Le più belle rappresentazioni di guerrieri

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 150	Auction date: 2 December 2024
Lot number: 548 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Selinus Tetradrachm circa 440, AR 29 mm, 17.34 g. ΣΕΛ – ΙΝ – ΟΝΤ – ΙΟΣ Slow quadriga l. in which stand Apollo and Artemis, respectively shooting arrow and holding reins. Rev. ΣΕΛ – Ι – NΟ – Σ The river-god Selinos, naked, standing l. holding branch and pouring libation over garlanded altar, in front of which stands cockerel; in r. field, statue of bull standing l. on platform set upon stepped block; above, Selinon leaf. Rizzo pl. 31, 13. C. Boehringer, Konkordanz, 8. Schwabacher 4. SNG Lloyd 1222 (these dies). Rare and in superb condition for this difficult issue. Struck on a very large flan and exceptionally complete. Superb iridescent tone and extremely fine Ex Giessener Münzhandlung 33, 1986, 37 and Nomos 25, 2022, 43 sales. The close relationship between the Classical period coinage of Selinus and Himera has not escaped notice, as it seems to provide evidence of ties between these two cities, despite their locations on opposite shores of Sicily. We can recognise a general similarity between the tetradrachms of these cities: both have a chariot scene on the obverse and a sacrifice scene on the reverse. We can also see that a cock, the badge of Himera, has been incorporated into the design of this magnificent Selinus tetradrachm; indeed, it enjoys as prominent a position as the Selinon leaf, which was the canting type for Selinus. The solidarity of these Greek cities dates back to at least 480 B.C., when Himera and Selinus alone supported the Carthaginians against Acragas, who was a troublesome rival to both. It is a curious, yet typically Greek Sicilian twist of fate that Himera and Selinus were both destroyed by Carthage in 409 B.C. The chariot scene is atypical in that it includes two deities – in this case the sibling gods Apollo and Artemis. Artemis drives the quadriga as her twin brother Apollo draws his bow; the choice of this type is hardly surprising since Apollo was the deity of choice at Selinus, which had a massive temple dedicated to the god on its eastern hill. The reverse shows the river-god Selinus holding a lustral branch of purification as he strides toward a garlanded altar to sacrifice from a patera (for four interesting varieties, see Kraay- Hirmer nos. 186, 188-190). We are fortunate that the inscription names Selinus, who otherwise might be mistaken for Apollo. In addition to the aforementioned cock and Selinon leaf, there is also a bull upon a monumental base. Were it not for the fact that the base differs so greatly from one die to the next, we might presume that it was a local monument; but the inconsistent presentation virtually rules out that possibility. A. H. Lloyd, in his study of the coin types of Selinus in the 1935 Numismatic Chronicle, identifies the statue as the brazen bull of Phalaris in which Phalaris of Acragas (tyrant c. 570- 549 B.C.) is said to have roasted his enemies alive. Since Himera was one of the important acquisitions of Phalaris in his quest to become tyrant of Sicily, Lloyd considered this type to represent the longstanding friendship between Himera and Selinus. Estimate: 35000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: SCENA DI LIBAGIONE CON UN GIOVANE UOMO (APOLLO?) CHE VERSA IL CONTENUTO DI UNA PHIALE SU DI UN ALTARE

 

Modificato 6 Novembre da King John

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 150	Auction date: 2 December 2024
Lot number: 855 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Antoninus Pius augustus, 138 – 161 Medallion 151-152, Æ 35 mm, 35.23 g. ANTONINVS AVG – PIVS P P TR P XV Laureate head r. Rev. Heracles standing facing, grabbing Antaeus with his two hands and lifting him off the ground; in r. field, rocky ground and in l. field, club, lion-skin and quiver close to a tree. C –. Gnecchi –. Toynbee –. Apparently unique and unrecorded. A very interesting and appealing reverse composition. Brown tone gently smoothed, otherwise good very fine Privately purchased from Edward J. Waddell. From the Dr. Briggs Braillar collection. On the reverse of this unique medallion is illustrated the fight between Hercules and Antaeus. A giant of Libya and the son of Poseidon and Gaia (the earth goddess), Antaeus would challenge travelers to wrestling matches, easily killing his opponents and collecting their bones to construct a temple to his father. Antaeus had defeated most of his opponents until it came to his fight with Hercules. He met him during his way to the Garden of Hesperides to complete his eleventh labor. Upon finding that he could not beat Antaeus by throwing him to the ground as he would reheal due to his parentage (Gaia), Hercules discovered the secret of his power. Holding Antaeus aloft, Hercules crushed him in a bearhug. Estimate: 7500 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: Monumento ad Ercole ed Anteo. Il Monumento è opera dell'artista fiammingo Teodoro Vanderstruck e risale agli anni tra il 1684 e 1687. Pensato originariamente per ornare la vasca collocata davanti a Palazzo Ducale, in realtà venne più volte trasferito fino all'attuale collocazione all'interno della Casa della Musica. Una copia della statua è posta a ridosso della facciata posteriore del Municipio . Il Monumento originale è realizzato in rame ed è noto anche con il nome dialettale parmigiano " I du Brasè". Rappresenta l'unico statua rimasta tra quelle che si trovavano all'interno del Giardino Ducale dei Farnese

