Ryro's Top 10, Okay, okay, bakers dozen, mostly, Macedonian shield coins of 2024!

[Ryro]

Welcome, welcome to my 

MSC (Macedonian Shield Coins) of the year of our lord, 2024!

You will see a lot of wonderful coins herein. This doesn't mean that you should buy this coin type at all. In fact, you should do your very best to stay far away from anything resembling these coins. This is a haunted

type of ancient coin that will bring certain doom to you. It is too late for me, but it isn't for you, even if you have a few MSCs laying around you can still ship them to me and be rid of this accursed curse. DO NOT BUY THESE COINS!

 

We will start at the start, #10. This cute little extremely rare quarter unit was minted in Delphi under the last great king of Makedon, Philip V. Talk about pedigree!

Philip V

(184 - 179 BC). Æ Chalkous Quarter Unit (12,7 mm, 1.80g). Delphi mint. R/ Macedonian shield, omphalos decorated. R/ B-A /Φ Crested Macedonian helmet right.
HGC 3.1, 1086 Mamroth, Bronzemünzen 18. Touratsoglou, Macedonia 13 (Philip V). Good VF and extremely rare.

 

Though, I scored this rarity for under 20(!) my #9 MSC has a priceless, to me, mystery. I am not so sure if the auction house's description is correct and that it was minted under Philip v nor Perseus. I do not believe the small shields showed up until the first century CE. And I'm not able to find a single specimen to compare it with. So for now, another MSC mystery:

Philip V - Perseus, 187-168 BC. Æ (16mm, 2.28g). Uncertain mint in Macedon. Macedonian shield. R/ MAKE-ΔΟΝΩΝ in two lines. HGC 3.1, -. Good Fine. Purchased from Aphrodite Art Nov 2024

 

At #8 we have another mystery wrapped in a coinundrum, packaged in a riddle. Is that Augustus? If not, then who? What's with the winged caduceus? Is the reverses image of a Celt Iberian shield, a maze, just a pretty design, or something else all together?

Augustus,

Hispania, Uncertain mint.. 27 B.C.-A.D. 14 Æ as (29.38 mm, 13.01 g). 'Moneta castrensis'. Mint in northewestern Spain, Probably struck before 23 B.C. [IMP] AVG DIVI F, bare head left; palm branch before, winged caduceus behind / Round shield with four linear outer panels and round central boss. ACIP 3301; RPC 3. RPC I 4; SNG Copenhagen 414. About VF. Purchased from "Young Collectors 2" Astarte March 2024

Gotta give a little love to this little coin of the 2nd most popular shield coin type of the ancients, the Boeotian shield gets love at #7! I liked that the entire shield was on flan and the trippy enigmatic reverse. 

BOEOTIA. Thespiai. Obol (4th century BC).

Obv: Boeotian shield.
Rev: ΘΕΖΠΙ.
Two horizontal crescents back to back.

BCD Boeotia 591; HGC 4, 1401. Very fine. 0,70 g. 9 mm. Purchased from NumisFitz June 2024

#6 is an upgrade. I really like how August Hadrian looks and the shield is on point ta boot.

Hadrian, 117-138 

Macedonia, Koinon 

Bronze 

Av: Laureate and draped bust r. 

Rev. KOINON MAKEΔONΩN. Macedonian shield.

4,96g 21mm

VF, Varbanov 3028.

Purchased from NumisFitz

Oh, the foxy little, much forged minxy nymphs on the coins of Euboia Histiaia are a source of much frustration for us ancient collectors. Whenever you buy one you have to check it against a bunch of modern fakes to even be able to hope that yours may be ancient. On the plus side; the nymphs are gorgeous, as is the imagery on the reverse, there are a bunch of stylistic and iconographic things to look out for like the nymphs hair and images on the side of the stern. Oh, and some of them even have shields hanging out on the mast of the vessel.

She may be #5 on my list but she'll always be a 10 in my heart 😉 :

Euboia, Histiaia. AR Tetrobol, 2.07 g 14.75 mm. 3rd-2nd centuries BC.

Obv: Wreathed head of the nymph Histiaia right.

Rev. ΙΣΤΙ - ΑΙΕΩΝ Nymph seated right on stern of galley, holding stylis in her left hand and resting her right on the deck; on the side of the stern to left, wing; on the aphlaston, Macedonian shield; below, trident and monogram. Apparently unpublished, but cf. BCD Euboia 405. Fine. Purchased from Concordia Oct 2024

Not part of the top 10, but worth mentioning as above you see a Macedonian shield in the ships mast. Here's Histiaia with a regular shield in the mast:

Histiaia. Silver Tetrobol (3rd-2nd centuries BC).

Obv: Wreathed head of the nymph Histiaia right.

Rev: IΣTIAIEΩN. Nymph seated right on stern of galley; shield on aphlaston wing on prow.

BCD Euboia 387ff.; HGC 4, 1524.

Condition: Very fine.

Weight: 2.08 g.

Diameter: 13,5mm.

Purchased from Fitz Dec 2024

Oh, those ever bragging Romans. Could they just shut the fuck up about when their great great grandpappy did something and so they take credit for it on their coins for generations?! As is the case with this bronze RR with a easily discernable Macedonian shield above the ships prow:

M. Caecilius Q.f. Q.n. Metellus, Rome, 127 BC. Æ Semis (21mm, 8.09 g, 7h). Laureate head of Saturn right; S (mark of value) to left. R/ Prow of galley right; above, Macedonian shield, S (mark of value) to right, ROMA below. Crawford 263/3b; Sydenham 482 var. (prow inscribed M•METELLVS). Purchased from Aphrodite May 2024

 

#3 could easily be #1 if only we ancient coin collectors weren't such metalistic snobs. If this beauty from the home of Pyrrhos was in silver would it rank higher? Either way, the boss thunderbolt obv and the baby thunderbolt rev, rarity, and lovely patina made this a shoe in for favorite AE this year:

EPEIROS, The Molossi

Bronze. Circa 360-330/25 BC.

