Nomos AG
Auction 24 22 May 2022
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ASIA MINOR, Perhaps the area of Caria. Uncertain mint. Earlier 5th century BC. Obol (Silver, 8 mm, 0.90 g, 4 h). Lion's scalp facing; to left, either a retrograde E or part of the lion's mane. Rev. Panther's scalp facing, within shallow incuse square. Klein -; Rosen -; SNG Kayhan -; and seemingly unpublished. Boldly struck, well centered and curiously attractive. Nearly extremely fine.
This curious fraction, which seems to have a male lion's scalp on the obverse and a panther's scalp (or a lioness's) on the reverse, is a typical example of one of the many coins from Asia Minor, which, while clearly legible is, for the modern viewer, unidentifiable. Is it a lion and a panther, a lion and a lioness? Is there an E on the obverse, or is it the lion's mane? Is it from the area of Caria because we find lions on coins there? If any coin deserves further research, this one does!
This curious fraction, which seems to have a male lion's scalp on the obverse and a panther's scalp (or a lioness's) on the reverse, is a typical example of one of the many coins from Asia Minor, which, while clearly legible is, for the modern viewer, unidentifiable. Is it a lion and a panther, a lion and a lioness? Is there an E on the obverse, or is it the lion's mane? Is it from the area of Caria because we find lions on coins there? If any coin deserves further research, this one does!