Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History & Coins

Head of Athena in Corinthian helmet right / ΑΘ/Η, owl standing left within olive wreath. Kroll 50; HGC 4, 1719. 3.43gr, 15mm, 3h.

Very Fine.

Property of a London, UK, private collector.

Head of Athena with profile eye to right, wearing disc earring, pearl necklace and a crested Attic helmet adorned with three olive leaves and a pi-style palmette / Blank. 17.65gr, 28mm, 12h.

Condition as seen.

From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

COR, rudder / Trident. RPC I, 1232; BCD Corinth 514. 2.41gr, 13mm, 2h.

Near Very Fine. Rare.

Property of a North London, UK, gentleman.

Laureate head of Apollo left / square labyrinth. Svoronos 93; SNG Copenhagen 375. 1.96gr. 13mm, 6h.

Very Fine. Very Rare.

Property of a London, UK, private collector.

Head of Perseus to right, wearing Phrygian cap / A-C, warrior (Perseus?) advancing to right, holding harpa(?) and shield. Unpublished type. 2.59gr, 14mm, 12h.

Near Very Fine. Unpublished and possibly unique.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

A new unrecorded type of the coinage of Astypalaia. Similar tiny bronze coins of Aspendos bear also A-C legend and depict an upright figure. However, the fact that this figure is not a slinger but a warrior and the resemblance of the head to that of Perseus of Astypalaian bronzes (cf. HGC 6, 1279), make us therefore attribute this coin to this island. Ιt is uncertain who exactly the figure represents, since several gods were worshipped on the island, as we learn from inscriptions that the ancient city contained many temples.

Bearded head of satyr to left / Π-A-N, head of bull to left. MacDonald 67; SNG BM Black Sea 890-3; HGC 7, -. 3.74gr, 17mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

Acquired on the UK art market, early 2000s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

BACIΛЄധC P[...]OC, diademed and draped bust of Rheskouporis V to right; trident before / Laureate and draped bust of Constantine I to right; eagle on globe before, holding wreath in beak, Δ(?)KX (date) below. Cf. MacDonald 683/1. 7.47gr, 20mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.

Caps of the Dioskouroi surmounted by stars / [ΔI-OΣ]-KOY-PIA-Δ-OΣ, thyrsos. SNG BM Black Sea 1021; SNG Stancomb 638; HGC 7, 205. 4.51gr, 16mm, 7h.

Very Fine.

Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.

Laureate head of Zeus to right / ΑΛΙΑΔΕΩΝ, eagle standing to right on thunderbolt, head to left. For another example cf. Leu Numismatik AG, Web Auction 24, 1280 (attributed to Dia of Bithynia); otherwise unpublished. 6.60gr, 18mm, 12h.

Very Fine. Unique issue of an unrecorded city of Pontos.

Acquired on the European coin market. Property of a Kent, UK, gentleman.

This is not the only case where a coin may be the sole evidence for identifying and preserving the name of an unknown ancient city. The same applies to our coin, which, based on the typology and style of similar types from the regions of Bithynia and Pontus in the late 2nd and 1st centuries B.C., leads us to the possible identification of an unknown city in Pontus named Alias or Aliada (perhaps close to the Halys River in central Minor Asia). We hope that this coin will serve as a reason for further research on the subject.

Draped male bust to right, with bare head and wings at temples / Cornucopia between pilei of the Dioscuri, each with eight-rayed star above; ΑΜΑΣ-ΣΕΙΑΣ across lower fields. SNG Stancomb 655; SNG BM Black Sea 1046-7; HGC 7, 225. 3.89gr, 18mm, 12h.

Good Very Fine.

Property of a UK gallery.

Head of Athena to right, wearing Attic helmet / Perseus standing facing, holding harpa and Medusa's head; Medusa's body at his feet, monogram of MET to left, monogram of ZEA to right. HGC 7, 238. 18.14gr, 29mm, 12h.

Near Very Fine.

Acquired on the German art market before 2000. Private collection, South Germany.

Bust of Amazon right, wearing wolf's scalp / AMI-ΣΟΥ, Nike walking right, holding wreath in right hand, palm over left shoulder. SNG BMC Black Sea 1218-1219; SNG Stancomb 704; SNG Copenhagen 165; SNG von Aulock 66; Waddington Recueil p.56, 38. 8.29gr, 22mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

Property of a London, UK, private collector.