Jump to content

Post Your Tiny Treasures (13mm and under)


JAZ Numismatics

Recommended Posts

Athens, Attica

454-404 BC
AR Hemiobol (7mm, 0.30g)
O: Helmeted head of Athena right.
R: Owl standing right with head facing, olive sprig behind; AΘE to right, all within incuse square.
Kroll 14; SNG Cop 59; Sear 2531v
ex Artifact Man

Athens_hemiobol.jpeg~2.jpg

The classic Athenian tetradrachm writ small.

Edited by Phil Anthos
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of my favorite coins happen to be my smallest (and they're certainly my favorite to store as they all fit in one, tiny box!)

Thasos hemidrachm, 3.95 gm, 12mm:

image.jpeg.eb54971422640239d47f1640bd13624b.jpeg

 

Athens diobol, 1.43 gm, 11mm - minted from the melted down statues of Nike on the Akropolis to fund the creation of a navy against Sparta in the Peloponnesian War:

image.jpeg.b770e767eb38b334ecea64bf8cf3e8f1.jpeg

Timoleon Syracuse hemidrachm / 30 litrai (a recent purchase / upgrade which I haven't posted here yet): 2.16 gm, 12mm

image.jpeg.0427e2dca68397385a4a4a4a4f4f17c7.jpeg

Cicilia, Uncertain Mint. Trihemiobol (?), 4th c. BC. AR 0.99 g - 11 mm. Janiform head, bearded male head on the l., female head r. Rev. Three faced bearded male head. SNG Levante 201-202

image.jpeg.9930e57a9dc6952a0849575ce310b41c.jpeg

Akragas Litra (0.80g, 13mm). approx. 471 - 430 BC BC Obv.: ΑΚΡΑΓΑΝΤΙΝΟΝ, pair of eagles on a killed hare lying on its back, the front eagle with its head thrown back. Backs: crab, below grouper, above A. SNG ANS ; SNG Cop. ; SNG Lockett 719; Jameson 516.

image.jpeg.247f1d72c13e14e06306c5ebbfa51fcd.jpeg

  • Like 9
  • Gasp 1
  • Mind blown 3
  • Heart Eyes 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love looking at these great small coins.

My smallest coin is this diobol of Perdicca III, Kingdom of Macedon, 365 - 359 BC, 10mm, .93g. Purchased last year from NAC.

The silver coins of Perdicca (or Perdikkas) III are quite rare. He was the older brother of Phillip II, who became a little more famous! 

My motivation for purchasing this coin was I wanted a coin with a portrait of Herakles in my collection, and being fussy preferred a bearded portrait of good style with a lion scalp headress that looked like a lion. This fit the bill, and whilst not cheap for something so small, was within my means, and much less expensive than what it sold previously 12 or so years ago.

image00055-removebg-preview.png.f7402a4c0994b4faf77c78519f2e5e01.png

 

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, AncientJoe said:

Athens diobol, 1.43 gm, 11mm - minted from the melted down statues of Nike on the Akropolis to fund the creation of a navy against Sparta in the Peloponnesian War:

image.jpeg.b770e767eb38b334ecea64bf8cf3e8f1.jpeg

 

That is an amazing piece of history.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Persia, Achaemenids. 4th century BC. AR 1/24 Siglos (5mm, 0.19g, 12h). Obv: Persian king or hero in kneeling-running stance right, holding dagger and bow. Rev: Head of Satrap wearing tiara left, in incuse square. Very Rare. Ref: Small -; Sunrise Collection -; Troxell / Kagan -. See Kunker Auction 304 (19 Mar 2018) Lot 711. See Giessener Münzhandlung 200, Munich 2011, No. 1969.image.jpeg.80072ac1b48b3ac4cc8b781a12551296.jpeg

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kings of Macedon. Alexander III. 336-323 BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.50g, 6h). Uncertain eastern mint, possibly imitative. Obv: Head of Herakles right wearing lion's skin. Rev: AΛΕΞNAR (sic); Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter. Ref: Cf. Price 4009 (similar style and fabric). Very Fine. Ex CNG 79, Lot 20.

