DOI issue:
Artykuły / Articles
DOI article:Stancomb, William M.: Some rare or unpublished coins from the North Black Sea
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22230#0053
SOME RARE OR UNPUBLISHED COINS FROM THE NORTH BLACK SEA
rect for her type 33. 3, but not this coin, which on closer examination shows: Oby.
Head of Demeter r. wearing com wreath. Rev. Flaming torch; T-Y-P-A as above.
Demeter and the flaming torch types are known elsewhere on the west coast.10
SCILURUS 3. (PI. 1, Fig. 3)
c. 130-120 B.C.
Obv. Head of Apollo laur. diademed r.
Rev. Lyre; to r„ [B]AXIAEQ[Z]; to 1., SKIAOYP[OY]; below lyre, [OA?].1!
AE. xii 3.29 g
The placing of the civic name OA under the lyre is uncertain due to the corro-
sion in this area of the coin.
Frolova published the coins of the Scythian king Sciluras in 1964 and 1995.12
But here we see a type not in Frolova in which Apollo is shown as both laureate
and diademed with long ribbons behind his head. Overall, the coin is not that well
preserved but the details are elear enough and it belongs to the smallest denomina-
tions of this regal series. As with all the coins of Scilurus, these coins were struck
at Olbia. My attention has been drawn to a further example in a recent publication
by Anokhin where there is a further example with different dies (578).13 No 577 in
Anohkin’s catalogue is the Rauch coin as above.
APOLLO-ASANDER, struck at PANTICAPEUM 4. (PI. 1, Fig. 4)
c. 49/48-21/20 B.C.
Obv. Head of Apollo-Asander laur. diademed r.
Overstruck on Pontic coin (Amisus?), advancing Nike type not visible cf. SNG BM1 1177-1191.
Rev. Pegasus feeding 1.; nANTIKA HAITQN; in border of dots.
Overstruck on Pontic type with tracę of the Medusa aegis visible.
AE. xi 6.41 g.
This coin is included because firstly it has double “attributes” as does the
Scilurus coin above, Apollo being both laureate and diademed. Secondly, be-
cause it is unusually sharp for this series where all specimens are usually weakly
10 For similar examples, cf. D. DRAGANOV, XIV International Numismatic Congress, Glasgow 2009,
Poster, “The Coinage of the Scythian Kings in the West Pontic Area; Iconography”, Kanites 11 head of Demeter
r. / flaming torch and com ear; Aelis 43 the same. Kanites 12 and 14 show Demeter and Korę r. / two torches
(unlit); between, corn ear.
11 Rauch 23.1.04, no 909.
12 N.A. FROLOVA, “Monety skifskogo tsarya Skilura”, Sovetskaya arkeologiya, 1964:1, pp. 44^15; later
edition in English [“The Coins of the Scythian king Scilurus”] in Essays on the Northern Black Sea Region
Numismatics, Odessa 1995, pp. 17-40.
13 V.A. ANOKHIN, Antichnye monety Severnogo PrichernomoNya, Kiev, 2011, no 577 (our coin) and no
578 new. I have only seen a photocopy of the relevant page.
rect for her type 33. 3, but not this coin, which on closer examination shows: Oby.
Head of Demeter r. wearing com wreath. Rev. Flaming torch; T-Y-P-A as above.
Demeter and the flaming torch types are known elsewhere on the west coast.10
SCILURUS 3. (PI. 1, Fig. 3)
c. 130-120 B.C.
Obv. Head of Apollo laur. diademed r.
Rev. Lyre; to r„ [B]AXIAEQ[Z]; to 1., SKIAOYP[OY]; below lyre, [OA?].1!
AE. xii 3.29 g
The placing of the civic name OA under the lyre is uncertain due to the corro-
sion in this area of the coin.
Frolova published the coins of the Scythian king Sciluras in 1964 and 1995.12
But here we see a type not in Frolova in which Apollo is shown as both laureate
and diademed with long ribbons behind his head. Overall, the coin is not that well
preserved but the details are elear enough and it belongs to the smallest denomina-
tions of this regal series. As with all the coins of Scilurus, these coins were struck
at Olbia. My attention has been drawn to a further example in a recent publication
by Anokhin where there is a further example with different dies (578).13 No 577 in
Anohkin’s catalogue is the Rauch coin as above.
APOLLO-ASANDER, struck at PANTICAPEUM 4. (PI. 1, Fig. 4)
c. 49/48-21/20 B.C.
Obv. Head of Apollo-Asander laur. diademed r.
Overstruck on Pontic coin (Amisus?), advancing Nike type not visible cf. SNG BM1 1177-1191.
Rev. Pegasus feeding 1.; nANTIKA HAITQN; in border of dots.
Overstruck on Pontic type with tracę of the Medusa aegis visible.
AE. xi 6.41 g.
This coin is included because firstly it has double “attributes” as does the
Scilurus coin above, Apollo being both laureate and diademed. Secondly, be-
cause it is unusually sharp for this series where all specimens are usually weakly
10 For similar examples, cf. D. DRAGANOV, XIV International Numismatic Congress, Glasgow 2009,
Poster, “The Coinage of the Scythian Kings in the West Pontic Area; Iconography”, Kanites 11 head of Demeter
r. / flaming torch and com ear; Aelis 43 the same. Kanites 12 and 14 show Demeter and Korę r. / two torches
(unlit); between, corn ear.
11 Rauch 23.1.04, no 909.
12 N.A. FROLOVA, “Monety skifskogo tsarya Skilura”, Sovetskaya arkeologiya, 1964:1, pp. 44^15; later
edition in English [“The Coins of the Scythian king Scilurus”] in Essays on the Northern Black Sea Region
Numismatics, Odessa 1995, pp. 17-40.
13 V.A. ANOKHIN, Antichnye monety Severnogo PrichernomoNya, Kiev, 2011, no 577 (our coin) and no
578 new. I have only seen a photocopy of the relevant page.