Not another small coins thread

[ambr0zie]

... I lied. This is a thread about small coins. 

While I am waiting for the last auction package to arrive to me (where I made quite a lavish purchase, for my wallet) I keep admiring the coins I got from the previous one. I noticed that the general interest for small coins (obols or smaller denominations) is not usually great. What was very surprising, in a pleasant way, was the prices I paid for these. 9 and 11 euros. I was expecting a little more. 

Every time I see a small silver fraction from Greek cities I really admire the artistry and the attention to details. Especialy since they have another advantage, in my opinion - any defect is MUCH more visible in pics than in hand. The down side is that I have difficulties in getting correct pictures (especially the colors are distorted). 

So, here are the 2 fractions I recently got, both from Mylasa, under the satrap Hekatomnos. 

7 mm, 0,36 g.
Greek satraps of Caria, Mylasa. Hekatomnos. AR hemiobol. Circa 395-377 BC.
Forepart of a roaring lion, left / forepart of a lion, with both forelegs facing.
Klein 506; SNG Keckman 837-840; SNG von Aulock 7805.

My only comment is that the only thing better than a lion are .... two lions. 

I disagree with the idea this is Apollo on the reverse and I am pretty convinced this is an ancient depiction of Marylin Manson. 

5 mm, 0,19 g.
Greek satraps of Caria, Mylasa. Hekatomnos. AR tetartemorion. Circa 395-377 BC.
Forepart of a roaring lion left / laureate head of Apollo facing slightly left.
SNG Helsinki 848 (as uncertain); Klein 507; SNG Keckman 849.

 

These new additions complement my other small coins. Difficult to beat my smallest and lightest coin

5 mm, 0,08 g.
Ionia, Miletos. Possible Caria, Mylasa. AR hemitetartemorion. Circa 525-475 BC.
Head of a roaring lion l. / Quail standing l. within incuse square.
Cf. Rosen 407/8; Klein 430; SNG Tubingen 3001.
 

Also a good companion for my other small coins with animals on each side, such as 

8 mm, 0,18 g.
Mysia, Kyzikos. AR tetartemorion. Circa 525-475 BC (other sources - 480/450-400 BC). Forepart of boar left, tunny to right / Head of roaring lion left, star to upper left, all within incuse square. Von Fritze II 14; SNG France 375.

As for spooky facing portraits, this one is no longer lonely 

7 mm, 0,30 g.
Lesbos, Methymna. AR hemiobol. Circa 400 BC.
Bearded head of Silenos facing / Tortoise in dotted square frame.
Aufhäuser 14, 127; Lanz 117, 112; G & M 196, 1632. Cf Traité 2263 (circular frame).

 

Let's see small coins - hemiobols or smaller. 

[AETHER]

I always wanna buy these because they are very affordable and great designs and metal, but.. then when I get them, they are to small! I generally stay clear, the last one I got was a Alexander iii obol to add to the collection. 

9mm / 0.5g 

[ambr0zie]

Yes, they are shockingly small (for me, an obol is already almost average size). But I see this as an advantage. 

[seth77]

Thank you for the honest thread. I clicked not expecting to see small coins and I wasn't disappointed.

And Nic Cage for good measure>

[expat]

I think this is the smallest I have

Kyzikos, Mysia. AE civic issue. 2nd-1st centuries BC. 10mm,  1.91 g. Bull's head right. / KY above, ZI below monogram ΡΔI within wreath. BMC 154.

Now we come to your Marilyn Manson lookalike reverse. It could be Lady Gaga

[Phil Anthos]

Go small or not at all!...

Taras, Calabria

480-470 BC AR Hexas (5mm, 0.08g) O: Scallop shell with 7 teeth, within linear border. R: Wheel with four spokes. D'Andrea IV, 78; Vlasto 1118; SNG France 1617; HN Italy 836 Very scarce From the E.E. Clain-Stephanelli collection. ex Naville Numismatics

I saw Manson live in '96, back when he was still relevant. Now he's a perfect model for "don't let this happen to you."

Edited April 15 by Phil Anthos

[AncientOne]

Cool new additions @ambr0zie!  

Argolis, Argos. Æ9 (Circa 400-375 BC).

