Ancient Greek coins for sale
(including "Oriental Greek": Persis, Parthian, Sasanian, etc.)
Skip down to silver or AE.
TERMS: Prices are in brackets: [$xx]. I accept PayPal and Zelle (which I prefer in the US--here is why) and checks and cash. Postage in the US is $2 for orders up to $25, $3 for orders up to $50, $4 for orders up to $100, and an additional $2 for each hundred thereafter. Much more to other countries. From other countries I prefer Wise. Here is why: http://augustuscoins.com/TW.html . More-detailed terms of sale are here.
After I confirm by e-mail that I still have the coin, you can pay by logging into your account and sending PayPal or Zelle payment to my e-mail address.
To order, or to ask any questions, e-mail me, Warren, at: 
What's new? 2024, Jan. 27: Lovely tiny Aradus. Sear's book, Asia.
2024, Jan. 22: Almost all prices on this page reduced substantially. Sold coins removed entirely.
Go down to: Newest first. Then high quality, then silver, silver fractions, AE, Jewish, Oriental Greek.
Newest:
Cyzicus, silver fraction
c. 480-450 BC
0.68 grams. 9 mm. Obol.
Boar forepart left, tunny upward behind.
Lion's head left in great style.
Sear Greek 3848-50.
Common, but this one is really nice. Well-centered on the flan. Good metal. Excellent style. [$32]
Sasanian. Shapur II. Reigned 309-379. That's long!
He was in charge when Julian II lost his life while invading Mesopotamia.
23-22 mm. Full size and weight, 4.06 grams.
Note: His drachms come in two sizes, larger and thinner, and this size, which is thicker.
Crude pseudo-inscription, which is typical of eastern mints.
Sellwood 32. Gobl 127, plate 8. Amini 393.
[$79, reduced to $75] [As always, compare to the vcoins selection.]
Tiny AE from Aradus, Phoenicia
AE10. 0.77 grams
Marine deity Dagon with wreath
Galley to left with helmsman and waves below
Phoenician letters above.
BMC Phoenicia 83 is similar.
Like Sear Grek 5996 but smaller.
Lindgren and Kovacs 2224 "1.01 grams"
Bought from Dan Clark, Sept. 20, 1980.
Oustanding. Excellent centering. All clear, especially for such a tiny coin. I think I can see Dagon smiling! Rare.
[$135, reduced to $125 SOLD] For a collection with high-quality Greek AE. Small--only 10 mm.
Compare to https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6814215 which cost over $300 and
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7483661 which cost almost $400.
Aspendos
c. 465-430 B.C. The very first issue of Aspendos (Aspendus, Pamphylia, Turkey)
Silver stater. 19-17.5 mm. 10.88 grams.
Very thick (5 mm) archaic flan.
Hoplite warrior with spear and shield right
Triskeles of three human legs running left.
EΣ which abbreviates in Greek the city name in the Pamphylian language--ESTEFΔIIYI (for "Estwediiys")
SNG France 3, #1 (the very first type of Aspendos) c. 465-430 BC.
Sear Greek 5381. A hefty chuck of archaic silver. I find it amazing that you can buy an archaic silver stater from well before 400 BC for only [$87, reduced to $83] $83 for a stater!
Compare to this auction example: https://www.romanumismatics.com/189-lot-317-pamphylia-aspendos-ar-stater?auction_id=46&view=lot_detail
or this one: https://www.romanumismatics.com/189-lot-318-pamphylia-aspendos-ar-stater?auction_id=46&view=lot_detail
Mygdones or Krestones (Thraco-Macedonian tribes)
Previously attributed to Aegae, Thrace
before 490 BC
11 mm. 0.84 grams. Diobol.
Goat left, head back
four-part incuse square
New attribution: Hoover HGC 3.1 #368.
Older attributions: SNG ANS 7 Macedonia 1, plate 3, #65.
Kraay, Archaic and Classical, p. 141 [490]
Sear Greek 1293v (has the goat in the other direction)
ex. F. J. Rath list 1/19/1972, lot 290
and with my ticket. Nicely centered. [$85, reduced to $69, reduced to $65]
Tiny! 7-6 mm and only 0.38 grams.
Hemiobol.
Kolophon, Ionia
Late 6th C. B.C. OLD
Archaic head of Apollo left
Four-part incuse square.
