T
his moment in history described by the ancient historian Herodotus was
perhaps one of the greatest military undertakings in history given the
current technology. The accounts relate that the great Persian king, Xerxes
amassed an army of 1,700,000 men for his invasion of Greece in 480 BC. An
entire city was needed to feed the army just two meals, and an entire river
ran dry when they drank. And huge quantities of silver coins were struck to
finance the massive military payroll and all the expenses of huge military
operations. The Hellespont was the water way at least a mile wide
connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and separating Europe
from Asia Minor. In order to move his vast army, Xerxes commanded his
engineers, mostly Phoenecians and Egyptians, to build a bridge. To do this,
674 ships were tied together in a double row and planks were laid over the
decks. The planks were covered with brushwood and dirt to create a road.
Xerxes invaded Greece and very nearly succeeded in conquering the
civilized world.
A
s the Persians moved through northern Greece, they were met at the
pass of Thermopylae, where the 300 Spartans led by Leonidas fought to
the last man, and successfully delayed the Persian advance long enough for
the Greek cities to prepare. Although Xerxes captured Athens, the Athenians
had fled with their fleet to the nearby island of Salamis where the Persian
fleet was defeated by the more experienced Athenian navy. The army of the
allied Greek city-states, led by Spartans was able to defeat the Persian army
at Plataea in 479 BC and effectively ended Xerxes' attempted conquest of
Greece.
X
erxes is long dead, and his observations on the brevity of human
existence still applies today, even though we average more than twice
the usual life span of the ancients. By collecting, studying, and handling the
coins of the ancients, our human experience can be greatly enhanced. In our
hands we have relics of great kings who commanded huge armies to
conquer kingdoms now vanished. These huge treasures of precious metals
that are now unearthed from the paths of these ancient armies are
sometimes the only tangible links that we have. Now you can expand your
horizons to the Fifth Century BC with a modest contribution to the Jonathan
K. Kern Co.
T
his hoard of silver was composed of over 100 pounds of struck sigloi. A
single siglos averages 5.55 grams of nearly pure silver and depicts the
Great King of Persia as an archer in an action pose. Some interpret his
posture as the archaic art expression of running, and other describe him as
kneeling. These coins were struck with a heavy sledge hammer on very thick
oblong planchets, much like silver bullets, with a hand held upper die
depicting the archer. The lower die was probably imbedded in wood or stone
to secure it. The lower, or reverse die of these coins, was used in the manner
of the very first coins ever produced in the world. This lower die was a
roughly rectangular raised metal lump, appearing in hundreds of mysterious
variations. The raised reverse die creates hundreds of mysterious variations.
The raised reverse die creates an incuse impression for the backs of the
sigloi. Museum studies now in progress utilize the reverse incused
impressions for quick die referencing, since the obverse impression of the
Great King is frequently off center. These coins represented a huge explosion
in the production of coined money, and were struck rapidly to fill the need for
pre-weighed silver authorized by a powerful ruler.
T
he Great King is shown holding a spear and a bow on the sigloi attributed
to the Asia Minor mint of Sardeis, in Lydia and a bow and a dagger on the
other type which is possibly all from a different mint further south. Frequently
they are countermarked with tiny punches by merchants or bankers, possibly
to attest to the quality of the silver.
Spear and bow VF ............................................
$77.
Dagger and bow VF..........................................
$77.
One of each type in VF, the pair, only ........................................................................
$150.
One spear, one dagger, the pair in Fine......................................................................
$70.
Very unusual grade of XF each .................................................................................
$277.
Hoard lots, mixed grades, at least 1 XF, 20 VF's and 79 more. 100 coins only ..........
$2977.
Treasure of Xerxes
Huge Hoard of Silver Buried Circa 450 BC
And now, as he looked and saw the whole Hellespont covered with the vessels of his
fleet and all the shore and every plain about Abydos as full as possible of men, Xerxes
congratulated himself upon his good fortune; but after a little while he wept. His uncle
A rtabanus, who was with him at the time, asked about this strange expression of
contradictory feelings. "I was thinking," Xerxes replied, "and it came into my mind how
pitifully short human life is...."