image.jpeg.10677e11578038dc8a83aee36afec1e8.jpeg

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bithynia. Kalchedon. Circa 367/6-340 BC. AR Trihemiobol or Quarter-Siglos (11mm, 1.24g) Obv: ΚΑ; Bull standing left on grain ear. Rev: Mill-sail incuse. Ref: Hoover HGC 7, 519; SNG BMC Black Sea 124-6; SNG von Aulock 485. 

image.jpeg.b27928a895acf58e2db683c2c3052103.jpeg

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pisidia, Selge. Circa 350-300 BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.62g, 6h). Obv: Facing gorgoneion. Rev: Helmeted head of Athena right; astralagos behind. Ref: SNG France 1931-1934; SNG Cop 252; SNG Von Aulock 5278; SNG Von Post 349; Dewing 2476.image.jpeg.e7ab829d8b3da7ec77817f2d5c37df02.jpeg

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cilicia, Uncertain. 4th century BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.69g, 4h). Obv: Youthful male head left, wearing wreath of grain ears. Rev: Eagle, with spread wings, standing left on the back of lion recumbent left; all within dotted square. Ref: SNG France 474; SNG Levante 230; Göktürk 43 var.

image.jpeg.be71e7ea9f447241eb45488731e7f989.jpeg

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cilicia, Nagidos. Circa 400-380 BC. AR Obol (10mm, 0.83g, 6h). Obv: Head of Aphrodite left. Rev: NAΓI; Bearded head of Dionysos left. Ref: SNG France II, 11; SNG Levante 3 var. (heads right). Very Fine, steel grey toning. Ex Ralph DeMarco, Apr 2000.

image.jpeg.402611128b949ecd672ef3892955d087.jpeg

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/22/2024 at 10:44 AM, kirispupis said:

 

Here are some other tiny favorites.

648_Full.jpg.586238bcd2072ea0385aea83f0fb6c79.jpg

Cimmerian Bosporos, Myrmekion
Circa 470-460 BCE
AR Tetartemorion 5 mm, 0.22 g
Ant seen from above.
Rev. Quadripartite incuse square, pellets in two opposing compartments.
HGC 7, 54. MacDonald 6

 

 

Looks like a carpenter ant to me.  Possibly life sized.  Little did it know that it'd get immortalized for the next 2,500 years!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a recent small coin - Metapontum obol - it's one "in the pipeline", but at least I've taken photos.

Naville's description:

Lucania, Metapontum Obol circa 430-400, AR 9.00 mm., 0.41 g.
Head of Heracles r., wearing lion skin. Rev. Grain ear. Historia Numorum Italy 1506. SNG Ahmolean 1802.

Old cabinet tone and Very fine

From the collection of a Mentor.

P3242219.JPG.0f8ca2a85dc9ff761a3612cbd3052883.JPGP3242220.JPG.39e32d0cb5b1aa7564faaeb11b1743c4.JPG

ATB,
Aidan.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, akeady said:

Here's a recent small coin - Metapontum obol - it's one "in the pipeline", but at least I've taken photos.

Naville's description:

Lucania, Metapontum Obol circa 430-400, AR 9.00 mm., 0.41 g.
Head of Heracles r., wearing lion skin. Rev. Grain ear. Historia Numorum Italy 1506. SNG Ahmolean 1802.

Old cabinet tone and Very fine

From the collection of a Mentor.

P3242219.JPG.0f8ca2a85dc9ff761a3612cbd3052883.JPGP3242220.JPG.39e32d0cb5b1aa7564faaeb11b1743c4.JPG

ATB,
Aidan.

Much nicer than mine, although it was a gift from a friend, and that adds a great value...

Metapontum, Lucania

430-400 BC
AR Obol (7.6mm, 0.38g)
O: Beardless head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
R: Barley ear of five grains.
Noe 365.1; HN Italy 1506
Scarce
ex Forvm Ancient Coins

About 480 BC the city magistrates of Metapontum desired to make a change to their coinage, which up until that time depicted only the ear of grain.
This coin symbolizes the legend of Herakles and the Oxen of Geryon which, according to Diodorus Siculus (circa 1st century AD), were brought by the Hero to Metapontum from the west.

Metapontum_fraction.jpeg~2.jpg

Edited by Phil Anthos
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...