Monograms on ancients: my new Pyrrhos MSC. Wanna fight me for it? You won't win. But neither will I!

[Ryro]

Not the best strike, corroded, possibly over cleaned, and a type that I already have. So why did I buy it? That sweet Pyrrhos monogram:

Kings of Macedon. Pella. Pyrrhos (of Epiros) 287-285 BC.

Bronze Æ, 17 mm, 4,04 g Nearly Very Fine. 

Macedonian shield; monogram of Pyrrhos on boss / Macedonian helmet; BA-ΣI flanking monogram below; all within oak wreath. HGC 3, 272; SNG Alpha Bank 971 corr. (monogram, not labrys). 

This monogram is also found on tetradrachms of Alexander type that were struck under Pyrrhos (Price 569–70).

Here another one that CNG though was unique a decade ago. Not the missing monogram, not in the shield but, between the BAΣI:

KINGS of MACEDON. Pyrrhos (of Epiros). 287-285 BC and 274-273 BC. Æ Unit (17mm, 3.50 g, 7h). Uncertain mint in Macedon. Monogram of Pyrrhos on boss of Macedonian shield / Macedonian helmet; BAΣI below; all within oak wreath. W. Weiser, “Ein neues Kupferstück des Pyrrhos als König der Makedonen” in SM 144 (November 1986), –; AMNG III –; SNG Alpha Bank 970; BMC Thessaly 38-9. VF, dark green patina. Extremely rare issue without monograms. Coins of the Epeirote king Pyrrhos are known from many different mints, following his exploits around the northern Mediterranean. His two short tenures as king of Macedon, though, did not produce a very robust coinage. His rare issues are all bronze, and all have the same obverse type – his monogram on the boss of a Macedonian shield. The reverse type is also standard, a Macedonian helmet within an oak wreath, and the legend BAΣI below the helmet. Almost all of the known examples, though, have a monogram between the alpha and sigma in the legend. The present variety, without monogram is only known from the Alpha Bank and BMC specimens. None are present in any other published private or public collection... except in mine😜

Of course Demetrius Poliorcetes had a pretty RAD monogram of his own. His coins hide iconography beaten the bushel and the helmet left:

And here is a couple of his sons, named after grandad, Antigonos Gonatas (stupidly, history has lost the meaning of the moniker Gonatas. I blame Christianity). This one is covered in monograms. One in shield boss and then the three surrounding the helmet!:

I've dozens of these twos coins, but I'll throw in this one for the cute little Owl below the helmet:

Here's a fun ROMA monogram behind the head of Philip V, grandson of Antigonos Gonatas:

And to finish up, here is an EXTREMELY RARE Tiffilian with TIF monogram:

TIFFILY, Tiphonia

c. 5th century BCE

AR 17, 7.4 gm

Obv: Forepart of winged iguana left

Rev: Monogram within dotted square, incuse

Ref: SNG 2,

Note: Metallurgic analysis shows this unusual coin to be 99.9% pure silver yet oddly porous.

Ex @TIF collection

 

 

So you have any monograms, MSCs, coins from today's Savoca, etc to share? I'd love to see them 😀

Edited May 18 by Ryro

[kirispupis]

Very nice pickup! I noticed that coin when going through the auction. I was tempted on a few coins this Savoca, but I wound up not bidding since I have several potentially costly auctions upcoming.

Here's my Pyrrhos examples.

Pyrrhos of Epiros
Pella 287-285 BCE or 274-273 BCE
AE 17mm 4.42g 5h
AMNG III/2, -. HGC 3, 272. SNG Alpha Bank 970

 

Kings of Epeiros, Pyrrhos (297-272 BCE)
Ambrakia, c. 278-275 BCE
Æ 26mm, 8.09g, 9h
Laureate head of Zeus r.
R/ Thunderbolt within oak wreath.
SNG Copenhagen 100; HGC 3, 267

 

[expat]

Great monograms. I bought this coin purely because it is unknown for this magistrate.

Kyme, Aeolis. AE17. 320-250 BC. Magistrate Pedieus. 4.68 g.

KY ΠEΔIEYOΣ, forepart of horse right.
One-handled cup, HAP monogram to left.

Unpublished monogram for this magistrate. Emporium Hamburg 91, 95. Paris Inventory 1945.

[Roman Collector]

Here's a Macedonian shield coin with a monogram with which you are familiar, @Ryro! The monogram doesn't photograph well.

Antigonos I Monophthalmos, king, 306/5-301 BCE.
Greek Æ Unit, 15.4 mm, 4.21 g, 7 h.
Salamis mint under Demetrios I Poliorketes.
Obv: Macedonian shield, boss decorated with facing gorgoneion.
Rev: Macedonian helmet; kerykeion and monogram to lower left and right.
Refs: Price 3159; Zapiti & Michaelidou 7–8.
Note: Price attributes the coin to Philip III Arrhidaios (323-317 BCE).