Herodotus VII, 45-46
JONATHAN K. KERN
continued
Obverse
200%
VISA, MC ok, but $10. Postage for bullion.
NEW SILVER BULLION
Buy now when it's cheap and no one
wants it. When you read about it in
Wall Street news, it is too late.
Englehard 100 Troy oz. .....
$507.
Englehard or Johnson Mathey
10 Troy oz.................
$53.
Reverse 100%
Obverse
200%
Reverse 100%
Gold For Brutus Now Certified
"Et Tu, Brute?"
Shakespeare: Julius Caesar's dying words
These spectacular staters are from an amazing hoard of gold staters, bequeathed by the
Scythian King Koson's widow, from northern Thrace, to the war chests of Brutus and his
republican allies in their struggle against Octavian (Augustus Caesar). These staters of
near pure gold weigh about 8.5 grams and depict a procession scene copied directly from
one of Brutus' silver denarii which he struck as a moneyer in 54 BC early in his political
c a r e e r. The reverse depicts the Roman eagle holding a wreath of victory in one claw,
similar to Roman Republic silver and gold motifs. The monogram BR for Brutus appears to
the left of the obverse figures, and the dead king's name KOSON beneath. The middle
figure is the ancestor Lucius Junius Brutus who in 509 BC overthrew the last king of Rome
and established the Republic. Q. Caepio Brutus, better known as Marcus Junius Brutus,
was the descendant and senator who plotted the assassination of his friend Julius Caesar
whose personal ambition was crushing the republican government. After the fateful Ides of
March, civil war broke out with Brutus, Cassius, and the Republicans, pitted against an
alliance of Julius Caesar's nephew, Octavian, and Marc A n t h o n y. Brutus held office in
Macedonia, adjacent to the kingdom of Koson. This gold hoard was doubtless struck 43/42
BC as military payroll for the Republican army, which was defeated at Philippi in 42 BC
Brutus fell on his own sword after the loss.
Authenticated, graded, and holdered by ICG.
ICG MS-64 $1477. ICG MS-63 $1277. ICG MS-62 $1077. ICG MS-61 $977.
Raw About Uncirculated $775.
JONATHAN K. KERN
AUTHENTICITY & SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
MAIL ORDER POLICIES
1. All coins guaranteed as described. ANA and common
sense grading. Your satisfaction guaranteed!
2. 14 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. Visits by appointment only.
ORIGINAL OLYMPIC EVENTS
ABT. UNC., AVERAGE STRIKE
NET EF
" Wre stl ers " of Aspe nd os , a Gre ek c ity in
Pamphylia, struck c. 370-333 BC silver stater.
Obv.: two naked athletes wrestling. Rev.: slinger
preparing to fire his weapon, triskeles to right.
Most of the staters are near mint, but net graded
due to strike, centering, or die wear. Net EF
$377.; net VF $227.; net Fine ..................
$157.
100%
200%
A BIG PEGASUS
Silver tetradrachm struck 197-190 BC in the Greek
ci ty of A la ba nd a, wh ile i t was tempo r aril y
renamed Antiocheia in honor of Antiochus III.
O b v.: laureate head of Apollo. Rev.: Pegasus.
Rare, VF-/VF+ ......................................... $1775.
100%
THE ORIGINAL PARTY DUDE
DIONYSUS, THE GOD OF WINE
Silver tetradrachm struck on the Greek island of
Thasos, famous for its Fine wine, c. 148-50 BC
Obverse: head of the young Dionysus, (Bacchus
in La tin Rome) wreathed wit h ivy. Reverse:
naked Hercules standing, holding club, lion's skin
over shoulder. All uncleaned with medium toning
and light dirt. EF $277.; VF ......................
