2,000 years apart: a Silver Didrachm of Neapolis from 300 BC and a Silver Medal made for Napoleon's sister, Caroline Bonaparte, for her visit at the Paris Mint as Queen of Naples in 1808. She is seen here depicted as Parthenope.

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

Video (If it doesn't load try here on Reddit😞

Pics:

CAMPANIA, Neapolis, c. 300-275 BC, AR Didrachm (19mm, 6.96g, 5h). Obv: Head of nymph to right (siren Parthenope), hair in band, wearing triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace; X behind. Rev: Man-headed bull (god Achelous) walking to right on exergue line, being crowned with wreath by Nike flying to right above; EYΞ (EUX) below, [NEO]ΠOΛΙΤΩΝ (NEOPOLITON) in exergue. Sambon 477; HN Italy 579; HGC 1, 453. Toned, about VF. Ex. Bertolami Fine Arts E-Auction 73, Lot 37 (14.09.2019).

 

FRANCE, Première Empire. Caroline Bonaparte Murat. Queen Consort of Naples and Sicily, 1808-1815. AR Medal (22.88mm, 6.98g, 12h). Opus Nicolas Guy Antoine Brenet (after a nomos of Neapolis). Obverse: BAΣIΛIΣΣA KAPOΛINH (Queen Caroline), diademed head of Caroline right, wearing triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace in the style of the siren Parthenope. In the field, on the right: a rose; on the left: a sprig of myrtle; below, BP monogram signature. Reverse: Man-headed bull standing right, head facing; above, crowning Nike flying right; NEΩΠOΛITΩN in exergue. Edge: (cornucopia) ARGENT. Ricciardi 80, Siciliano 11, D’Auria 81, Julius 1980, Bramsen 772, Essling 2543, Turricchia 663. About MS (RR).

 

I love how both coins are toned, albeit in different ways: the Neapolis nomos is a dark blue/red/purple/black, while the Medal has a beautiful iridescence on the obverse, with warmer tones.

 

Fun fact: most of these medals were made in bronze, fewer in silver like mine, and just a few in gold (they can fetch around 4k+). But there were also bronze medals made in irregular shapes to more closely resemble the original Greek counterpart. Here an example:

What do you think? 🙂  
  
EDIT: I just found out that since the coin has a cornucopia on the rim, it’s a post-1880 reproduction and now I’m bummed 😕 I guess I’ll try to get a partial refund and / or look for the original one!  

Edited October 2, 2024 by AncientCoinnoisseur
:(

[Al Kowsky]

A.C., I think you made two great scores that complement each other 🤩! Don't be "bummed out" because the medal was struck post 1880, your medal is most likely a 19th century issue 😉.

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Al Kowsky thanks! I agree, I’ve ysed this website for the dating: https://www.numismatique-31-81.com/Poincons/Poincons_MDP/Poincons_MDP.php  
  
The edge is supposed to be clean in the 1808 issue, but it’s also true that mine doesn’t have the characteristics of a XX Century one, so we are still in the 1800s, but I lost the ‘cool factor’ of Napoleon’s sister possibly having touched it! Oh, well… I’m trying to get a partial refund since the description (and the price!) were for a 1808 specimen, but I like the toning so much I want to keep it!

[Lelouch]

I won and received my own Caroline of Naples medal from Heritage #61445 - Lot #25174. I believe it is indeed from 1808, but there are no edge pics so I can't double check.

 

@AncientCoinnoisseur Very unfortunate yours turned out to be not from 1808, hopefully you got a refund or something. It still looks spectacular though, definitely better toning than mine both in pictures and in person. Mine just looks plain gray in real life.

If you do want a 1808 I did actually see another    one in an upcoming auction from Heritage but I don't think you need it.

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Lelouch That’s gorgeous! The surface of mine, especially on the reverse, looks so flat and weird 😕 Enjoy it! 😍

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Lelouch By the way, just a couple of hours ago I started colorising this very medal! 🙂 

The colors are still placeholders, it will get better once finished! These are the references I'm using so far!

[Ryro]

Cool coins! Coingrats!

Of course I prefer the ancient one, but the one made by sister-poleon is a cool throw back. I have a few Napoleon meals that reference ancient coinage. 

One of my favorite pick ups this year is from Neapolis:

Campania, Neapolis

Nomos/Didrachm (6.77 g), ca. 300-275 BC. BC Head of a nymph with a hair band / androcephalic bull, above Nike with a wreath. HN Italy 579. Corroded and small cleaning scratches. Dark tint. s.sh./fssch. Ex Rauch 36 (1986), 14. Purchased from Rauch April 2024 E-Auction 43 lot 39

 

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Ryro oh, wow, you got one of the, if not the most beautiful obverse die!!! I’ve been looking for one! I’m still kicking myself because I didn’t buy a gorgeous Neapolis this summer that my local coin shop had for 500€:

 

I thought about it too much and when I decided to get it it was gone 😕

My dream coin is this though:

 

A tad too expensive for me, but a man can dream…

Edited December 11, 2024 by AncientCoinnoisseur

[Deinomenid]

Oh a beautiful face indeed,  but  don't fall for it. She's a drowned siren with chicken legs -

[Mucius Scaevola]

I was hoping for a video of Napoleon‘s sister. Slightly disappointed now..

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

@Lelouch done! 🙂