Staters Obols Hemiobols Bronze coins
Staters
2.1a
2.1b
2.1c
2.1d
| Type 2.1 | |
| Denomination: | AR Stater |
Detail
| Obverse: | Helmeted Athena standing left, holding aphlaston-bearing Nike in right hand and resting left on grounded shield with a human face; in right field, inverted spear, in left field, dolphin leaping left; dotted border. | |
| Reverse: | Laureate Apollo standing left, half-draped, holding phiale in right hand and left hand resting on a laurel trunk. | |
| Variants: | a. | rev.: in right and left field, OΛMI / TIKO–N |
| b. | rev.: in right and left field, OΛMI / TIK–ON | |
| c. | rev.: in right and left field, OΛMI / TIK–ON; in upper left field, A | |
| d. | obv.: in right field, ΔΙ; rev.: in right and left field, OΛMI / TIK–ON; in upper left field, A |
|
| References: | a. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 200 (10 October 2011), Lot 1970 (acsearch.info URL) |
| b. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Gemini, LLC, Auction III (9 January 2007), Lot 214 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| c. | SNG Levante, 32 = Classical Numismatic Group, Triton VII (12 January 2004), Lot 290 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| d. | SNG France 2, 120; Stack’s Bowers Galleries, January 2016 NYINC Auction (8 January 2016), Lot 30105 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| Credit (see the references above): | ||
| a. | Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung | |
| b. | Gemini, LLC | |
| c. | Classical Numismatic Group | |
| d. | Stack’s Bowers Galleries | |
| Remarks: | (1) | These coins are very similar to those of Side, indicating a monetary convention between the two cities. The dolphin symbol on the obverse occupies the same position as the pomegranate on related Sidetan staters, whence it is presumed that the dolphin may have been the civic badge of Holmoi. While Nike was more commonly portrayed holding a wreath, the wreath was replaced by an aphlaston at some seafaring cities, most notably Aradus. |
| (2) | The dolphin symbol is also found on third staters in Group 1, Type 1.2. | |
| (3) | Some specimens have a countermark in various positions on the reverse: bull right and shield in profile above, all in rectangular punch. | |
Obols
2.2a
2.2b
2.2c
2.2d
2.2e
2.2f
2.2g
2.2h
2.2i
2.2j
2.2k
| Type 2.2 | |
| Denomination: | AR Obol |
Detail
| Obverse: | Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with palmette; dotted border. | |
| Reverse: | Head of Apollo right, with long hair falling down his neck. | |
| Variants: | a. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath; in right and left field, OΛMITIKO–N; dotted border |
| b. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath; in right and left field, OΛMITIK–ON; dotted border | |
| c. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath and taenia; in right field, OΛMITI; dotted border | |
| d. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath and taenia; in right field, OΛMITAN; dotted border | |
| e. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath; in right and left field, OΛMITA–N; dotted border | |
| f. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath and taenia; in right field, OΛMITON or OΛMIKON; dotted border | |
| g. | rev.: Apollo with short hair wearing laurel wreath; in left field, OΛ–MI counterclockwise | |
| h. | rev.: Apollo wearing taenia; in left field, OΛM; in lower right field, M | |
| i. | obv.: Athena wearing necklace; in left field, A horizontally (?); rev.: Apollo wearing taenia; in left field, OΛM; in inner left field, bunch of grapes hanging from vine |
|
| j. | rev.: Apollo wearing taenia; in left field, OΛM | |
| k. | rev.: Apollo wearing taenia; anepigraphic | |
| Connection: | variant 2.2g – variant 2.4a (hemiobol, very similar design) | |
| References: | a. | SNG Levante, 34 |
| b. | Göktürk 2000, 11; several specimens on the market, e.g. H. D. Rauch GmbH, E-Auction 20 (27 June 2016), Lot 77 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| c. | SNG France 2, 121; Göktürk 2000, 10; several specimens on the market, e.g. Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XVIII (6 January 2015), Lot 48 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| d. | SNG Berry 2, 1270–1271; several specimens on the market, e.g. Dr. Reinhard Fischer Auktionen, Auction 143 (22 May 2015), Lot 138 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| e. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Leu Numismatik, Auction 6 (23 October 2020), Lot 241 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| f. | Imhoof-Blumer 1902, p. 448, 1 (Imhoof-Blumer reads OΛMITON, but the inscription is partially off flan, so the reading OΛMIKON is also possible, see Type 2.3b) | |
