Imago_Argentum_24 Posted January 10 · Member Posted January 10 (edited) Many of the larger Greek coins were of high value, but for day to day use the smaller fractional coins would be much better suited for buying bread at the market. What I love about the Obols, Hemiobols and the cute Hemitetartemorions is the skill that was used to make these tiny pieces of art. Making a still recognizable obverse with only 5 mm is just amazing in the early days of coinage: So my question is a follows: What are your favourites from the fractions and do you have a preference for certain city states? Edited January 10 by Imago_Argentum_24 13 Quote
Benefactor kirispupis Posted January 10 · Benefactor Benefactor Posted January 10 I don't have any particular preference, but I do pick up Greek fractions when there isn't an easy bronze alternative. Here are a few favorites. Isaura Palaia(?), Cilicia Silver hemiobol c. 335-325 BCE 8.1mm 0.294g obverse head of Herakles facing slightly left reverse facing head of lion, YAYPCOM (or similar) below Göktürk p. 150, 86 (Isaura Palaia), SNG Kayhan 1062, SNG Levante -; SNG BnF – ex Leu Numismatik web auction 13 (15 Aug 2020) ex Roma e-sale 52 (10 Jan 2019) Cyclades, Kythnos 4th century BCE AR Hemiobol(?) 8.5mm, 0.47 g, 2h Laureate head of Apollo right / Chelys within linear circle Unpublished in the standard references, but cf. HGC 6, 607 for a similar bronze issue from Kythnos Caria, Latmos Circa 400-350 BCE AR Tetartemorion 6 mm, 0.17 g, 3 h Bare female head to right. Rev. Monogram of ΛΑΤΜ. HN Online 962. Konuk, Latmos, 5 (O4/R5) Arkadia. Arcadian League. Megalopolis AR Obol 320-275 BCE 12.24mm .87 grams Obverse: Head of Pan left Reverse: Monogram of the Arcadian League, I in left field, syrinx below BCD Peloponnesos (Megalopolis) 1517 Ex Strasbourg (4 December 1985) Ex Marc Breitsprecher Cimmerian Bosporos, Myrmekion Circa 470-460 BCE AR Tetartemorion 5 mm, 0.22 g Ant seen from above. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square, pellets in two opposing compartments. HGC 7, 54. MacDonald 6 11 Quote
Imago_Argentum_24 Posted January 10 · Member Author Posted January 10 @kirispupis These are indeed wonderful coins and I am awe struck by the Ant on the Myrmekion coin! It is so well defined and funily enough true to life size of the animal. 2 Quote
-monolith- Posted January 10 · Member Posted January 10 I've posted these before, and have purchased many new fractional coins since I created this image. 9 Quote
Deinomenid Posted January 10 · Supporter Posted January 10 2 hours ago, Imago_Argentum_24 said: What are your favourites from the fractions The larger of the fractionals - simply because as admirable as the truly tiny ones are, I find them too small to properly enjoy, except as an enlarged image as here. 2 hours ago, Imago_Argentum_24 said: do you have a preference for certain city states? A predictable answer but Syracuse, simply because there are both a large number of larger fractionals and it is known (and visibly clear) that some of the great engravers worked on them too. Also - because their pricing is so random - you can often pick up relative bargains. For example this one was 20% of the price paid 2 years earlier. [That doesn't mean it was cheap, just a lot less expensive!] SICILY, Syracuse, (c.425 B.C.), tetras, AE 14, (2.65 g), obv. nymph Arethusa head to left bound with ampyx and sphendone, within line border, rev. octopus. Ex Kunker and NAC. 12 Quote
ambr0zie Posted January 10 · Member Posted January 10 For me the answer is simple - small ones. I have a deep admiration for the ancient artists who managed to create works of art on a ~5 mm diameter. My example of a hemitetartemorion 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. Tetartemorions A "large" one - a hemiobol of 7 mm 9 Quote
panzerman Posted January 10 · Member Posted January 10 Nice little coins! I like them too/ some of mine. 8 2 Quote