Modificato 7 Novembre da King John

[King John]

Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 572	Auction date: 9 October 2024
Lot number: 207 Price realized: 120 USD   (Approx. 109 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: SICILY, Gela. Circa 208-200 BC. Æ Hemilitron (19.5mm, 6.08 g, 12h). Wreathed head of Gelas right / Antiphemos standing right, holding sword, about to sacrifice ram leaping right; H to left. Jenkins, Gela, Group XIVa, 558; BAR Issue 1; CNS 69; HGC 2, 385. Rough dark green-brown patina, cleaning scratches. VF. Rare. Ex Musa Numismatic Art inventory 14212 (ND); Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 494 (23 June 2021), lot 18; Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 360 (30 September 2015), lot 5; CNG Inventory 712059 (April 1999). Estimate: 100 USD

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 149	Auction date: 2 December 2024
Lot number: 25 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: The Seleucid kings. Antiocus I Soter, 281 – 261 Tetradrachm, Sardes circa 281-268, AR 26 mm, 13.21 g. Diademed, horned head of Seleucus I r. Rev. BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ – ANTIOXOΥ Horned horse head r. In r. field, two monograms. WSM 1359 (these dies). SC 322. Of the highest rarity, the second known and the only one in private hands. A portrait of excellent style struck in high relief. Surface somewhat porous and areas of corrosion, otherwise good very fine Seleucus I Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid dynasty and architect of an empire spanning from Asia Minor in the west to the borders of India in the east was struck down by the assassin's blade in 281 BC, leaving his son Antiochus I Soter to succeed him. Although Antiochus I had ruled alongside his father since 294 BC and was well known in the Upper Satrapies, he was more of an unknown quantity in the west. Thus, upon news of Seleucus' death, the cities of Syria Seleucis took the opportunity to rise up in revolt while Ptolemy II Philadelphus lay claim to parts of southern Asia Minor. Antiochus I seems to have quickly put out the fires in Syria and asserted his royal legitimacy in western Asia Minor, but he soon faced the new and major menace posed by the Galatians. These fearsome Celtic warriors had burst into Macedonia around 280 BC and after a failed attempt to sack Delphi in 278 crossed the Hellespont to serve as mercenaries for Nicomedes I of Bithynia. Once they had served their purpose in Nicomedes' army, in 277 BC they took to roaming western Asia Minor and extorting protection money from the cities-something that was very detrimental to the Seleucid royal economy. After years of Galatian terror and the inability of the king to contain it, Antiochus I defeated the Celtic marauders using war elephants in a celebrated battle that may have taken place around 269/8 BC. In gratitude, the cities subsequently hailed Antiochus I as Soter ("Savior"). At the same time that western Anatolia was being ravaged by the Galatians, Ptolemy II made a second attempt to seize Seleucid possessions. By the time the First Syrian War (274-271 BC) was over, Ptolemy II had taken parts of Caria, Cilicia, and Pamphylia from Antiochus I, but the bulk of the Seleucid kingdom remained intact under his authority. This began to change in 263 BC, as Eumenes I, a Pergamene dynast whose father had previously been loyal to Seleucus I sought independence and successfully detached much of northwestern Asia Minor. Antiochus I did not live long enough to try and reclaim it. He died in 261 BC at the age of 64. Estimate: 2500 CHF

[santone]

Sempre belle le protomi equine

[King John]

