The Alphabet game, for anything Greek

[Di Nomos]

Tetradrachm of Phillip III of Macedon, struck c. 320 BC.

I actually wanted a lifetime Phillip II tetradrachm, but decided to purchase this because of the rarer left facing Zeus.

It's been suggested the left facing Zeus was used as a way of distinguishing his coins from Phillip II, but it was very short lived, with only two obverse dies known.

If it is true, then it was a very early attempt of the tradition adopted on British (and all Commonwealth countries) of reversing the direction of each new monarchs head.

Adds a little more intrigue to the coin.

[AncientOne]

Phi

Achaea. Arcadia, Phialea. Septimius Severus Æ22

Obv: laureate head right.
Rev: ΦIΓAΛEΩN, Dionysos wearing short chiton, standing left, holding kantharos and thyrsos.
BCD 1644-1645; Pausanias 3.

 

Lydia, Philadelphia, Nero Æ18

Obv: ΝΕΡΩΝ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ / draped bust of Nero, r.
Rev: ΤΙ ΝΕΙΚΑΝΩΡ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΕΩΝ / Hecate, standing facing, wearing kalathos and holding long torches.

 

Phrygia, Philomelion. Severus Alexander AE34 Tetrassarion

Obv: Radiate bust to the right
Rev: Emperor rides with a raised lance to the right.
Magistrate Markos Iulios Pauleinos

 

Syria, Decapolis, Philadelphia. Commodus AE22. Veiled bust of Asteria

Obv: L AVP KOM MODOC KAIC. Draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus as Caesar.
Rev: ΦΙΛ Κ C V ΘΕΑΛΕΤΕΡΙ. Asteria r., draped and veiled with star on top of head.
20mm, 8.6g.
Spijkerman 32. rare

 

Thrace, Philippopolis. Septimius Severus. AE18.

Thrace, Philippopolis mint. AE18, 3.93 g.
Obv. AV KAI CEVHROC, laureate head right.
Rev. ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Apollo or Bonus Eventus standing left, holding patera in r. hand and ? in l.

 

Lycia, Phaselis. AE18. ca. 190-167 BC.

Obv: Prow right, above crowning Nike flying right.
Rev: Φ - A, Athena advancing right, brandishing spear and holding shield.

 

 

[Roman Collector]

Phi is for Philippopolis!

Septimius Severus, AD 193-211.
Roman Provincial Æ (diassarion?) 17.7 mm; 4.06 g.
Thrace, Philippopolis.
Obv: ΑV Κ Λ CΕVΗΡΟC, laureate and draped bust right.
Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤ-ΩΝ, lion walking left; ox's head before.
Refs: Moushmov 5274 var. (lion walking right); Varbanov 1305.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Roman Collector

[Roman Collector]

Phi is also for Philadelphia!

Lydia, Philadelphia, early-mid 2nd century BC.
Greek Æ 17 mm, 5.84 g, 12 h.
Obv: Head of Zeus, right, wearing tainia.
Rev: ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛ / ΦΕⲰΝ either side of lyre (or kithara), monogram above, plectrum below; all within laurel-wreath.
Refs: BMC 22.187, 5-7; Sear 4720; cf. SNG Cop 348-50; cf. SNG von Aulock 3061.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Roman Collector

[panzerman]

Phi=

Phliasia

EL Myshemihekte ND 600-550BC

Philious Mint

Human Leg

Quadripartite Incuse Square

Acquired from Shanna

[panzerman]

[panzerman]

Phi=Philip II

 

AV Quarter Stater ND

Pella Mint

Philip II

[expat]

Getting toward the end of a very interesting, for me, collection of coins posted.

Now we are going on with Χ (Chi)

[Di Nomos]

Olynthos, Chalkidian League tetradrachm, c. 390 BC. 

X – A – Λ – ΚΙΔ – EΩN

 

[Roman Collector]

Chi is for Chlamys!


Faustina II, AD 147-175/6.
Roman provincial Æ 26.3 mm, 9.32 g, 1 h.
Mysia, Cyzicus (group 2), AD 169-175.
Obv: ΦΑVϹΤEΙΝΑ ϹEΒΑϹΤΗ; draped bust of Faustina II, r.
Rev: ΚVΖΙΚΗΝΩΝ ΝЄOΚΟΡ; nude Hermes standing facing, head left, holding purse, caduceus and chlamys.
Refs: RPC IV.2 699 (temp); SNG Cop 115; Mionnet Suppl. 5, p. 225, 270.

[expat]

sorry for the delay people, we are now onto Ψ (Psi)

[Roman Collector]

47 minutes ago, expat said:

sorry for the delay people, we are now onto Ψ (Psi)

This is going to be a tough one.

[Deinomenid]

30 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

This is going to be a tough one.

