Description:

Black Sea Region, Skythia, Olbia cast Æ (2.1 grams). Dolphin. 525 to 350 BCE. Dolphin without inscription. CP. SNG BM Black Sea 334.; Sicily, Kamarina, c. 420 to 410 BCE. Æ Tetras (~7.5 grams). Head of Athena l., wearing crested Corinthian helmet. R/ Owl standing l., grasping lizard. CP. CNS III, 28-35; SNG ANS 1229; HGC 2, 548; and a Roman Limes denarius, Septimius Severus, 145 to 211 CE (3.5 grams).

A diverse group of interesting coins from the ancient Mediterranean. The dolphin coins are incredibly distinctive, and come from Pontic Olbia, a Hellenic city that was one of the major emporia (trading cities) on the Black Sea that allowed trade between Greece and Scythia. The Athena and owl coin comes from the Greek Sicilian city of Kamarina (Camarina), which was founded by the city of Syracuse. The owl is Athena's animal symbol, representing her wisdom. The limes denarius is a fascinating coin because it tells us about the functioning of the Roman economy at its geographic fringes - "limes" were minted either officially or somewhat-officially on the fringes of the Empire in order to pay soldiers on the frontiers - they were made in places far from the usual monetary distribution of the Roman economy.

Provenance: Ex- private collection of James Farmer, Maryland, collected from major galleries and auction houses between 1995 and 2005

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#120389

  • Condition: Dolphin - VF. Sicily - VF. Denarius - VF.

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March 2, 2017 7:00 AM MST
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Artemis Fine Arts

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