Topcat7 Posted January 1 · Member Share Posted January 1 (edited) I am confused, (it doesn't take much), I have this Greek coin that (no doubt) is :- Greek Pontos, Amisos. Circa 85-65 BC. AE Aegis with Gorgoneion in centre/Nike advancing right, holding palm; My confusion is that, by far and away, the most examples of this coin (that I can find) have the legend 'AMI-ΣOY' on them, but mine does not. My coin has 'MA-NΩ[A], (with monograms left and right below). I have found at least four examples (on Acsearch) like mine, But ALL of the 'houses' that have posted them state that the legend says 'AMI-ΣOY' when clearly that is NOT the legend on the coins that they have posted (see photos below). With this 'difference I cannot use their 'reference numbers on my coin, hence my dilemma. What is my legend and what is my coin's reference, please? Edited January 1 by Topcat7 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvk Posted January 1 · Member Share Posted January 1 (edited) During the time of Mithridates IV Eupator cities were given the authority to produce local coinage bearing their name. There were ten issuing cities in the Pontos region (Amaseia, Amisos, Chabakta, Gazioura, Kabeira, Komana, Laodikeia, Pharnakeia, Pimolisa and Taulara) and three outside of Pontos (Sinope, Amastris, and Dia). I collect very lightly in this area and have never seen that city legend before. AIMI-ΛΙOY -> Aimilion AMI-ΣOY -> Amisos AMAΣ-ΣEIAΣ-> Amaseia XABA-KTΩN -> Chabakta Your full legend is likely "ΚΟΜΑ-ΝΩΝ" -> Komana Very nice, scarce city type. My more common Amisos (AMI-ΣOY) issue: Edited January 1 by rvk 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewStyleKing Posted January 1 · Member Share Posted January 1 The coins of the Mithradatic times needs to be addressed as a whole ...by an expert! DeCallatay did some in Les histories des guerres Mithradatiques vous la pour les Monnaise 1997 with some of the big silver issues, Bithynia, Odessos Pontus..etc but my French is zero! The influence of Rome forcing allies to contribute donations is becoming more and more obvious and seen as proxy coinages. I view Athens NewStyle as one such coinage. This should be a major graduate study subject. Some coins even put a Pontic Star and crescent ( two crescents for Athens!) on their coins! Whole areas of who supported who and for how long is moot.....the example of the Pseudo-Athens NewStyles of Crete of who made them and what for depends on who you think controlled Crete at the time..as a single entity or competing city states? Is that why Metallus hammered Crete just after the 3rd Mithradatic war? All very confusing and ruddy interesting but no one seems to tackle it as an "integrated" whole. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewStyleKing Posted January 1 · Member Share Posted January 1 What does this mean? Headdress of Isis trumping Star and 2 Crescents! Romans defeating Mithradates? Why Headdress of Isis? Is it because Isis's epiphany at Rhodes was the first Roman (allied) victory over Eupator? That's what I think! Anybody else has any views? I mean this would be pivotal and this unique coin a major relic. What did Thompson make of it? DeCallatay...Meadows...Morkholm etc.......silence...(except me?)? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat7 Posted January 1 · Member Author Share Posted January 1 2 hours ago, rvk said: During the time of Mithridates IV Eupator cities were given the authority to produce local coinage bearing their name. There were ten issuing cities in the Pontos region (Amaseia, Amisos, Chabakta, Gazioura, Kabeira, Komana, Laodikeia, Pharnakeia, Pimolisa and Taulara) and three outside of Pontos (Sinope, Amastris, and Dia). I collect very lightly in this area and have never seen that city legend before. AIMI-ΛΙOY -> Aimilion AMI-ΣOY -> Amisos AMAΣ-ΣEIAΣ-> Amaseia XABA-KTΩN -> Chabakta Your full legend is likely "ΚΟΜΑ-ΝΩΝ" -> Komana Very nice, scarce city type. My more common Amisos (AMI-ΣOY) issue: @rvk Thank you for your information. Very helpful. I shall run with that and see where it takes me. Thank you, again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted January 1 · Supporter Share Posted January 1 3 hours ago, NewStyleKing said: Meadows...Morkholm etc I thought you solved this with the Demeas link? Morkholm’s silence is sadly eternal. Meadows seems reduced to book reviews and the odd article. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewStyleKing Posted January 1 · Member Share Posted January 1 Demeas link?......remind me!!!! A new name could be Ellis-Evans. He did a die study of Abydos tetradrachms recently and they seem to be produced as a "request" for donations to the Roman cause! The paper is on academia. The Romans has certainly come out of their shell monetary wise. In Athens NewStyle the "over represented" NewStyles in Thracian hoards seem to point to a need for well known coinage in the mid-120's BC...probably for mercenaries.....why I don't know! maybe someone knows or can guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted January 1 · Supporter Share Posted January 1 22 minutes ago, NewStyleKing said: Demeas link?......remind me!!!! https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=90533.0 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Snible Posted January 1 · Member Share Posted January 1 @rvk has already posted the city as Komana, which I agree with. Most dealers don't bother to read these, merely copying the description from another lot. This can be a fun set to assemble cheaply -- until you get to Laodikeia. Michel Amandry’s 1991 paper “Le Tresor De Binbasioglu - Monnaies de Bronze des Villes du Pont Frappees sous Mithridate VI Eupator” [=The Treasure of Binbasioglu - Bronze Coins of Cities of Pontus Minted by Mithridates VI Eupator] gives the relative rarity of these; their sample of 409 coins was 72% Amisos, 12% Sinope, 9% Amastris, 4% Komana Pontica, 2.5% Kabeira, and 1% (3 coins) of Chabakta. (There were no coins of Laodikeia in the hoard.) The authors estimate that the hoard was buried in 70 BC. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat7 Posted January 1 · Member Author Share Posted January 1 4 hours ago, Ed Snible said: @rvk has already posted the city as Komana, which I agree with. Most dealers don't bother to read these, merely copying the description from another lot. This can be a fun set to assemble cheaply -- until you get to Laodikeia. @Ed Snible Thank you, Ed. Much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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