$177.
100%
Come see us at ANA Tables #513, 515, 612, 614 in Philadelphia
Ancient Greek Silver
Silver tetradrachm of Antigonos Doson, king of
Macedon 229-221 BC. Obv.: head of Poseidon
(Roman Neptune), bearded and with long hair
bo und w ith seaw e ed. Rev.: N ake d A p o l l o ,
holding bow and seated on prow of Greek war
galley, commemorating the victory of Doson and
Ant ioch us H ier ax ove r t he Eg ypt ian flee t,
pleasing even VF...................................... $1277.
100%
PAN, THE FOREST SATYR
Silver tetradrachm struck by Antigonos Gonatas,
king of Macedon 277-239 BC. Obv.: The entire
obverse is a Macedonian shield, decorated with
the head of the satyr Pan in the center. Pan, god
of the woodlands, is said to have intervened on
behalf of Antigonos during a battle. By inspiring
irrational fear in the minds of t he foes, Pan
clinched victory of Antigonos, and immortalized
himself with the word "panic". Rev.: helmeted
A the na , w ith ra i sed shi eld, and hur l ing
thunderbolt. EF, tiny dig on cheek ............
$877.
100%
WE NEED TO BUY COLLECTIONS OF SCARCE AND RARE UNITED
STATES, FOREIGN, AND ANCIENT COINS FOR OUR RETAIL TRADE.
Highest prices paid for: Colonial Coins struck in the 13 Colonies · Problem free type coins · Half
Cents and Large Cents with smooth pleasing surfaces · Silver Bust and Liberty Seated Half
Dimes, dimes, quarters, halves and silver dollars with nice original toning · All Gold Coins · Rare
medals, tokens, and currency · And we will buy complete collections, hoards, accumulations,
rolls, proof and mint.
POSEIDON, GOD OF THE SEA
441 S. Ashland Ave., Lexington, Kentucky 40502
To order, call
(859 or 606) 269-1614
between 9 AM & 6 PM EST
Professional Numismatist · Bachelor of Arts in Numismatics
24-hour FAX only: (859 or 606) 266-7900
Email: JKernCoins@aol.com
Ancient Greek Silver
JONATHAN K. KERN
continued
THE LATEST IN LION'S SKIN WEAR
The following group of silver tetradrachms in the name of Alexander the Great
represent the biggest diameter coins of his types. These independent Greek
cities continued issuing his standard designs because of their ongoing popularity
and commercial acceptance. There are also historical accounts of Greek cities
surrounded by the barbarians who demanded their tribute in "Alexanders."
Obverse: Hercules, (sometimes with A l e x a n d e r's features) wearing the skin of
the Nemean lion as a headdress. Reverse: Zeus enthroned, holding sceptre and
eagle.
Aradus mint in Phoenecia
palm tree mintmark, year 60=200/199 BC
EF $477.
100%
Argos mint, in the Peloponnesos
220-215 BC
pleasing style EF/VF $775.
100%
Aspendos mint, 194/3 BC
Abt. Unc. $677.
100%
Aspendos mint, 204/3 BC
huge flan, slight double striking
Abt. Unc. $877.
100%
Assos mint, c. 188 BC
Abt. Unc. spectacular medallic look
$1277.
100%
Colophon mint, 200-180 BC
lyre mint mark, EF++, pleasing style $577.
100%
Island of Chios, sphinx mint mark
c. 225 BC, pleasing VF $477.
100%
Island of Chios
c. 200 BC, sphinx mint mark
Abt. Unc. slight bend to flan $677.
100%
Clazomenae mint, c. 225 BC unpublished?
usual forepart of flying boar mint mark,
but over facing head of Apollo
VF+ $1775.
100%
Mesembria mint, c. 125 BC
Very dramatic style head of Hercules
EF/VF $477.
