Asia Minor Coins - Photo Gallery

Ancient Greek and Roman coins from Asia Minor


Coin ID #1199

Soloi (BC 385-350) Stater

385-350 BC. AR Stater (10.55g). Helmeted head of Athena right; helmet decorated with a griffin / ΣΟ-ΛΕ-ΩΝ, grape cluster on vine, within incuse square; A-B on either side. Attractively toned, good VF.

The reverse of this Soloi stater ranks among the most inventive of all Greek coinage. On the eareliest coins of Soloi the customary grape cluster was set into an incuse square as was the norm at most mints in the mid-5th century BC. Here we have a much later coin referencing the by-then-obsolete feature by placing the grape cluster in a shallow incuse surrounded by a raised field that is adorned with the ethnic and a vine leaf. To make this uncommon treatment all the more remarkable, the distinction between the raised outer shelf and the sunken square is bridged by a stem that joins the grape cluster to the vine leaf.

File information
Filename:650308.jpg
City/Mint name:Soloi-Pompeiopolis
Rating (1 votes):00000
Keywords:silver / classical
References:SNG Levante 43 (this coin); SNG France 173 (same dies); cf. BMC Lycaonia p. 147, 16; SNG Cop. -; SNG von Aulock 5865 var. (T-I on reverse)
Valuation:CNG Triton VII (1/2004), lot 308 ($1,200 + comm)
Photo courtesy of:Classical Numismatic Group - www.cngcoins.com
Filesize:137 KiB
Date added:Mar 23, 2005
Dimensions:500 x 252 pixels
Displayed:606 times
URL:http://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=1199
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