Recently, I have gotten more interested in coins of ancient Crete, especially overstrikes. Here is a recent purchase (Seller’s photo): Crete, Phalasarna AR drachm 300-270 BC 5.55 g, 22 mm, 2h O: head Artemis Diktyna right R: ornate trident head; Φ – Α between prongs Le Rider 3; Svoronos 5 ex-Lepczyk 43, lot 592, 11/21/1981 These coins are often overstruck on coins from Cyrene. “Cretan Overstrikes: Gortyna, Phalasarna, and Polyrrhenia Drachms Overstruck on Kyrenaika Coins” American Journal of Numismatics, vol 35, pp 1-31, 2023, is an article about these coins. Here is a YouTube video of a recent ANS Long Table presentation on the topic: So, these drachms were overstruck on BMC Cyrenaica Cyrene 266 coins. Here is a photo of BMC Cyrenaica 266 from the British Museum: Image © Trustees of the British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1915-0407-3 When I examined the drachm, it certainly looked like it was overstruck. The reverse die struck the flan a little off center leaving a rim of unstruck coin at the edge. On the rim, there is still the diadem ornament and a curl of hair just like on the BMC Cyrenaica 266 obverse. Here is a close up of the unstruck rim at the edge compared to the corresponding part of the BMC Cyrenaica 266 obverse: _____ __________ hair curl __ object on front of diadem There may be also a partial outline of the ram’s horn on the trident crossbar at the middle prong. Otherwise, there is nothing else visible on the reverse and nothing visible on the obverse. This drachm was not included in the article but looks like it was also overstruck on a BMC Cyrenaica 266 coin.
@Silphium Addict, love your avatar! I still feel like some day, somehow, someone will discover a live one!
