Zeus
This week I did some track down identification of the ancient Greek Coin I got in 7 years ago in a bargain hodgepodge of unknown coins from eBay. Couldn't find an exact match but I'm pretty sure it should be from one of a thousand city States of the Hellenistic Period of the Greek Empire about 323BC-31 BC similar style coins 150-200BC from Argolis . The eroded but strongly bearded head on (left) with diadem headband matches up with the common image of Zeus used by coin makers of that period (right). It fits in with the size and thickness and cupping of these hand hammered bronze coins of that era.
There are generally considered to be 4 periods of ancient Greek coins. The oldest Archaic ones 8000 BC to 555 BC are smaller, fatter and have minimalistic images of an animal or tool with no script. In the Hellenistic Period after My Alexander the Great Chapter 323BC also fits into the Hellenistic Period and has good references to Zeus. Many coins had rulers depicted with more extensive Greek lettering of people and city names horizontal or vertical. The later Roman Period includes mucho
the reference coin is ...
I believe there is a wreath around the perimeter of the reverse side of my coin common among many examples of coins of this period. Oak and Olive leaves were associated with Zeus. But they could be Laurel associated with victory given to Olympic winners going back centuries, or myrtle associated with the love goddess, or grape or ivy. In the center of the coin I can visualize a hero marching or on horseback moving to the left with his right hand raised holding a wreath of victory. Clearly you can see his fingers. In his left raised hand he has vertical shaft (one section missing) with a banner flapping in the wind. There seems to be an A in the center. On the right side above the N there seems to be a vertical structure, perhaps he's coming through a portal. That's all I've got so far.
An example of a 300bc stater coin above shows one wreath depiction.
On this coin from ... of Zeus God of the Sky, thunder and lightening with his lightening bolt on reverse. You can see the greek symbols ending in omega N or similar to the lettering on my coin. I can't make it out but it could be something like ynN (upsilon pi nu) an abbreviation of the city from which it was minted.
Granted I have grasped at straws here. There are tens of thousands maybe hundreds of thousands of varieties my coin could be. At first I though it was Poseidon, God of the Sea, the elder brother of Zeus as on this coin. Its from 373BC when the ancient Greek city of Helike (Turkey) was obliterated by an earthquake. I thought I saw Poseidon's trident symbols for quite a while on my coin.
The Olive wreath Laurel Wreath on the reverse of my coin is quite distinctive and although I find many examples, I've not found one just like mine. Olives were so important to the Greeks because growing conditions were excellent and there were so many uses from food to oils, lubricant, etc and a commodity for export.
The olive wreath had been a symbol of victory for thousands of years going back to the original olympic games of 8000 bc. Wreaths were also made from Laurel. The gold one pictured is of Myrtle leaves and was found recently in England by a citizen who was cleaning out under the bed of his grandpa who passed away. He was shocked to find out it might be worth $130,000. It apparently went to auction although there was some question as to whether it belonged to the Greek government since it may have come illicitly from the tomb of a Macedonian Princess. Some questions arise about the authenticity of the wreath, the price is dropped, but who really knows.
The gold wreath will be sold even though there is some question of its Greek ori
In other news a guy found a greek coin worth $2 million , maybe mine is also worth big bucks, maybe not.
It's the hunt that is the fun. Or as Aristotle said in 384BC, "It is in our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
I believe many people lump these plants / branches/ leaves wreaths together but there is a distinction with the laurel having alternate pattern of leaves protruding from alternating sides of the branch. Learned in Stumpy School. The experts 25% called the leaves olive and 75% called them laurel on the same coin.
laurel branch has alternate buds/ leaves/fruit alternate leaf patern but appears symetrical when 2 branches are intertwined. You may think it is trivial but It can be an important distinction; for instance one gold laurel leaf from Napoleon's Crown recently sold for $730,000. Napoleon complained had complained the wreath was too heavy and had cut some of the leaves off.
olive branch has opposite buds/ leaves/fruit olive wreath
myrtle branch has opposite buds/leaves/fruit
oak branch has alternate buds/leaves/fruit
grape
ivy
Hand hammered coins in ancient times video.
similar to Eumeneia Phrygia 165BC-33BC Turkey
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