100%
Mesembria mint, c. 85 BC
nice Hellenistic style obv., razor sharp rev. die.
Abt. Unc. $677.
100%
Miletus mint, c. 190 BC lion mint mark
Abt. Unc. full obv. border $877.
100%
Miletus mint, c. 190 BC lion mint mark
Abt. Unc. full obv. border, huge flan, slight rev.
double striking $877.
100%
Ephesus mint, 200-190 BC
quiver mint mark,
undecorated lion's skin, but full obv. border
EF/EF++ $677.
100%
Erythrae mint, quiver and club of Hercules
mint marks, forepart of charging bull emerging
from behind Zeus' leg. Small tanrish spots
on obv. c. 190 BC Abt. Unc. $977.
100%
Magnesia ad Maeandrum mint, c. 200 BC
Abt. Unc. very shallow obv. die $477.
100%
Mesembria mint, c. 125 BC
lion's skin is so spotted that it seems part leopard
VF++/VF $377.
100%
JONATHAN K. KERN
441 S. Ashland Ave., Lexington, Kentucky 40502
To order, call
(859 or 606) 269-1614
between 9 AM & 6 PM EST
Professional Numismatist · Bachelor of Arts in Numismatics
24-hour FAX only: (859 or 606) 266-7900
Email: JKernCoins@aol.com
AUTHENTICITY & SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
MAIL ORDER POLICIES
1. All coins guaranteed as described. ANA and common
sense grading. Your satisfaction guaranteed!
2. 14 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. Visits by appointment only.
WE NEED TO BUY COLLECTIONS OF SCARCE AND RARE UNITED
STATES, FOREIGN, AND ANCIENT COINS FOR OUR RETAIL TRADE.
Highest prices paid for: Colonial Coins struck in the 13 Colonies · Problem free type coins · Half
Cents and Large Cents with smooth pleasing surfaces · Silver Bust and Liberty Seated Half
Dimes, dimes, quarters, halves and silver dollars with nice original toning · All Gold Coins · Rare
medals, tokens, and currency · And we will buy complete collections, hoards, accumulations,
rolls, proof and mint.
Ancient Greek Silver
THE LATEST IN LION'S SKIN WEAR
continued
Myrina mint, c. 200 BC
Abt. Unc. $775.
100%
Odessos mint, c. 85 BC
razor sharp Abt. Unc. $677.
100%
Phaselis mint, 207/6 BC
Abt. Unc. slight obv. double striking,
leg of Zeus slightly soft $677.
100%
Samos mint, c. 200 BC prow
mint mark, Abt. Unc. obv. die worn out but rev. die
is an amazing masterpiece of Hellenistic
art work. Spectacular and rare $1775.
100%
Sicyon mint, in the Peloponnesos
225-215 BC mint mark: boy with taenia
EF, nice style $877.
100%
Phaselis mint, 204/3 BC
Abt. Unc. $977.
100%
Rhodos mint, c. 195 BC
rose mint mark, magistrates name above.
EF++, dies rough. Full rev. border $677.
100%
Odessos mint, c. 85 BC
razor sharp blazing Unc.
slight rev. double striking
$1277.
100%
Perga mint, 204/3 BC
full obv. border, Abt. Unc./EF $877.
100%
Perga mint, 193/2 BC
finely executed dies struck on a
beautiful planchet Abt. Unc. $1277.
100%
Island of Nisyros, c. 200 BC
Abt. Unc. near full obv. border, rev. double
striking $877.
100%
Island of Nisyros, c. 200 BC
Abt. Unc. near full obv. border, weak
area in rev. strike $1277.
100%
Odessos mint, c. 100 BC
another spotted lion's skin
VF+ $277.
100%
Sicyon mint, in the Peloponnesos
225-215 BC
EF/VF, slight double striking $677.
100%
Smyrna mint, c. 200 BC
mint mark: head of Tyche, over unpublished?
monogram. EF++, rare mint $1277.
100%