Klein --, 339 is half the weight. SNG Kayhan 342
Sear Greek --. Rosen --, but 386 is half the weight (0.19 grams)
[$45, reduced to $39, reduced to $35] (Compare, as always, to vcoins prices)
A small Greek fraction.
Indo-Greek
27-26 mm.
Kushan Kadphises Ic. 100-127 AD AD
King
Siva and bull
[$85, reduced to $59, reduced to $49]
Quality:
Cilicia, Trasos. Satrap Tiribazos
386-380 BC [Sear]
23x17 mm. 9.00 grams.
Satrap seated right with headdress
His head right in satrapal headdress
TRZ in Aramaic for Tarsos
SNG Burton Berry (1962) 1281 this coin
noted there as unique and previously unpublished
SNG Levante --. SNG France 2 Cilicia --
Everywhere else --
Finally, one has been published in an article in Pangerl's new book 400 years of Hellenist Greek Portraits, page 219-220, coin 19, in "From symbol to likeness: The development of coin portraits in the Graeco-Persian world."
ex Berk with his old ticket.
An extremely early portrait coin. Of great rarity and great SNG pedigree. [$849, reduced to $785 SOLD]. If you like the idea of owning one of the very first portrait coins, consider this one. Pedigree to Burton Berry before 1961-2 when it was published.
A rarity. Very few coins of this king are ever offered:
King Mithrades III of Commagene
20 BC - 12 AD (contemporary of Augustus)
18 mm. 6.94 grams.
crab (probably astrological)
BAME
M•TOY
•M•
(BAsileus)ME(glon)
M(ithradates)TOY
M(ithradates)
Alram 249 page 84.
(Sullivan, on Commagne, gives this to Mithradates II, not III)
BMC -- but has discussion under Galatia of the Kingdom and its concern about astrology
MunzZentrum 73 (1992 April 22) had one, lot 1044 "sehr selten". F. Imhof-Blumer ZfN 1874, page 332. If you want one of each Greek king, here is one of the most obscure Kings and you won't find a portrait piece! (or, any piece at all except this one) [$245, reduced to $225, reduced to $175] Very rare. If you collect one of each Greek king, bookmark this page, look around for a while, and come back when you have convinced yourself you don't find another one.
Panticipaion, Panticapaeum, 4th C. BC. Fabulous Art!
A city on the north Black Sea coast where the Sea of Azov meets the Black Sea.
Spectacular!
First note this coin is 27.7-27.1 mmm, and this type often comes only 24-25 mm. 12.17 grams. Large.
MacDonald 59. Anokhin 110 (only 26 mm.)
Lovely light green patina (slightly darker green than my photo), not tooled or smoothed, as so many of these are, but with some flaking,
Virtually no wear. Nice centering. Full and clear legend. Search auction-results sites and you can see these in the 600-800-euro (+ fees) range.
Look at the portrait of Pan! Artwork worthy of a gold coin. [$395, reduced to $339, reduced to $329 SOLD] Wonderful!
Greek Silver (Larger than hemidrachms. Tiny fractions are further below)
Lucania, Metapontion (Metapontum) c. 340-330 BC.
Silver. 23-20 mm. 7.34 grams.
Head of founder of Metapontion, Leukippos right, helmeted
(Some of this type actually have his name down behind the helmet, but this one does not.)
Ear of grain upright. META up the left.
HN Italy 1555, plate 28.
Sear Greek I --, it would be after 415, page 47.
You can pay 1750 euros as I write for a better one on vcoins. [$195, reduced to $139, reduced to $129]
Lycia, Phaselis. mid 5th C. BC.
13 mm. 3.40 grams.
Prow of galley right, resembling the forepart of a boar.
slender stern of a galley ΦAΣ above (for Phaselis)
all within incuse square
Sear Greek 5330. SNG von Aulock 4995. "5th C."
BMC -- but type resembles #3, plate 16.7 "before c. 466 BC"
Ships! [$159, reduced to $75, reduced to $69 SOLD]
[$85, reduced to $69, reduced to $59 SOLD] Ionia, Miletos.
Tetraobol. 14 mm. 2.365 grams.
Apollo head right, laureate
Lion standing right, looking back
Sear Greek Coins 4513 "75 pounds" (in 1979)
(Compare to the $695 one on vcoins.)
