Benefactor Theodosius Posted May 24, 2022 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 24, 2022 I have been listening to violin concertos lately, just for a change of pace from classic rock, alternative, etc. I have been watching a lot of TwoSetViolin videos on youtube because I find them amusing and relaxing but also educational. I realized I have a Greek coin that belonged to Jascha Heifetz, the famous violinist. I love coins from Syracuse and could not resist this obvious homage to their famous types. Hard to believe I have had this coin for 32 years... Campania, Neapolis. AR Nomos, 380-350 BC. Obverse: Diademed head of nymph right surrounded by three dolphins. Reverse: [N]EOΠOΛITΩN, man-headed bull walking right, head facing; above, Nike flying right, crowning bull with wreath. References: SNG ANS 335 Ex 1989 Jascha Heifetz sale Part 2, #2336. Ex 1990 Fred Shore Do you have any coins with a musical tie-in of any kind? John 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 What a stunner!!! I almost bought a similar Campanian a couple weeks back at a coin show... but you couldn't see the man faced bull so I passed. A rocking coin with a rocking tune!!! https://youtu.be/GR35pRz7JQ8 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 (edited) @Theodosiushere is a Violin Concerto for you! 😄 Campania Neapolis 320-300 BC AR Didrachm Nomos Nymph Achelous LOL, actually wanted to see if I could attached cool music... something to liven up a tough day that I had. 😄 Edited May 24, 2022 by Alegandron 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 57 minutes ago, Alegandron said: @Theodosiushere is a Violin Concerto for you! 😄 Campania Neapolis 320-300 BC AR Didrachm Nomos Nymph Achelous LOL, actually wanted to see if I could attached cool music... something to liven up a tough day that I had. 😄 I'm sorry to read that. Another one that always gets me going when I'm down: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Phil Davis Posted May 24, 2022 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 24, 2022 Here's Calliope playing a kithara resting on a column, Cr-410/2b (my avatar on this forum): 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Phil Davis Posted May 24, 2022 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 24, 2022 and a denarius of Brutus, Cr-501/1, with a kithara in the center of the reverse: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted May 24, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 24, 2022 Here is my first ever Domitian coin, from Sestos Similar design on a Hadrian semis/quadrans 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 11 hours ago, Ryro said: I'm sorry to read that. Another one that always gets me going when I'm down: LOL, my oldest daughter was 3 or 4 when this came out. She would run around the house singing “Don’t worry, be BAPPY” ! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Severus Alexander Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 18 hours ago, Theodosius said: I realized I have a Greek coin that belonged to Jascha Heifetz, the famous violinist. That is so cool!! I like Apollo's lyre on this AE26 from Hierapolis in Phrygia: And this tiny AE13 from Magnesia ad Sipylum seems to be the second known: I should really get some more music-related coins... 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted May 25, 2022 · Patron Share Posted May 25, 2022 Since this is in the Greek section, I'll post this Greek coin with a lyre. Lydia, Philadelphia, early-mid 2nd century BC. 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. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientJoe Posted May 25, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 25, 2022 This aureus is a recent purchase from HJB's Buy Bid Sale. Aaron Berk was kind enough to let me know that a customer of his tracked down a pedigree to Enrico Caruso, the famous Italian operatic tenor (1873-1921) who produced hundreds of recordings in the infancy of "portable" music. As a musician myself, I've always wanted a Caruso pedigree and hadn't found the right coin, making this a very fortunate "two birds with one stone" purchase: 18 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted May 25, 2022 · Patron Share Posted May 25, 2022 3 minutes ago, AncientJoe said: This aureus is a recent purchase from HJB's Buy Bid Sale. Aaron Berk was kind enough to let me know that a customer of his tracked down a pedigree to Enrico Caruso, the famous Italian operatic tenor (1873-1921) who produced hundreds of recordings in the infancy of "portable" music. As a musician myself, I've always wanted a Caruso pedigree and hadn't found the right coin, making this a very fortunate "two birds with one stone" purchase: A gorgeous coin! The Caruso provenance is the icing on the cake! