of Helios facing slightly right
KRAN, grape cluster; crayfish to left.
Walker, "A New Mint in Caria", SM 112 (November 1978), pp. 86-88.

 

[Edessa]

Islands off Caria. Rhodes, circa 250-205 BC. AR Didrachm (19mm, 1h).  Struck circa 250-230 BC. Mnasimaxus, magistrate. Obv: Radiate head of Helios facing, turned slightly right, hair parted in center and swept to either side. Rev: MNAΣΙΜAXOΣ; Rose with single bud on tendril to right; figure of Athena standing left in left field, aphlaston in right hand, stylis in left, Ρ-Ο flanking stem. Ref: HGC 6, 1439; Ashton 208. Ex Heritage Weekly Auction (2 Jan 2020), Lot 61069.

[Di Nomos]

I've shown this a few times before. Tetradrachm from the foundation of Rhodes the city, 408/7 - 404 BC. 

I purchased this from a CNG auction around 10 years ago. Wanted a coin from Rhodes, and liked the sphinx on the reverse. The surface is quite granular, though seems worse in the photo than it actually is.