JAZ Numismatics Posted January 10 · Member Posted January 10 My favorite coin is always the one that arrived in the mail today. I recently received this Eastern Arabian obol imitating the types of Alex III. I have never seen a better example of the type... 10 Quote
taja1948 Posted January 11 · Member Posted January 11 MACEDON. Eion. Circa 470-460 BC. Trihemiobol (Silver, 10.5 mm, 1.11 g). Goose standing to right on decorated base, turning head to left to face a lizard crawling downwards to left; below left, Θ. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. AMNG III/2, p. 139, 37. HGC 3.1, 520. SNG ANS 273-4. Toned, and with bold designs. Good very fine. From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, and the Olga H. Knoepke Collection, Glendining 10 December 1986, 136. CORINTHIA. Corinth. Circa 345-307 BC. Diobol (Silver, 10.5 mm, 0.77 g, 9 h). Ϙ Pegasos with straight wing flying to left. Rev. A - P Pegasos with curved wing trotting to left; in field to right, ivy leaf. Cf. BCD Corinth 196 (different arrangement of reverse legend and no leaf). Cf. HGC 4, 1889 (ivy leaf not noted). Pozzi 1727 (this coin). An extremely rare variant with ivy leaf symbol. Apparently unpublished. Toned. Some minor roughness, otherwise, very fine. From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, and from the Leo Mildenberg collection, assembled between 1950s and 1970s, and from the Samuel Pozzi Collection, Naville I, 14 March 1921, 1727. The combination of the magistrate name AP and the ivy leaf suggests that this fractional issue was struck in conjunction with the stater emission Calciati 434/Ravel 1016, which features the same name and symbol. BRUTTIUM. Rhegion. Circa 480-462 BC. Obol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.69 g, 9 h). Hare leaping to right; border of dots. Rev. REC (retrograde) within border of dots. HN III 2475. SNG Copenhagen 1926. SNG Lockett 648 (this coin) = Pozzi 321 (this coin). SNG München 1570. Nicely toned. Struck from a somewhat worn obverse die and with a die break on the reverse, otherwise, about extremely fine. From the "Collection sans Pareille" Ancient Greek Fractions, acquired in 1992, and from the Collections of Cyril Lockett, Glendining Lockett II, 25 October 1955, 530 and Samuel Pozzi, Naville I, 4 April 1921, 321. GAUL, Massalia. 490/485-470 BC. Hemiobol (Silver, 7 mm, 0.57 g), Milesian standard, 'Auriol'. Lion's head to left, with open jaws. Rev. Irregular incuse square. Furtwängler Ta 13-14. Maurel 56. Pozzi 6 (this coin). Rare. Nicely struck and beautifully toned. With some deposits as found, otherwise, extremely fine. From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions and the collections of V. M Brand and of S. Pozzi, Naville I, 4 April 1921, 6. ARGOLIS. Epidauros. late 4th-early 3rd century BC. Obol (Silver, 10.5 mm, 0.79 g, 12 h). Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. Ε within laurel wreath tied at the bottom. BCD Peloponnesos 1222. BMC 3-5. Pozzi 1914 (this coin). Very rare. Toned. Struck from a worn obverse die and with some scratches and marks, otherwise, very fine. From the "Collection sans Pareille" of Ancient Greek Fractions, from the BCD Collection, Classical Numismatic Group MBS 81, 20 May 2009, 2488, and from the collection of J.S. Wilkinson, Malter XLIX, 15 November 1992, 622, and that of S. Pozzi, Naville I, 4 April 1921, 1914. 8 1 1 Quote
panzerman Posted January 11 · Member Posted January 11 The Greeks made some tiny coinage/ so did Germany. Regensburg/ Imperial City AV 1/32 Dukat ND (1750) 3.7mm. 0.04g. .986 Under HRE Franz II von Lothringen 1745-65 In 1750 the mint produced coins ranging from AV 30 Dukaten (105g.) down to 1/32D Thus the 30 D was for the 1 percent. The 1/32 for the masses. 9 1 Quote
panzerman Posted January 11 · Member Posted January 11 1/96 EL Stater/ one of my 1/96 types/ still need 1/192 5 Quote