Aspendos, 465-430 BC. Here are a few formerly-rare staters of the first issue from Aspendos in Pamphylia (in Turkey). These are from a recent hoard. The coins are all remarkably thick. Silver staters c. 19 mm and c. 10.8 grams. Did you think you could get a thick stater from c. 465-430 B.C. for under $100? Archaic! Old!
c. 465-430 B.C. The very first issue of Aspendos (Aspendus, Pamphylia, Turkey)
Silver stater. 18 mm. 10.95 grams.
Very thick (5 mm) archaic flan.
Hoplite warrior with spear and shield right
Triskeles of three human legs running right.
SNG France 3, #1 (the very first type of Aspendos) c. 465-430 BC.
Sear Greek 5381. A hefty chuck of archaic silver. I find it amazing that you can buy an archaic silver stater from well before 400 BC for only [$97] $97 for a stater!
Compare to this auction example: https://www.romanumismatics.com/189-lot-317-pamphylia-aspendos-ar-stater?auction_id=46&view=lot_detail
or this one: https://www.romanumismatics.com/189-lot-318-pamphylia-aspendos-ar-stater?auction_id=46&view=lot_detail
I have a web page on this type: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/interesting/triskeles.html
Pamphlyia, Aspendos
465-430 BC
(Later the city has the well-known Slinger and wrestlers type)
Thick silver 20-19 mm. 10.95 grams.
Hoplite warrior right holding spear horizontal and shield in left, turtle between legs
Triskeles (three human legs running)
lion standing left behind lower leg [What an interesting type!]
EΣT which abbreviates in Greek the city name in the Pamphylian language--ESTEFΔIIYI (for "Estwediiys") all well-centered in an incuse square
A very old dumpy thick archaic coin! Very nice triskeles and lion. [$355, reduced to $325]
Satrap of Caria. Hidrieus, 351-344 BC.
12-10 mm. Small coin. 1.71 grams. Hemidrachm.
Mint: Halikarnassos
Apollo head 3/4 facing right
Zeus Labraundos standing right holding labrys (double ax) and spear, to right, downwards letters spelling the satrap's name: IΔPIEΩΣ (barely visible)
Sear Greek 4961 SNG von Aulock 2369 (This bust is better than von Aulock's). Very nice facing bust. [$135, reduced to $79]
Cilicia, obol.
9 mm. 0.50 grams.
Mint city uncertain, possibly Mallos or Tarsos according to Levante
facing female head, slightly left
Bes facing (a remarkably ugly god)
Wikipedia says, "Ancient Egyptian deity worshipped as a protector of households and, in particular, of mothers, children and childbirth. Bes later came to be regarded as the defender of everything good and the enemy of all that is bad."
SNG Levante 233. SNG France 2 (Cilicie) 486.
[$79, reduced to $49, reduced to $39]
Cilicia,
9-8 mm. 0.18 grams. Very small.
Horseman right with cape flying behind
Athena standing right, vertical scepter in left, left arm resting on shield.
SNG Levante 256 is this type but 0.36 grams. "Possibly 4th C. B.C."
Rare [$59, reduced to $29, reduced to $24]
Ionia, Miletos
late 6th - early 5th C. BC
9-8 mm. Small. 1.21 grams.
Lion's head right, roaring.
Stellate pattern.
SNG Turkey I 464. Sear Greek 3552
[$23, reduced to $19, reduced to $17 SOLD]
Caria, uncertain city before 440 BC [Keckman]
confronted foreparts of two bulls
bull forepart left
7 mm. 0.28 grams. Small!
SNG Finland Keckman Karia I 914.
SNG Turkey I 968 "Milesian standard tetartemorion"
Sera Greek -- (might fit after 4949)
Three bulls on one coin! Rough surfaces. [$45, reduced to $29, reduced to $17]
Ionia, uncertain city
7 mm. Silver. 0.36 grams. (Hemiobol)
Helmeted head of Athena right/star of four rays with dots in between
cf.https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ae...mint_circa_350bc_hemiobol/547339/Default.aspx
See also Gorny & Mosch 176 lot 1246.