Astarte S.A. > Auction 23	Auction date: 28 October 2024
Lot number: 329 Price realized: 1,100 CHF   (Approx. 1,270 USD / 1,172 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Egypt. Alexandria. Hadrian, 117-138 AD. Tetradrachm (Billon, 23.41 mm, 13.22 g). Dated Λ ΔEKATOY = year 10 (125 / 126 AD) ΑΥΤ KAI TPAIA AΔPIA CEB Laureate, cuirassed and draped bust of Hadrian right, seen sideways from the back. Rev. L ΔE KATOY ( = year 120) The snakes Agathodaemons with "pshent" crown (left) and Uraeus with "basileon" or Isiac crown (right), both on the exergual line, erect and facing; in the folds of their tails, the first holds a caduceus (symbol of Hermanubis) and the second a sistrum (the emblem of Isis). Vogt I, p. 101. Vogt II, p. 48. BMC 668. Geissen 894-895. Dattari-Savio 7508 (same die). RPC III 5596.45, this specimen. Emmett 804. Staffieri, G. M., Alexandria in Nummis, pp.121-122 and 342-343, Muzzano 2017. Cf. Savio, Tetradrammi alessandrini, pp 77-81. Extremely Fine with high definition of details. Ex Numismatica Aretusa SA, (Franco Chiesa)1981. Tetradrachm minted with this reverse only in the tenth year of Hadrian's reign. The imperial portrait is of high artistic quality and certifies the serene majesty of the sovereign. The reverse refers to the Egyptian mythology of the facing pair of snakes: on the left the peaceful male Agazhodaermon sacred to Zeus-Sarapis and on the right the combative Pharaonic female Uraeus sacred to Isis which, together, indicate well-being and political stability, as well as fertility. In this rare example reported only by Dattari-Savio, the tails of the two snakes extend beyond the exergual line, accentuating the perspective and three-dimensionality of the scene. Starting price: 150 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: Agathos Daimon depicted in the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Alexandria, Egypt I greci tenevano l'effigie dell'Agathodaimon (o Agathos Daimon, in greco: ἀγαθός δαίμων, "demone buono") nelle loro case come buon auspicio poiché era il genio buono. Il termine greco del demone è molto diverso da quello cattolico. Un dáimōn, (essere divino) si trova a metà strada fra ciò che è divino e ciò che è umano e spesso ha funzione di intermediario tra i due. Nella mitologia dell'Antica Grecia era considerato una divinità protettrice del grano, dei vigneti e pure delle città. Fu presente anche nella mitologia romana soprattutto nella veste di genius loci, venendo associato anche alla fortuna, alla salute e alla saggezza. La sua effigie era un piccolo serpente con la testa coronata e la coda con un fiore di loto, oppure come giovane che reggeva la cornucopia in una mano e nell'altra un mazzo di spighe e papaveri. Agatodemonisti erano chiamati dai romani la gente che non beveva vino mescolato ad acqua, a miele, essenze ecc. come facevano solitamente i Romani (romanoimpero.it).

Modificato 16 Novembre da King John

[santone]

Bel ritratto dell'imperatore Adriano 

[King John]

Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 150	Auction date: 2 December 2024
Lot number: 636 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction
Lot description: Phaestus Stater circa 300-270, AR 26 mm, 11.06 g. TA – Λ – ΩΝ retrograde Naked Talos, with spread wings, standing facing and holding stone in each hand. Rev. ΦΑΙΣ – ΤΙΩ – Ν retrograde Bull advancing r. Svoronos, Créte, –. Le Rider, Monnaies Crétoises, –. Kraay-Hirmer pl. 167, 551 (this coin). Apparently unique. An issue of tremendous importance and fascination struck on exceptionally fresh metal and with a wonderful iridescent tone. Minor areas of weakness, otherwise good extremely fine Ex Hess-Leu 11, 1959, 230 and Glendining's & Baldwin 10 December 1986, Knoepke, 227 sales. From the Michel Eddé (1928-2019) collection. In the early history of the Greeks the island of Crete was of great importance: not only did tradition identify it as the birthplace of Zeus, but the island's Minoan culture was one of the earliest literate civilizations of Greece. Unfortunately, the early Minoan culture had suffered nearly complete destruction by 1200 B.C. and the island never recovered its former Bronze Age glory. Even after Greece emerged from its Dark Age, Crete was underdeveloped. Indeed, the Cretans did not strike their first coins until at least a century after their trading partners in Central Greece. With a distinctive culture and relative isolation, however, it was certain that when the Cretans began to produce coinage, something intriguing would result. Probably the main reason the Cretans had not issued coins earlier in their history was because they had no indigenous sources of gold and silver so they had to rely entirely on external sources. Before the time of Alexander III the main supply of coin silver was the 'turtles' of Aegina, the powerful maritime state which had established a colony on Crete at Cydonia. Most early Cretan coins are overstruck on Aegina 'turtles' and then later Cretan coins often are overstruck on the earlier Cretan coins, thus producing a third generation of coinage from one planchet. In this respect Crete was truly an island economy, as there was intensive recycling of coinage and little evidence for the export of its own coin types. With the decline of Aegina, and the rise of the Macedonian Kingdom under Philip II and Alexander III, many new coin types were imported to Crete. Fuelled by a need to replace the dwindling supply of 'turtles', and inspired by the return of Cretan mercenaries from abroad with pay in hand, Crete was poised for a quantum leap in its coinage. The most prolific Cretan issues were struck at 28 mints in the period 330-280/70 B.C., made possible by the campaigns of Alexander and the wars of his successors, all of which provided wealth and opportunity for Cretan mercenaries. Many Cretan issues are either remarkably original or blatantly imitative of other Greek coins. The level of artistry employed varied so greatly as to contain true masterpieces and barbaric atrocities with inscriptions that often are retrograde. This is equalled in no other area of Greek numismatics and is one of the most engaging aspects of the island's coinage. The most remarkable engraving on Crete was done for the city of Phaestus, which produced a series of tetradrachms of great artistry and typology during the first 50 years of the Hellenistic period. The reverses – as here – usually show a bull, but the obverses depict a variety of subjects, including Heracles seated or attacking the Lernean Hydra, the local hero Velchanus seated, and a naked, winged male figure (Talus) holding two round stones, one of which he prepares to hurl. Talus was a fearsome, winged creature made of bronze who circled the island three times a day in performing his duty to Zeus, who had sent him there to protect Europa. When Talus encountered anyone attempting to land on the island he would capture them and subject them to a fire, into which he would willingly leap, deriving great pleasure in the pain he caused. Though usually successful in his efforts, when he tried to prevent the Argonauts from landing Talus perished, either from the use of witchcraft or a well-aimed arrow from the bow of Heracles. Estimate: 150000 CHF ILLUSTRAZIONE: scena su un cratere attico a volute raffigurante Medea che assiste alla morte del gigante Talos, l'ultimo degli uomini di bronzo, soggiogato da Castore e Polluce

[santone]

Entrambi belli 

[King John]

Minted in Phiastos, Crete c. 300-250 BC, this bronze coin shows the giant Talos hurling a stone in his right hand and holding another in his left. On the other side is the inscription ΦΑΙC−ΤΙΩΝ with Laelaps, the Golden Hound of Crete, catching the scent of its quarry.

Modificato Martedì alle 12:55 da King John

[King John]

[VALTERI]

Una attraente figura di una delle mitiche guerriere, le Amazzoni, rappresentata in ginocchio, con arco e faretra : da uno statere di Soloi di Cilicia con al rovescio l' emblematico grappolo di uva, che passerà il prossimo 7 Dicembre in REX Num, 15 al n. 201 .

E' l' occasione per rinnovarti @King John i miei complimenti per la Tua lunga, sempre interessante fatica .

 

[King John]

@VALTERI grazie per i complimenti ma è un piacere troppo grande esplorare insieme le infinite raffigurazioni riportate sulle monete antiche.

Proseguiamo adesso con il tema delle Amazzoni.

 

Heritage World Coin Auctions > Dallas Signature Sale 3119	Auction date: 1 November 2024
Lot number: 31056 Price realized: 1,700 USD   (Approx. 1,566 EUR)   Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees.
Lot description: Ancients LESBOS. Mytilene. Ca. 412-378 BC. EL sixth-stater or hecte (11mm, 2.60 gm, 5h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 5/5. Head of Ares right, bearded, wearing helmet decorated with griffin / Helmeted head of Amazon right; in linear square, all within incuse square. Bodenstedt 65. HGC 6, 991. Well-centered obverse strike on a buttery flan. ILLUSTRAZIONE: Bottom register of a red-figure lekythos. This scene depicts the Greeks, led by Theseus, engaged in combat with the Amazons led by Queen Hippolyte. Attributed to the Eretria Painter, c. 420 BCE. Attica. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

[santone]

Bella rappresentazione

[VALTERI]

L' immagine di amazzonomachia del Tuo precedente post @King John , da un piccolo, vecchio libro ( Mondadori 1956 ) .