A couple more Greek ones with monograms. I like their designs.

Lydia, Philadelphia, early-mid 2nd century BCE.
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.

Mysia, Pergamon, 200-133 BCE.
Bronze Æ 15.7 mm, 3.55 g, 12 h.
Obv: Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet ornamented with star.
Rev: AΘΗ-ΝΑΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ, owl standing facing on palm, with wings spread,TK monogram left and ΠΛ right.
Refs: SNG Copenhagen 388 (same); c.f. SNG von Aulock 1375-6, BMC 197-199, SNG France 1920-2, SNG BN 1913-6 (various monograms).

Even Roman coins may have monograms.

L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, 90 BCE.
Roman AR denarius, 3.68 g, 18.1 mm, 8 h.
Rome, 90 BCE.
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right; ΨXXXVIII behind.
Rev: Horseman right with palm-branch in left hand and reins in right hand; CVII above, L·PISO FRVGI / ROMA monogram below.
Refs: Ghey, Leins & Crawford 340.1.84; RSC Calpurnia 11; Sydenham (CRR) 664b; BMCRR 1928; Sear 235.
Notes: Double die match to BMC specimen.

Mn. Fonteius C.f., 85 BCE.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.97 g, 21.0 mm, 5h.
Rome mint.
Obv: MN. FONTEI C. F, Laureate head of Apollo-Vejovis right; thunderbolt below; Roma monogram below chin.
Rev: Infant Genius seated right on goat; pilei of the Dioscuri above; below, filleted thyrsus right; all within wreath.
Refs: Crawford 353/1a; Sydenham 724; Fonteia 9; BMCRR 2476; RCV 271; Varesi 290.

And a Byzantine for good measure!

Heraclius, with Martina and Heraclius Constantine. 610-641.
Byzantine Æ Follis, 5.23 g, 24.3 mm, 7 h.
Nicomedia mint.
Obv: Heraclius center, Heraclius Constantine r., Empress Martina l., all standing facing.
Rev: Large M; to left, monogram; above, ANNO & cross; to right, regnal year XS (16); beneath, officina no. B; in ex., NIKO.
Refs: Berk 560; Dumbarton Oaks 165v (unlisted officina); Sear 836.

[ambr0zie]

Here's an interesting monogram on the reverse of this Ariobarzanes drachm 

 

Artabanus II 

TE monogram - showing the denomination 

[Phil Anthos]

Two monograms... Taras, Calabria

240/35-212 BC (Period IX - The Roman Alliance II) AR Didrachm (20mm, 6.21g) Xenokrathes magistrate. O: Bearded strategos on horse parading left, wearing short tunic and chlamys, raising right hand, short sword in scabbard under left arm; monogram and pileus above, Ξ / ENO - KP ATHC in two lines below. R: Taras wearing leafy crown, astride dolphin left, naked but for chlamys raised in left hand and draping over right thigh, trident over right shoulder; waves and cuttlefish below, [Τ]ΑΡΑΣ to left, monogram to right. D'Andrea XLV, 1645 (this coin); Vlasto 958; Evans IX, G1; Cote 579; HN Italy 1058 ex Roma Numismatics D'Andrea plate coin Series XLV, 1645 An interesting piece from the last days of Tarentine independence. Evans divides the Horsemen of the post-Pyrrhic era into Period VIII (272-235 BC) and Period IX, which he terminates at 228 BC with the alleged closing of the mint, but which hoard evidence suggests should be extended to the Punic occupation of 212. The coins of the former category are of a decidedly inferior style compared to those of the previous century, but Period IX reveals something of a renaissance, and many of these coins are of fine style. Surely this is befitting the final truly Tarentine issues. The Vlasto catalog describes the obverse figure as “Single Dioskuros…”. likely due to the pileus in the field above (almost off-flan here). However this mounted nobleman must certainly be the model for the less impressive Punic issues of Period X. The obverse die is peculiar for its use of the ‘lunar E’ in the magistrate’s name, which was not at all typical at Taras.

Edited May 19 by Phil Anthos

[expat]

PERGAMON (Mysia) AE16.
Obverse: Head of Athena right, wearing helmet decorated with 8 pointed star.
Reverse: AΘHNAΣ / NIKHΦOPOY. Owl standing facing on palm frond right, with wings spread. Monograms ΓΑ and ΑΡ either sides of owl in fields.
Wildwinds online “plate” coin
SNG Leipzig 1102-1103. Pergamon mint, ca. 200-133 BC.  2,9 g - 16 mm.

[Hrefn]

The title of this post alone made me laugh out loud!!

[NathanB]

Capital bit of humour there in the thread title, Ryro! I'm at work on a break but burst out with a chuckle! 🤣

Also, I hope @TIF makes an appearance! 😉