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Snible Posted May 25, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 25, 2022 The satyr Marsyas was a famous musician, known for playing both the double oboe. He challenged Apollo to a contest of music and lost his hide and life. L. Censorinus 82 BC denarius 3.80g Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right. Rev: L CENSOR; Marsyas standing left, holding wineskin over shoulder; to right, column surmounted by statue of Minerva (?) standing left. Purchased from Beast Coins, June 2003 Marsyas has a weird, almost superhero-quality origin story. The flute/oboe/aulos was invented by Athena. Unfortunately later mirrors were invented and she saw herself playing. Blowing into the oboe puffed up her cheeks and made her look silly ... so she threw it away and cursed it. Marsyas finds Athena's flute. Athena's curse is that he will die an awful death. Marsyas becomes skilled on the flute, so skilled he challenges the god of music to a contest. The Greeks thought this was hubris, but remember that Athena and Apollo are half-siblings. (I suspect a set-up.) The contest terms were that the winner could treat the defeated party any way he wanted. The contest: Diodorus Siculus tells us that Marsyas played his flute, putting everyone there into a frenzy, and they started dancing wildly. When it was Apollo's turn, he played his lyre so beautifully that everyone was still and had tears in their eyes. Hyginus says Marsyas actually won the first round, but then Apollo wowed the audience by playing the harp upside-down and playing the same song again. The penalty Apollo demanded was that Marsyas be flayed (skinned). In some versions his skin is made into a winesack, which may explain the sack Marsyas is carrying on this coin. However when Herodotus visited Celaenae in Phyrgia (a city with no coins?), he actually saw Marsyas' skin hanging in the square. (Which would put me off shopping). 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etcherdude Posted May 25, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 25, 2022 Two beautiful coins photographed during a recent visit to the Getty Villa. One depicts a lyre(?). I need to remember to photograph the labels too. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etcherdude Posted May 25, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 25, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, Etcherdude said: Two beautiful coins photographed during a recent visit to the Getty Villa. One depicts a lyre(?). I need to remember to photograph the labels too. MACEDON, Chalkidian League. Circa 382-379 BCE. AR tetradrachm, Olynthos mint. Reverse: Kithara; tripod between uprights. “The coin’s reverse depicts a kithara from which the word “guitar” is derived.” https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/ancient-greek-guitar/ Edited May 25, 2022 by Etcherdude 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carausius Posted May 26, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 26, 2022 I have several coins from the Reinhold Faelton Collection. Reinhold Faelton (1856 - 1949) was a musician, composer, the Dean and founder in 1897 of the Faelton Pianoforte School of Boston, Massachusetts, and a coin collector for over 50 years. His collection of ancient coins was sold by Stacks in January 1938. This Stack's catalogue was one of the earliest to feature photographs of actual ancient coins in the plates, rather than photos of plaster casts of the coins (which was the standard at the time). The resulting plates were mixed-quality but mostly poor, making it an arduous task to use this catalogue for provenance matching. My two Ex Faelton coins: 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted May 26, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 26, 2022 Something soothing strings: The last one is a labyrinth. Just making sure you were paying attention🧐 And now some gnarly strings: 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANTE Posted May 26, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 26, 2022 What a nice idea for a thread... Whenever I see this as of Nero, I'm reminded of the song 'Seneca' by Patti Smith, and vice versa. A logical pairing. Melancholy, but beautiful. PS:I've never tried to embed a video before, so I hope this works. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helvius Pertinax Posted May 26, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 26, 2022 (edited) What a handsome lady! I have a similar type, the more common Campanian didrachm. This one is a bit special though, being minted in Nola, not Neapolis. The lady on the obverse - Parthenope, one of the sirens from the Odyssee - must have had some mad singing skills! It's tricky to photograph unfortunately: Nola, AR didrachm 400 - 375 BC Obverse: diademed head of nymph (Parthenope) facing left Reverse: man-faced bull (Achelous) advancing right, crowned by Nike flying above, NOLAION in exergue Edited March 29 by Helvius Pertinax old images 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted May 26, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 26, 2022 Mercury playing the Lyre RImp Octavian 32-31 BCE AR Den Rome mint Bare CAESAR DIVI F Mercury lyre RIC 257 Sear 1550 Mercury playing the Piano 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted May 27, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 27, 2022 Every, single, time you pick up a coin of Trajan, you are required by Coin Collector law to play this tune 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat Posted August 11, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted August 11, 2022 On 5/27/2022 at 3:04 AM, Leo said: Every, single, time you pick up a coin of Trajan, you are required by Coin Collector law to play this tune OK, I just put this in a new flip so listened to it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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