441 S. Ashland Ave., Lexington, Kentucky 40502
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859-269-1614
between 9 AM & 5 PM EST
Professional Numismatist · Bachelor of Arts in Numismatics
24-hour FAX only: 859-266-7900
email: JKernCoins@aol.com
1.All coins guaranteed as described.ANA and
common sense grading. Your satisfaction
guaranteed!
2. Fourteen day return privilege or approval service
can be arranged with proper references.
3. Personal checks of unknown customers must clear.
References may be required.VISA, MasterCard
and American Express accepted.
4. Kentucky residents add 6% sales tax.
5.All coins sent insured or registered! Orders less
than $200 please add $4.00 for postage and
handling.
6.Most coins are one-of-a-kind.Second choices
appreciated.
7.Office walk-in sales by appointment only.
MAIL ORDER POLICIES
JONATHAN K. KERN
Turtles of Aigina First Coins of Europe
AUTHENTICITY & SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.
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ANA
Life Member
T
he Greek island State of Aigina, located halfway between the coasts of Attica and
Argolis was the first place in Europe to strike coins, these silver staters, beginning about 530
B.C. Coinage production then spread rapidly to Athens, Corinth and the rest of European
Greece. On the obverse of these staters was a sea turtle, hence the popular term for these
heavy chunks of silver. Not only do these coins have a turtle depicted on the obverse of the
coin, but the actual coins resemble a turtle. There is the high mounded obverse, or back of
the turtle, the skew pattern reverse that looks like the armored belly of the reptile, and they
usually are struck out of round, with various appendages which look like the legs and heads
of the turtle. The sea turtle was an appropriate civic symbol for Greeks who acquired their
wealth as seafaring traders. The reverse design was a deeply punched incuse square divided
geometrically into segments, frequently triangles, and labeled "mill sail," "skew pattern" or
"Union Jack," after the English flag design. The weight of the staters was a very heavy
Aiginetic standard of 12.6 grams of near pure silver, making them very popular during the
Archaic period in Greece and Asia Minor. These staters of the earliest period, 550 to 456 B.C.
were especially important in ancient trade before the Athenian "owls"became common, and
remained in circulation until at least the 300s B.C.
T
he Aiginetan turtles have turned up in ancient coin hoards as far east as Afghanistan,
on the overland trade route to the far east. Given their wide circulation, well worn examples
usually have banker's marks to attest to their solid silver content.The production of these sea
turtles ceased when the island of Aigina fell to the Athenians in 456 B.C.
P
erhaps as an allusion to the defeat of Aigina's navy and the end of it's sea power, the
sea turtle on their staters became a land tortoise. These tortoises were struck for the next 25
years until all the native Aigina inhabitants were expelled from their home island. It wasn't
until the Athenian defeat in 404 B.C. at the hands of Sparta and its allies that the Aigina
natives were restored to their homeland.
A
n amazing hoard of these wonderful early Greek coins, and a very fortunate purchase
on our part, makes it possible for us to offer these sea turtles and tortoises at affordable
levels. In 1992 a VG sea turtle was $195. (now $77.) and land tortoises rarely came up for
sale at all. Now is the time, I doubt they will ever be this cheap again.While they last.
Tortoise Amulet Car ved black stone amulet,
reportedly Syrian,ThirdMillennium B.C.? $477.
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Sea Turtles
with banker's marks Very Good $77.;
no countermarks on turtle Very Good $117.
Sea Turtles with banker's marks Fine $177.;
no countermarks on turtle Fine $227.
Land Tortoises Fine, with banker's marks
$277.;Fine, no countermarks $377.
Land Tortoises Very Fine, usual moderate
defects, with banker's marks $377.
VF, pleasing $1477.
EF, two banker's marks, nose off $977.
VF, banker's mark, round flan $977.
PQ Fine, huge flan, two light
banker's marks $677.
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VF+, light planchet defect, some
light encrustation, banker's mark $877.
Low VF, banker's mark, light dirt $877.
Nice centered fine obv. on a
globular planchet $477.
VF-EF, head off planchet $775.
VF-EF, square planchet, rusty dies $775.
EF+, odd planchet, off center
pentagram banker's mark $977.
VF+, incomplete bird banker's mark $1277.
VF, heavy die rust $677.
VF+, head partly off $677.
VF+, round flan, multiple banker's
marks in center $1077.
VF+, light encrustation spots,
head partly off $577.
VF+, tight flan, toned $577.