Watch List notes:

ROMAN COINS

Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. Diassarion (Orichalcum, 27mm, 15.23 g 6), Paphlagonia, Amastris. ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟC ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Marcus Aurelius to left. Rev. ΑΜΑCΤΡΙΑΝΩΝ / ΟΜΗΡΟC The poet Homer seated to right on a low-backed chair, his head turned back to left; before him to right, Artemis holding torch, her head turned to left; to left, Ares (?), standing left, his head turned back to right. Apparently unpublished and seemingly completely unknown. A coin of the highest possible interest, with a fine obverse portrait and a fascinating representation of Homer on the reverse. Golden-brown patina. Good very fine.

Acquired from a collector in southern France in 2012.
This coin appeared as Nomos 12, 165, but was doubted by an expert during the viewing. Thus, it was withdrawn for further study. Since then it has been viewed with great care and has been found to be clearly genuine.

This is one of those extraordinary coins that came out of what can only be described as a "junk box" at a very minor coin show. It has all the appearance of a coin that has been out of the ground for a very long time, very likely centuries. In fact, one could hazard a guess and suggest that its purported place of purchase might indicate that it had once belonged to some erudite 17th or 18th century collector like Peiresc. In any case, while Amastris is well-known for its coins with portraits of Homer on their obverses, this reverse scene is apparently unique (nothing is in the RPC on-line).