[$15, reduced to $11]
Uncertain Lycian Dynast
10 mm. Small. 0.56 grams.
ex Hirsch auction 205, 22-25 Sept. 1999, lot 408
PR 102 DM. "RRRR" "480-440 BC"
Very weak lion's scalp facing(?)
head in crested Corinthian helmet right
[$75, reduced to $49] Illustrated auction pedigree to 1999. In the US only I'll include the Hirsch auction-sale catalog which illustrates this coin and has over 1000 ancient coins and some antiquities]
Greek AE:
Ionia, Chios.
31 mm. Halved in antiquity.
Sphinx right
Time of Trajan or Hadrian (98-138). Ae Triassarion. Obv: ΤΡΙΑ ΑССΑΡΙΑ [Much off this half flan]. Sphinx seated right, resting forepaw upon prow to right. Rev: Asklepios on right [off the flan], leaning upon serpent-entwined staff, and Dionysios, pouring cantharus and holding thyrsus, standing facing; altar between them; star in exergue. cf RPC III 1907. The halved coin has far more lettering, so the RPC number is not right. It is much like Hunter 221.6284 which has bad style.
PRs for the full type are up to $2300 and often c. $400.
Being halved is interesting. If the denomiantion was too large, cut it in half! However, it reduces the value, so the price reflects that. [SOLD]
Carteia, Spain
1st C. B.C.
Looks like spikey hair, but is probably a turretted crown.
18 mm. 4.71 grams.
Cupid riding right on a dolphin. DD below.
RPC I 116.
Cute head [$19, reduced to $16 SOLD]
Thessalian League (Confederacy)
late second - early first century BC
AE. 19 mm.
Head of Apollo rt.
Athena standing right with spear and shield
The coin is darker and more even brown bronze colored than the photo.
[$15, reduced to $11 SOLD]
Thessalian League (Confederacy)
Late second - early first century B.C.
18 mm.
Head of Apollo rt.
Athena standing right with spear and shield
Hoover 225
Much darker color, evenly, than the photo [$24, reduced to $15 SOLD]
[$35, reduced to $19, reduced to $17 SOLD] Lovely patina.
Seleucid King Alexander II Zabinas BCE 128-122
Hoover 1178 (R2!)
SC 2243
16 mm. Small "bottlecap" flan. (Ragged is intentional)
Elephant head right/eagle standing left
[$59, reduced to $33, reduced to $29] Lokri-Epizephyrii, Bruttium, Italy c. 300-268 BC
a colony of Corinth
17 mm.
Athena helmeted left
winged thunderbolt
ΛOKPΩN
filleted thyrsus (Staff of Dionysos or his followers)
Sear Greek --, SNG Copenhagen I Italy 1174
none on vcoins as I write.
Jewish:
Oriental Greek
Parthian
[sold]
Persis
Five coins of Persis, a kingdom in southern Iran at the time of the Parthians.
See my site for more about it: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Persis/.
There is an excellent very well-illustrated book on its coins by van't Haaff which is free in pdf form at the CNG site:
https://cngcoins.com/Digital+Publications+Archive.aspx
Persis
Persis, Darius I a.k.a Darayan I
First century BC
Drachm. 4.17 grams.
Bearded head right
Fire altar
Alram 551 as "unknown King I" (which some scholars still prefer) but reattributed to
Darius I (Darayan I) by van't Haaff, 557.
[$249, reduced to $195, reduced to $175]
Persis. Darius II (Darayan II)
First century BC
17 mm. 3.93 grams.
His bust left
Fire altar on left, king facing it on right, inscription in Aramaic in a square around.
van't Haaff 564.1-2. Alram 564. Sear Greek 6206
Well-centered portrait. Big nose! [$149, reduced to $119, reduced to $99 SOLD]
Persis. King Vahsir (son of Darius II)
Obol. 9 mm. 0.60 grams.
Bust of king left, monogram behind
Fire altar
van't Haaff 584, Alram 584. Sear Greek --
[$69, reduced to $49, reduced to $39]
Persis. King Pakor
Obol. 11 mm. 0.62 grams.
His bust left
triskeles and legend
van't Haaff 598. Sear Greek Imperial -- but cf. 5943
[$59, reduced to $45, reduced to $37 SOLD]
Persis. "Prince Y"
Obol. 11-10 mm. 1.05 grams.
His bust left
diadem
van't Haaff 619.1
Sear Greek Imperial 5956
None on vcoins or MA-Shops.
Nicely centered and toned [$95, reduced to $59, reduced to $49]
Sasanian and related types:
Sasanian style coin
Copper. 25 mm. 2.26 grams.