Only one  I know is Ψυχρο, which @kirispupis posted on recently about re the sunken city on Crete, by the Dictaean cave which is at Psychro.

 

Otherwise this is all I've got - crickets

 

 

 

[AncientOne]

There is Psophis in Arkadia but sadly I do not have an example. The only coin I have with a clear Psi is from Lampsacus.

Mysia, Lampsacus. AE21. Volusian

Obv: ΑΥΤ Κ ΟΥΙΒΙ ΟΛΟССΙΑΝ. laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Volusian, r.
Rev: ΛΑΝΨΑΚΗΝ. Tyche standing l., holding rudder and cornucopia.
RPC 389, 6

[kirispupis]

Darn, @AncientOne beat me to it. 🙂

Arkadia. Psophis
Circa 350-300 BCE
AE 13.87mm 2.01g
Obverse: Wreathed head of the river-god Erymanthos right
Reverse: Fish right, ΨΩΦI below
Attribution: BCD Peloponnesos 1684
Ex CNG
Ex BCD Collection

[Roman Collector]

This is a stretch, but I hope I get Brownie points for creativity.

Lucian uses the term ψευδοφίλιππος, meaning "false Philip," in Remarks Addressed to an Illiterate Book-Fancier (Section 20; Greek version here). So here is a FALSE PHILIP! 😉

Edited November 12, 2023 by Roman Collector
Italicize a book title

[expat]

Well done everyone for trying. I think it is time to end this thread with the final letter of the Greek alphabet,

Ω In ancient Greek the vowel had a long sounding"O" in modern Greek it is short sounding.

Have fun with the last letter and thank you all for participating. There has been a delightful array of coinage, most of which I had not seen before. Well done all of you.

[kirispupis]

Ω is a tough one. Hansen and Nielsen's An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis lists only five cities that begin with Ω.

Ωδεινιος - no coins known

Ωλενος - no known coins. Later incorporated into Dyme

Ωρεoς - better known as Histaia

Ωρικος - no known coins

Ωρωπoς - no known coins

 

Therefore, the following are my closest coins. In terms of rulers, the only one I have that begins with an O is Ophellas, and he begins with an 'O' and not a 'Ω'

Euboia, Histiaia (Ωρεoς)
Circa 338-304 BCE
Æ 2.24g, 14mm, 3h
Head of the nymph Histiaia to right, wreathed with grapes, wearing pendant earrings and necklace
Forepart of bull walking to right, above, lion’s head to right, IΣ-TI below.
BMC 13; BCD Euboia 485; HGC 4, 1535.
Ex J. Greiff Collection

 

Achaea, Dyme (ex Ωλενος)
Circa 300-250 BCE
Æ 2.20g, 16mm, 8h
Veiled head of Demeter to right /
ΔY within wreath with ties to left
BCD Peloponnesos 476; BMC 2 = Traité 834; SNG Copenhagen 145; HGC 5, 37 corr. (BCD reference)
Ex Classical Numismatic Group inventory
Ex BCD Collection (not in previous BCD sales)

[Roman Collector]

Omega is for Otacilia.

Philip I and Otacilia Severa, AD 244-249.
Roman Provincial Æ Pentassarion; 12.50 g, 26.1 mm, 7 h.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, Legate Prastina Messallinus, AD 244-246.
Obv: ΑVΤ Μ ΙΟVΛ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC ΑVΓ Μ | WΤΑΚ CЄΒ-ΗΡΑ CЄ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip I right, vis-à-vis diademed and draped bust of Otacilia left.
Rev: VΠ ΠΡΑCΤ ΜΕCCΑΛΛΕΙΝΟV ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟ | ΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Sarapis wearing kalathos, standing left, extending arm and holding scepter; E (denomination) in left field.
Refs: AMNG I 1194; Moushmov 852; Varbanov 2082 (die match); Hristova & Jekov 6.41.6.1; SNRIS Marcianopolis 75.

Otacilia Severa, AD 244-249.
Roman provincial Æ 27.3 mm, 10.85 g, 5 h.
Ionia, Metropolis, AD 244-249.
Obv: ΜΑΡ ΩΤΑ CЄΥΗΡΑ, diademed and draped bust right.
Rev: ΜΑΡ CΤΡ ΑΠΡΩΝΙΑΝȣ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛЄΙ-ΤΩΝ, Tyche standing l., holding figure of Ares and cornucopia; at her feet, lighted altar.
Refs: BMC 25; SGI 4011; SNG Von Aulock 2070; SNG Copenhagen --; SNG München --.
 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Roman Collector

[panzerman]

Axum

AV Chrysos ND/ NM

Ousanas I 300-30AD

[panzerman]

Cyrenaica/ Kyrene

AV 1/10 Stater ND

Kyrene Mint

Polianthes Magistrate

Ophellas Ptolomaic Governor second reign/ 313-09BC

Zeus Ammon L

Kyrene L