Obv: Head of Hera left, wearing stephane.
Rev: Head of wolf right.
BCD Peloponnesos 1120

 

Caria, Kaunos. Ptolemy III Euergetes. AE10

Obv: Head of Basileus Kaunios right, wearing taenia with lotus bud(?) rising from top
Rev: Filleted cornucopia, K-AY(ligate).
246-222 BC.
Lorber CPE-B433

 

Cyclades, Tenos. AE10. Zeus Ammon/grapes

Obv: Laureate and horned head of Zeus Ammon right.
Rev: T-H to left and right of bunch of grapes.
10mm.

 

Don't really care all that much about Mr. Manson but this one kind of jams.

 

[kirispupis]

Here are three little ones I added recently.

Mysia, Kyzikos
circa 350-300 BCE
Æ 10mm, 0,69g
Laureate head of Apollo left /
KY-Z (like H) I Amphora; tunny below
Von Fritze, Nomisma X, Kyzikos, Gruppe I-2, Tafel I-3; SNG Copenhagen 57

 

Troas, Larissa Phrikonis
4th century BCE
Æ 8mm, 0,51g
Obv: Kantharos or Amphora.
Rev: Λ-A. Kerykeion
Unpublished cf Numismatik Naumann 102 lot 23

 

Kings of Thrace. Odrysian, uncertain king
405-340 BCE
Æ 11mm, 0,92g
Obverse: Female head with specifically set hair within solid circle.
Reverse: Conical (ritual?) vessel with two handles (kotyle?) within small concave circle. Anepigraphic.
Topelov 2004 N.4

[Ryro]

LOVE your new creepy face avatar!

There's a lot of LCE (little coin energy) on this board and some great coins this far. 

Here's a few little fellas:

[ambr0zie]

8 minutes ago, Ryro said:

LOVE your new creepy face avatar!

There's a lot of LCE (little coin energy) on this board and some great coins this far. 

Here's a few little fellas:

 

 

 

Aegina fraction?

[Ryro]

1 hour ago, ambr0zie said:

Aegina fraction?

Dang, you are good!

Aegina, Aegina
Obol circa 520, AR 0.94 g. 8mm.
Sea turtle seen from above, with thin collar and dots running down the back. Rev. Large skew pattern incuse. SNG Lockett 1977
Ex: Savoca

[CPK]

2 hours ago, Ryro said:

LOVE your new creepy face avatar!

There's a lot of LCE (little coin energy) on this board and some great coins this far. 

Here's a few little fellas:

That little turtle is really cool! I didn't know that Aegina made such small fractions.

[mcwyler]

I'm starting to like little coins. Of course the bigger the better for ptolemaic bronzes etc. Or for that matter bars of gold. 

But there's something about those tiny coins. The artistry? The cuteness? More likely the price... 

[seth77]

Moderately small AE10mm 1.36g from Sestos c. 350-300BCE:


Herm facing
Σ - A; Amphora with two handles in between

[Phil Anthos]

Taras, Calabria

480-470 BC AR Hexas (5mm, 0,11g) O: Wheel of four spokes. R: Wheel of four spokes. D'Andrea IV, 79; Vlasto 1123; SNG France 1620; HN Italy 978 Very rare ex Goduto The spoked wheel motif was fairly common on archaic Greek coins, and its simplicity of design was especially suited to diminutive silver coins such as this one.

[Neal]

I, too, like the smaller coins because I can afford them.  I'm fascinated by the skill it must have taken to make the dies. 

Neandria 550 BC Corinthian Helmet--Quadripartite Incuse 0.08g, 5 mm Hemitetartemorion

 

[ewomack]

This is my small coin thread coin:

Pisidia; Selge; c. 250 - 190 BCE; AR Obol; 0.89 grams; Obv: Facing gorgeoneion; Rev: Helmented head of Athena right,
astragalos to left; SNG Ashmolean 1546 - 50, SNG BN 1948-54

But sometimes I also throw in my James I Half Penny, because it isn't too much larger than the Obol above.

And, lastly, this picture for scale (for those who haven't experienced such tiny coins). I was absolutely shocked when I first saw these.