ewomack Posted January 11 · Supporter Posted January 11 The little obols are amazing works of art. I would like to pick up more someday, as I only have one. I especially like that the denomination appears in ancient Cynic texts, usually in the context of a good joke. 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 6 1 Quote
panzerman Posted January 12 · Member Posted January 12 From Goldbergs AV Quarter Stater ND Pella Mint Philip II 6 1 Quote
Coinmaster Posted January 12 · Member Posted January 12 The bigger coins are more visible attractive, however I like the Hemitetartemorions! I only have one, because I mainly collect Roman coins. But I have one just for the story that they where kept in the mouth of people when they buying something on a market, because of there small size and risk of loss. 3 Quote
panzerman Posted January 12 · Member Posted January 12 24 minutes ago, Coinmaster said: The bigger coins are more visible attractive, however I like the Hemitetartemorions! I only have one, because I mainly collect Roman coins. But I have one just for the story that they where kept in the mouth of people when they buying something on a market, because of there small size and risk of loss. I end even loosing Loonies & Toonies/ due to small hole in my camo pants. When you see what metal detectorists are finding in farmers fields these days/ I guess it happened back in Medieval times too. One guy even found a Noble. 2 Quote
Wilnoth Posted January 12 · Member Posted January 12 I always loved the early fractional coinage attributed to Colophon in Asia Minor - I spent months studying them, but never actually got to own one! Where they really struck at Colophon (probably not) and Why did they strike so many; hundreds of dies, must have made millions and millions of coins?? 4 Quote
panzerman Posted January 13 · Member Posted January 13 Mysia/ Kyzikos EL Hemihekte ND 600-550BC Kyzikos Mint Bull top of Tuna 2 known long list of prev. owners..... 4 1 1 2 Quote
I_v_a_n Posted January 13 · Member Posted January 13 On 1/12/2025 at 4:18 PM, panzerman said: From Goldbergs AV Quarter Stater ND Pella Mint Philip II Absolutely amazing piece! Congratulations! 1 Quote
I_v_a_n Posted January 13 · Member Posted January 13 My favorite fractions are EL hektes from anywhere, but especially early series from Mytilene with incusuum reverse. At the moment I have one. 3 1 1 2 Quote
panzerman Posted January 13 · Member Posted January 13 Very nice Ivan! Thats an iconic electrum issue. One of my favorite designs! 2 Quote
panzerman Posted January 13 · Member Posted January 13 EL Hemihekte ND Sardes Mint Lydia/ Time of Aylattes 620-576BC 5 1 1 Quote
taja1948 Posted January 14 · Member Posted January 14 The Jonathan H. Kagan Collection of Ancient Greek Coins MYSIA. Kyzikos. Circe 500-450 BC. Hekte (Electrum, 11 mm, 2.65 g). Lion at bay to left, head slightly facing and viewed from above, gnawing on prey. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square. BMFA 1443. Pozzi 2197 = SNG Lockett 2692 ( this coin). SNG Paris 212. Von Fritze I 83. A beautifully struck coin, attractively toned. Minor marks, otherwise, good very fine. From the Collection of Jonathan H. Kagan and those of R.C. Lockett, XII, Glendining & Co. 21 February 1961, 2173 and S. Pozzi, Naville 1, 4 April 1921, 2197 (with his original ticket). GRIECHISCHE MÜNZEN. LESBOS. MYTILENE El-Hekte (1/6 Stater), 521/478 v. Chr.; 2,44 g. Löwenkopf r.//Incuser Hahnenkopf l. Bodenstedt 7.6 (dies Exemplar); Waggoner, Rosen Coll. 552 (dies Exemplar). Herrliche Patina, fast vorzüglich Exemplar der Sammlung Samuel-Jean de Pozzi, Auktion Ars Classica I, Luzern 1921, Nr. 2319 und der Sammlung Jonathan P. Rosen. 5 1 1 1 Quote
panzerman Posted January 14 · Member Posted January 14 Mysia/ Kyzikos EL Hekte ND 625-600BC Kyzikos Mint Ibex/ Tuna 6 Quote
panzerman Posted January 16 · Member Posted January 16 Ionia/ Uncertain EL Mysihemihekte 1/24 Stater ND 625-600BC Swastika 4 Quote
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