Bust of Athena right / Owl standing left

24mm, 17.11g

Obverse description: Head of Athena (goddess of wisdom) right, wearing earring, necklace and crested Attic helmet decorated with olive leaves.
Reverse description: Owl standing right, head facing, closed tail feathers; olive sprig and crescent to left, AOE to right; all within incuse square.

Attica is a historical region of Greece that encompasses the city of Athens. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Sea, bordering on Boeotia to the north and Megaris to the west.

The Athenian ‘owl’ silver tetradrachm is one of the most influential coins of all time. During the 5th Century BC, when Athens emerged as the greatest of all Greek cities ‘owls’ were the most widely used international coin and helped spread Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean world. The peak of Athens success, between 510-400 BC, witnessed the birth of democracy, construction of the Parthenon, pinnacle of Classical art and the origins of Western literature. Never before or since has one city contributed so much to human progress.

The post Attica Athens 454-404 BC Silver Tetradrachm appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Roaring lion head, sun above / 2 Incuse squares

11mm, 4.71g

NGC graded and encapsulated XF (Extremely Fine)

The post Lydia Alyattes 600-561 BC Electrum Third Stater Graded by NGC (XF/EF) appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Alexander right / Zeus enthroned

17mm, 4.12g

Alexander III of Macedon, known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of twenty and spent most of his ruling years on an extensive military campaign through Asia and north east Africa, creating one of the largest empires of the ancient world by thirty years of age. It stretched from Greece to north western India. Alexander was undefeated in battle and is considered one of the most successful military commanders throughout history.

The post Macedon Alexander III The Great 336-323 BC Silver Drachm Posthumous Issue appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Ptolemy VIII 146-116 BC Silver Tetradrachm

Diademed bust right/ Eagle standing left

24mm, 13.60g

This coin comes from the Cambridge collection of Ancient Greek Coinage. This extensive collection was formed over 40 years by a couple who shared their passion for classical history, carefully collecting as many known types as were available, spending hours labelling each coin and fitting it in to their collection. The kingdom of Ancient Greece is not easy to understand but illustrated with these wonderful coins a map emerges and being so beautiful in their design, they are a pleasure to handle. As with any collection the time comes where it must be passed on and in this case the collectors decided to sell each coin individually to give the next generation of enthusiasts the opportunity to select pieces for their own collections. Many of the coins have previous labels.

The post Ptolemaic Egypt Ptolemy VIII 146-116 BC Silver Tetradrachm appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Alexander right / Zeus enthroned

23mm, 17.13g

Alexander III of Macedon, known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of twenty and spent most of his ruling years on an extensive military campaign through Asia and north east Africa, creating one of the largest empires of the ancient world by thirty years of age. It stretched from Greece to north western India. Alexander was undefeated in battle and is considered one of the most successful military commanders throughout history.

The post Macedon Alexander III The Great 336-323 BC Silver Tetradrachm Posthumous Issue appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Europa with flowing veil, riding a bull to the left, with two dolphins below. Reverse: K-N/Ω/ΣI/ΩN, labyrinth, star above. Svoronos, Crète

Extremely Rare

20mm, 4.07g

An important piece from the classical world, any coins depicting the labyrinth are rare but to find one in this condition with this level of detail is a once in a lifetime event.

Ex Apollo to Apollo Collection; ex Kölner Münzkabinett Auktion 103, 2015, Los 23; ex Auktion Schulten, Köln 11.04.1988, Lot 123.

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A detailed depiction of the Labyrinth of Knossos, built by the ingenious Attic inventor Daedalus for the Cretan King Minos to house the Minotaur. The latter—half man, half bull—was the result of the forbidden union between a bull and Queen Pasiphaë. In the end, the monster is slain by the Attic hero Theseus with the help of the king’s daughter, Ariadne. On the obverse, Europa, the mother of King Minos, is depicted.

The post Crete, Knossos c. 220 BC Bronze AE20 Depicting the Labyrinth *Extremely Rare* appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Griffin seated left / Bust Apollo in square

15mm, 2.525g

This coin comes with a previous collectors label.

This coin comes from the Cambridge collection of Ancient Greek Coinage. This extensive collection was formed over 40 years by a couple who shared their passion for classical history, carefully collecting as many known types as were available, spending hours labelling each coin and fitting it in to their collection. The kingdom of Ancient Greece is not easy to understand but illustrated with these wonderful coins a map emerges and being so beautiful in their design, they are a pleasure to handle. As with any collection the time comes where it must be passed on and in this case the collectors decided to sell each coin individually to give the next generation of enthusiasts the opportunity to select pieces for their own collections. Many of the coins have previous labels.

The post Thrace Abdera 360-347 BC Silver Tetrobol appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Satyr kneeling with nymph / Incuse squares

11mm, 0.95g

This coin comes from the Cambridge collection of Ancient Greek Coinage. This extensive collection was formed over 40 years by a couple who shared their passion for classical history, carefully collecting as many known types as were available, spending hours labelling each coin and fitting it in to their collection. The kingdom of Ancient Greece is not easy to understand but illustrated with these wonderful coins a map emerges and being so beautiful in their design, they are a pleasure to handle. As with any collection the time comes where it must be passed on and in this case the collectors decided to sell each coin individually to give the next generation of enthusiasts the opportunity to select pieces for their own collections. Many of the coins have previous labels.

The post Thrace Thasos 412-404 BC Silver Trihemiobol appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Inverted heads facing / Sea eagle with dolphin

17mm, 5.56g

This coin comes from the Cambridge collection of Ancient Greek Coinage. This extensive collection was formed over 40 years by a couple who shared their passion for classical history, carefully collecting as many known types as were available, spending hours labelling each coin and fitting it in to their collection. The kingdom of Ancient Greece is not easy to understand but illustrated with these wonderful coins a map emerges and being so beautiful in their design, they are a pleasure to handle. As with any collection the time comes where it must be passed on and in this case the collectors decided to sell each coin individually to give the next generation of enthusiasts the opportunity to select pieces for their own collections. Many of the coins have previous labels.

The post Thrace Istros 400-350 BC Silver Drachm appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Herakles in lionskin / Zeus seated

16mm, 4.31g

This coin comes from the Cambridge collection of Ancient Greek Coinage. This extensive collection was formed over 40 years by a couple who shared their passion for classical history, carefully collecting as many known types as were available, spending hours labelling each coin and fitting it in to their collection. The kingdom of Ancient Greece is not easy to understand but illustrated with these wonderful coins a map emerges and being so beautiful in their design, they are a pleasure to handle. As with any collection the time comes where it must be passed on and in this case the collectors decided to sell each coin individually to give the next generation of enthusiasts the opportunity to select pieces for their own collections. Many of the coins have previous labels.

The post Macedon Lysimachos 305-281 BC Silver Drachm appeared first on Silbury Coins.