Medieval Sicily Part 1: The Byzantines
Since ancient times, Sicily has been a cultural melting pot, a junction of Africa and Europe, of West and East. The Byzantines even temporarily moved their capital there.
Tag Archive for: Antiquity
The Laurion silver
But one day, one noon, I believed I had found it. I was at Sounion all by myself; the summerly sun was burning; the wounded pines dripped resin…
80,000 Euros for a work of two Sicilian die cutters
For an impressive amount of money some extraordinary Greek coins were auctioned at Gorny & Mosch’s, Giessener Münzhandlung on October 10. One of them is a remarkable tetradrachm from Syracuse whose story you will read here…
Was king of east Kent son of badger killer?
On 20 December 2012 an exceedingly rare gold coin of the Cantiaci tribe was found south of Canterbury in Kent. The coin is a gold quarter stater attributed to Sego, an elusive king who probably ruled in east Kent shortly after the birth of Christ.
TRAIANUS – OPTIMUS PRINCEPS, DACICVS
In A. D. 107, Rome was celebrating a huge triumph. Emperor Trajan had returned from his successful campaign against the Dacians. Not only coins recall his victory but likewise a tiny emission of rare medallions one of which will be auctioned off as part of sale #224 of Gorny & Mosch to be conducted on 13 October, 2014.
Gallienus and the East
On February 15, 2018, Münzen & Medaillen GmbH offers an impressive series of coins of Gallienus stemming from the Markus Weder collection. Claire Franklin-Werz is telling the story of their historical background.
Heracles the snake-strangler
Herakles strangling the snakes, this subject occurs on the coins of some very important harbor towns of Asia Minor at the same time. This article will explain what’s behind it…
Jersey – the Treasure Island of Celtic Coins
Jersey Post has just issued stamps featuring six iron age coins from a hoard found at Le Catillon, Jersey, in 1957. Celtic coin expert Chris Rudd reveals how it comes that Jersey may truly be called Treasure Island of iron age coins…
The ‘Modest Aphrodite’ from Nysa-Scythopolis (Beth Shean) and Ptolemais (Akko)
A comparison between a statue of Aphrodite found at Beth Shean and a coin type from the mint of Ptolemais reminds us of the realistic nature of statues appearing on city coins.
The Punic Goddess
On Friday, March 13, 2015, Künker auctions off a Siculo-Punic coin with an enigmatic depiction: on the obverse we see a beautiful woman with a Phrygian cap. Is it Dido? Is it Tanit? Or is it perhaps a completely different goddess?