20 mm // 5,05 g

Obv: MOΛOΣΣΩN. Thunderbolt on shield.

Rev: Thunderbolt within wreath.

Franke 24-73 (uncertain dies). SNG Copenhagen 53. nVF.

Purchased from Fitz Dec 2024

 

If I let shield coins into my top 10, posted earlier this month 

than these last 2 would surely have been up there. As is, this stunner from Akarnania takes the penultimate spot on your greatest MSC list of the year. With the mythical beast, Pegasos, and such an appealing portrait of Athena, the coin stands on its own as a beauty. But then you put that little shield behind Athena's head and poof, perfection:

Akarnania, Metropolis.

AR Stater, 350-250 BC. Obv. Pegasus flying left; below, monogram. Rev. Helmeted head of Athena left; behind, monogram and Macedonian shield. Pegasi 1; HGC 4 894; SNG Cop. 399; BCD Corinth 344. AR. 8.27 g. 24 mm. Pleasant old cabinet tone with some scratches. About VF/VF. Purchased from Artemide Oct 2024

 

In my best Casey Kasem voice, "And coming in at #1 on the Ryro shield coins of 2024 is this beauty from a land that at the time of this coins minting was at war with Makedon. Yet they still celebrate their eventual captures glory by putting a showstopping Makedonian shield in the fallen Makedonian warrior's hand."

On a side note is the interesting fact that it very well may have been the Paeonian's that first put the Makedonian shield on coinage, this coinage!

KINGS OF PAEONIA. Patraos, circa 335-315 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 23 mm, 12.79 g, 6 h), Astibos or Damastion. Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. ΠΑΤΡΑΟ-Υ Paeonian horse­man, wearing crested helmet and full armor, galloping to right and spea­ring fallen enemy, who defends himself with a spear in his right hand and a shield on his left arm; below the horse's tail, monogram of ƎM; all within shallow round incuse. Paeonian Hoard 400 (same dies). Peykov E2140 (same reverse die as illustration). Test cut on the edge and with two punch marks on the obverse, otherwise, very fine. Purchased from Leu July 2024

 

And on to a couple of 

Please find me another cornucopia flanking a helmet on an MSC. Cause I cannot and am intrigued by the type and it's apparent singularity. Also, what is on the boss???:

Alexander III 336-323 Bronze (4,5 gr, 15 mm), unknown mint in Macedonia, posthumously around 325-310 BC. Av.: Gorgon/facing Herakles/Lightning bundle(???) in the central medallion of a Macedonian shield. Rev.: Helmet, cornucopia left. Very Fine. Rare, possibly unique, with cornucopia on reverse. Purchased from Bay Numismatics August 2024

 

Lastly, just a good solid monogram of Pyrrhos. Nuff said:

Pyrrhos (of Epiros)

Pella. 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). Purchased from Savoca May 2024

 

Thanks for taking a lookie loo. Please let me know which ones you liked most and why. If you have coins to add, please share them. And for the love of Zeus, PLEASE DO NOT BUY THESE COINS!

[panzerman]

Ryro/ I like # 7  5  3 the best. Why? Well I find them interesting and have great eye appeal.

 

John

[ambr0zie]

Great coins! I chose the Metropolis stater (excellent coin), the Augustus (intriguing) and the Histiaia tetrobol. 

Here is the mandatory shield coin, happy to see its brothers. 

[happy_collector]

Thanks for sharing, @Ryro. I like your Akarnania stater and Euboia tetrobol. They look very nice. 🙂

[JAZ Numismatics]

That Paeonian tet is out of control. Excellent style and strike, plus that weird flan anomaly, a bankers mark and great color. That coin got my vote.

[CPK]

Great coins from 2024! I like the Hadrian provincial, just a very well-made coin with great eye appeal. Also No. 4, the Roman Republican AE with the shield on the reverse - I don't remember seeing one before. And the honorable mentions deserve some love too - an interesting unique? type and that very bold Pyrrhos AE. Congrats!

[singig]

My prefered coins are  #1 and #2  but I also voted for BOEOTIA Obol. Congratulations !  I think I have one MSC , it's worn and I was unable to identify it.

[Roman Collector]

What a great year you had for MSC acquisitions! My favorite is the Hadrian (It's Roman, you see), but I think the Epeiros has a fascinating design. 

[Grudissius Minimus]

Hey Ryro,

Sweet coins!

I gave my vote to the Stater because of the Athena portrait. The combination of the engraver’s style, the coin’s wear and the patina have given her a thoughtful, soulful gaze.

Must be great to look at in person!

Best,

Groody
 

[Qcumbor]

I voted #8, #5 and #3 : Love the amazing maze reverse, the lymphatic nymph and the Wunderschön thunderbolt

Q

[mc9]

Nice selection, Ryro,

 

I like the Macedonian shield; monogram of Pyrrhos on boss the most, i love monograms.

I voted number 8

[Di Nomos]

Congratulations on an excellent year of collecting. I like the coins of Akarnania & Boeotia and gave them a vote. But my favourite is #8, an interesting and attractive coin.

[MrMonkeySwag96]

#5 is my favorite. I love the fine style artistry on the obverse and reverse as well as the relatively large flan.