| g. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 370 (9 March 2016), Lot 177 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| h. | SNG Levante, 33; SNG Berry 2, 1272; several specimens on the market, e.g. Numismatik Naumann, Auction 71 (4 November 2018), Lot 238 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| i. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 337 (22 October 2014), Lot 104 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| j. | SNG Berry 2, 1268 | |
| k. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Numismatik Naumann, Auction 35 (6 September 2015), Lot 307 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| Credit (see the references above): | ||
| b. | H. D. Rauch GmbH | |
| c. | The Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Gallica, Identifier: ark:/12148/btv1b8532622d | |
| d. | Dr. Reinhard Fischer Auktionen | |
| e. | Leu Numismatik | |
| g. | Classical Numismatic Group | |
| h. | Numismatik Naumann | |
| i. | Classical Numismatic Group | |
| k. | Numismatik Naumann | |
| Remark: | All variants except 2.2k bear the city ethnic and can therefore be safely assigned to Holmoi. Although the variant 2.2k is anepigraphic and somewhat similar to the silver trihemiobols minted at Xanthos in Lycia (see Müseler 2016, VII.35–6), we can probably rule out its Lycian origin because the Lycian trihemiobols have a Lycian inscription and a dotted border on the reverse. The dotted border is also on the reverse of Lycian staters (ibid, VII.31–2) and hemiobols (ibid, VII.33–4) of this type. | |
2.3a
2.3b
| Type 2.3 | |
| Denomination: | AR Obol |
Detail
| Obverse: | Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet; dotted border. | |
| Reverse: | Wreathed bearded male head. | |
| Variants: | a. | rev.: male head oriented to left; OΛMITIKON curving along the neck and face |
| b. | rev.: male head oriented to right; OΛMIK–O–N curving along the face and neck | |
| References: | a. | SNG Levante, 36; several specimens on the market, e.g. DEMOS Auctions, Auction 2 (5 June 2021), Lot 268 (acsearch.info URL) |
| b. | Coll. P. Veselý, HOL-AR-01; Dr. Reinhard Fischer, Auction 143 (May 2015), Lot 137 (acsearch.info URL). | |
| Credit (see the references above): | ||
| a. | DEMOS Auctions | |
| b. | P. Veselý | |
| Remark: | The head on the reverse probably represents either Zeus, Poseidon or Kronos. | |
Hemiobols
2.4a
2.4b
| Type 2.4 | |
| Denomination: | AR Hemiobol |
Detail
| Obverse: | Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with palmette; dotted border. | |
| Reverse: | Laureate head of Apollo right, with short hair. | |
| Variants: | a. | rev.: in right field, OΛMI |
| b. | rev.: in left field, OΛ[…] (the left field is partly off flan on the cited specimen, the inscription probably continues with other letters) | |
| Connection: | variant 2.4a – variant 2.2g (obol, very similar design) | |
| References: | a. | Several specimens on the market, e.g. Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 229 (10 March 2015), Lot 1389 (acsearch.info URL) |
| b. | SNG Berry 2, 1269 | |
| Credit (see the references above): | ||
| a. | Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung | |
| Remark: | A similar hemiobols were minted at Xanthos in Lycia (Müseler 2016, VII.33), and sometimes these anepigraphic Lycian coins are assigned to Holmoi (e.g. SNG France 2, 122). However, they differ from the Holmoi coins by the dotted border on the reverse and also by their style, which links them with other Lycian denominations of this type (ibid, VII.31–6). | |
Bronze coins
2.5a
2.5b
| Type 2.5 | |
| Denomination: | AE Unit |
Detail
| Obverse: | Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with palmette; dotted border. | |
| Reverse: | Head of Apollo right, long hair falling down his neck; in left field, OΛ. | |
| Variants: | a. | rev.: Apollo wearing laurel wreath |
| b. | rev.: Apollo wearing taenia (?); OΛ written backwards; under Apollo’s chin, an obscure mark | |
| References: | a. | SNG Levante, 35 = SNG von Aulock, 5580 = Classical Numismatic Group, Mail Bid Sale 66 (19 May 2004), Lot 536 (acsearch.info URL); Kölner Münzkabinett Tyll Kroha Nachfolger UG, e-Auction 3 (25 June 2017), Lot 147 (acsearch.info URL) |
| b. | Klein 1999, p. 78, no. 656 = Numismatik Naumann, Auction 63 (4 March 2018), Lot 26 (acsearch.info URL) | |
| Credit (see the references above): | ||
| a. | Kölner Münzkabinett Tyll Kroha Nachfolger UG | |
| b. | Numismatik Naumann | |
2.6
| Type 2.6 | |
| Denomination: | AE Half Unit |
Detail
| Obverse: | Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with palmette; dotted border. |
| Reverse: | Head of Apollo right, long hair falling down his neck. |
| References: | SNG von Aulock, 5581 |
12 July 2021 – 16 January 2024