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just.me

help needed with i.d.

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hi, I've had this coin/medal/replica ?? for quite a while now and have struggled to give it any sort of i.d.

Any help would be much appreciated, it is silver and approx 27-28mm diameter, I think its greek writing.

post-5660-047484500 1325935525_thumb.jpg

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It's probably a Greek coin from the Roman era? The reverse is a classic quadrigatus (chariot pulled by 4 horses). The obverse is probably the head of a goddess and the H almost certainly indicates the city of issue (E for example is always Ephesos).

The legend on the reverse is (probably) KASILISSAS but the lower word is harder to transcribe - it could be something like ILISTIDI? which possibly refers to either the mint or the issuing moneyer.

Pity about the hole - it's an attractive coin.

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Hi Peck, thank you very much for the info, I have now found out most of the info. I googled kasilissas and it suggested basilissas which then put me in the right direction.

it is a

Greek Sicily, Syracuse, Queen Philistis 16 Litrae. Diademed, veiled head

left/ BASILISSAS

FILISTIDOS, Nike driving

quadriga right. Philistis was the wife of Hieron II 274-216 BC. The only info I havent found is the H on obv but I will continue to search about.

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Hi Peck, thank you very much for the info, I have now found out most of the info. I googled kasilissas and it suggested basilissas which then put me in the right direction.

it is a

Greek Sicily, Syracuse, Queen Philistis 16 Litrae. Diademed, veiled head

left/ BASILISSAS

FILISTIDOS, Nike driving

quadriga right. Philistis was the wife of Hieron II 274-216 BC. The only info I havent found is the H on obv but I will continue to search about.

Yes BASILISSAS sounds more Greek.

The H is not an H. It's a long E (upper case) which is written in Greek as H. The last letter of Nike is a long E, pronounced (as best as they can estimate) like 'air' only flatter, i.e. without the 'r'. So Nike would be pronounced Nikkair. (Which makes the modern pronunciations "Neiki" or even worse "Neik", somewhat risible.)

Glad I could help.

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