Staters
XS.1
| Type XS.1 | |
| Denomination: | AR Stater |
Detail
| Weight: | 10.42 g (the cited specimen) | |
| Diameter: | 20 mm (the cited specimen) | |
| Obverse: | Youthful nude rider, holding reins in left hand and whip in right (?), dismounting from horse rearing to right. | |
| Reverse: | Naked hoplite kneeling right, wearing Corinthian helmet, holding spear (?) in right hand, shield in left. | |
| References: | Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 293 (19 December 2012), Lot 115 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| Credit: | Classical Numismatic Group (see the reference above) | |
| Remarks: | (1) | The coin is corroded, so many details cannot be discerned. The obverse corresponds to the Group 3. However, it is not clear whether the rider is holding a whip in his right hand or if he is merely resting his right hand on the horse’s rump. Similarly, it is not clear whether there is an exergual line under the horse and whether the scene is framed by a dotted border. The reverse corresponds to the Tarsos staters with the Great King on horseback on the obverse (for this coin type, see for example SNG France 2, 211, 212, 215, 216 and 217; for the iconographic analysis of the horseman on Tarsos coins, see Tahberer 2021, pp. 7–10). |
| (2) | The coin is a contemporary imitation because it has several features that distinguish it from the regular mintage. These are in particular the position of the right front leg of the horse, which is atypically higher than its left front leg (the front leg of the horse that is further away from the observer is always higher on Kelenderis coins than the front leg closer to the observer) and the fragmentary and crude depiction of the hoplite’s spear on the reverse. It may seem odd to use coins from two different mints as templates for the obverse and reverse but we see the same thing with the hybrid coin from Nagidos, Type X.1, which is undoubtedly a contemporary imitation. The possibility that it is a modern counterfeit is very unlikely given the poor condition and thus the low attractiveness of this coin. | |
XS.2
| Type XS.2 | |
| Denomination: | AR Stater |
Detail
| Weight: | 10.28 g (the cited specimen) |
| Diameter: | 21 mm (the cited specimen) |
| Obverse: | Youthful nude rider, holding reins in left hand and whip in right, dismounting from horse rearing to right; dotted border. |
| Reverse: | Male goat kneeling to left on exergual line, head turned back to right; before and above goat, KE–ΛE. |
| References: | Munthandel G. Henzen, Fixed Price List, ID 72135 (accessed 22 October 2023) |
| Credit: | Munthandel G. Henzen (see the reference above) |
| Remark: | This coin corresponds to Type 3.1, but is probably an ancient imitation for two reasons. First, the blurred details cannot be explained by a weak strike, so the official dies would have to be worn out. However, this would mean that a large number of coins were struck from these dies, but this variant of Type 3.1 is otherwise unknown. Second, although the obverse image is very blurred, its clumsy style is evident. In particular, the proportions of the horse’s neck relative to its head are unusual, the relative position of the horse’s hind legs is unrealistic, and the whip handle is too robust relative to the rider’s hand and at the same time its lower part ends high above the horse’s back (the worn die could have been coarsely retouched, but then the whip handle would extend to the rider’s palm). |
XS.3
| Type XS.3 | |
| Denomination: | AR Stater |
Detail
| Weight: | unknown |
| Diameter: | 22 mm (the cited specimen) |
| Obverse: | Youthful nude rider, holding reins in right hand and whip in left, dismounting from horse rearing to left on solid (?) exergual line; dotted border. |
| Reverse: | Male goat kneeling to left, head turned back to right; above goat, ivy branch; all within incuse./td> |
| References: | Heritage Auctions, Inc., Auction 232447 (20 November 2024), Lot 63082 (acsearch.info URL) |
| Credit: | Heritage Auctions, Inc. (see the reference above) |
| Remark: | This anepigraphic coin is very likely an ancient imitation of the Kelenderis stater Type 2.6b. This is evidenced by the following atypical elements of its design: (1) the rider’s feet are high above the ground, higher than the level of the hoof of the horse’s nearer front leg (its left front leg), (2) the very long tail of the horse reaching almost to the level of its fetlocks, (3) the absence of the exergual line on the reverse, (4) the short horns of the goat. |
Obols
XO.1
| Type XO.1 | |
| Denomination: | AR Obol (?) |
Detail
| Weight: | 0.49 g (the cited specimen) | |
| Diameter: | 9 mm (the cited specimen) | |
| Obverse: | Bridled horse with loose reins rearing to left; dotted border (?). | |
| Reverse: | Goat kneeling to left, head turned back to right; above goat, unclear letters (perhaps KE reversed and retrograde). | |
| References: | SNG Levante, 30; Numismad.com Marcin Surgiewicz-Śliwiński, Auction 9 (8–9 September 2023), Lot 403 (biddr.com URL) | |
| Credit: | Numismad.com Marcin Surgiewicz-Śliwiński (see the reference above) | |
| Remarks: | (1) | This coin is of type SNG Levante, 30 (see Type 5.11a) and may have been struck with the same reverse die, but based on the small photograph in SNG Levante it is impossible to say for sure. Both of these coins are characterized by a low weight for the type: 0.55 g Levante 30 and 0.49 g this coin, while the average weight of Type 5.11 is 0.72 g with a standard deviation of 0.06 g, see Weight analysis of Kelenderis obols. The crude style of this coin and the anatomically strange placement of the back legs of the goat are atypical for Kelenderis. It is therefore highly probable that it is a contemporary imitation. However, the Levante 30 coin is included in the main catalogue under Type 5.11a, as its small photograph does not allow to decide for sure whether it is an analogous imitation. |
| (2) | The only other specimen of the Levante 30 type that I know of is mentioned in the Classical Numismatic Group catalogue, Auction XXVI (11 June 1993), Lot 293. It is labeled here as a hemiobol, but its weight is not given and its photograph is not included. | |
Hemiobols
XH.1
| Type XH.1 | |
| Denomination: | AR Hemiobol |
Detail
| Weight: | 0.22 g (the cited specimen) |
| Diameter: | 6.22 mm (the cited specimen) |
| Obverse: | Head left. |
| Reverse: | Forepart of Pegasus rearing to left within incuse square. |
| References: | Astarte, Web Auction 3 (22 February 2024), Lot 125 (acsearch.info URL) |
| Credit: | Astarte (see the reference above) |
| Remark: | The head on the obverse resembles the helmeted head of Athena, but given the condition of this specimen this is not entirely certain. If the obverse depicts Athena, then it would be the second variant of Type 6.3. |
25 April 2023 – 4 December 2024