I don't have a ID for it. I hope someone is an expert on Sasanian and related coins and actually knows what it is in detail.
Very rare. The coin is slightly darker, more toned, in color than the photo.
[$95, reduced to $55, reduced to $39 SOLD]
20 mm. 1.58 grams.
I bought it as an oddity in 2009 from David Liebert of the Time Machine.
I have been told by an expert it is Gobl Em. 263 (Gobl's example is holed and filled), a Khusro I imitation, heavily clipped. I hope you know more than I do about it!
Mitchner Islam --, Mitchner ACW --
[$39, reduced to $22, reduced to $19] (much less than I paid for it in 2009)
Sasanian King Ardashir I (224-241), AE 8 chalkoi.
AE 27 mm. 9.40 grams
Ardashir facing his son Shapur I
Fire altar
Göbl, VII/220 "unit". Mitchner ACW, 807-808; Sellwood 11. Very rare.
Two on vcoins as I write, each much less nice, at $295 and $345. A third in terrible shape with no facial details at all, at $125. Better than any acsearch example for details, especially the portraits, and with lots of corrosion which other examples also have.
This one. Rare. [$185, reduced to $125 SOLD] The New York Sale "Sunrise" example in F without corrosion was estimated at $1000.
Compare with
https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/cyrus_coins/28/product/item_20190_sasanian_ancient_persia_ardeshir_ardashir_i_ad_224242_rare_ae8units_gobl_type_vii2_paruck_63_saeedi_76_sunrise_727_very_fine/1324610/Default.aspx?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_03_12_twih_COPY_02)
Sasanian King Shapur II, 309-379
(Julian II died during a battle against him)
22 mm. The smaller size. 3.69 grams. Drachm.
Bust right.
Fire altar and two attendants.
Sellwood 28. Gobl 14.
[$75, reduced to $55, reduced to $49]
Sasanian King Peroz = Firuz. 459-484
27 mm. 4.13 grams.
Third crown, 467-484
Mint WH = VH = Veh Ardashir = Seleucia
Sellwood 49, page 127. Gobl 51.
Boldly struck with fewer weak spots than most. Nicely centered.
A very nice example. [$59, reduced to $43, reduced to $39]
Sasanian King Khavad I, 488-496 and 498-531,Second reign.
27 mm. 3.57 grams. Double border on reverse
Mint mint be Ray (Sellwood 52)
The date mint be "4" but see Sellwood page 38ff.
Gobl 189-190
Peus auction catalog 363 (Gobl collection) type of #5311
Types with a double border are unusual. [$85, reduced to $63, reduced to $59]
Hephthelite Huns
25 mm. 2.65 grams.
c. late 5th - early 6th century
Mitchner ACW 1451-1452 have different contermarks
Markov said the countermarks are the "Chaganian tamgha" and a Baktrian word "choko" or "chono". See the Asian coin website under Peroz.
Cites Gobl Hunnen 283 variety.
[$79, reduced to $47, reduced to $44]
[See some near the top of this page]
Bukhara, Kingdom of Sogdiana
25 mm. Thin like a Sasanian drachm.
c. 8th C.
Calif al Mahdi
Mitchner 1395 "AH 158-169" AD 770-785
Bokharin style bust right with Bokharan legend in Sogdian script
Bunar Hub k'ay
(Great Lord of Bukhara)
Stylized fire altar and attendents (imitating Sasanian types)
[$49. reduced to $37, reduced to $35]
Hephthalite. 1/4 drachm. Some call it a half, but it is both lighter and baser than their drachms.
"c. 460-560/576" according to Mitchner ACW page 232
AE16. 1.82 grams. (Not super thin.)
Napki Malik type.
Bust right/a few dots and lines
Rare. [$25, reduced to $20, reduced to $17]
Mitchner 1495
Hephthalite. 1/4 drachm. Some call it a half, but it is both lighter and baser than their drachms.
"c. 460-560/576" according to Mitchner ACW page 232
AE16-15. 1.43 grams.
Napki Malik type.
Bust right/a few dots and lines
Rare. Black. Good for type. The reverse, which is degenerate, is far bolder and better than most. The obverse looks like the usual drachm, but this is much smaller. [$39, reduced to $29, reduced to $24]
Mitchner 1495
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