Samothrace - Ancients.info - The Online Resource for Ancient Coins & Antiquities

livingwater · Oct 1, 2011, 05:13 AM

I collect Bible mint coins. I own a couple small bronzes of Samothrace (Athena/Cybele). These have tended to be scarce on auctions and on ebay, maybe three to five per year. But the last year I've noticed thirty to forty of them for sale. Makes me wonder if a small hoard was found or some collector had a bunch of them and sold them. I guess I'll never know if a hoard was found or someone had assembled a collection of them over some years.

Lycaonian · Oct 8, 2011, 03:19 PM

Hi Marc,

I noticed the same thing just a week or two ago. Just happened to be checking out things on vcoins and one dealer seemed to have at least 8 Samothrace pieces for sale. Shocked me because of how scarce these seem to be over the last several yeras I've collected on the same theme you have. I bought my AE via M and M during one of their auctions some 4 or 5 years ago. It is considerably nicer than any I have yet seen, so I am happy with my catch.

I have been to this unusual and intriguing island---walked among its ruins attempting to translate what little I could of the inscriptions. Samothraki is a wonderful out of the way island that relatively few visit today, except for the once-a-year music festival. We literally had the ancient city there to ourselves when we visited. Between the eerie all night winds, the substantial ruins of the old city, the thermal pools and imposing Mount Fengari--there is a palpable mystique that saturates the island. Anyone else visited?

Dave C.

Oct 1, 2011, 05:13 AM	#1
livingwater Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Nebraska Posts: 57	Samothrace I collect Bible mint coins. I own a couple small bronzes of Samothrace (Athena/Cybele). These have tended to be scarce on auctions and on ebay, maybe three to five per year. But the last year I've noticed thirty to forty of them for sale. Makes me wonder if a small hoard was found or some collector had a bunch of them and sold them. I guess I'll never know if a hoard was found or someone had assembled a collection of them over some years.

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Oct 8, 2011, 03:19 PM	#2
Lycaonian Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 97	Hi Marc, I noticed the same thing just a week or two ago. Just happened to be checking out things on vcoins and one dealer seemed to have at least 8 Samothrace pieces for sale. Shocked me because of how scarce these seem to be over the last several yeras I've collected on the same theme you have. I bought my AE via M and M during one of their auctions some 4 or 5 years ago. It is considerably nicer than any I have yet seen, so I am happy with my catch. I have been to this unusual and intriguing island---walked among its ruins attempting to translate what little I could of the inscriptions. Samothraki is a wonderful out of the way island that relatively few visit today, except for the once-a-year music festival. We literally had the ancient city there to ourselves when we visited. Between the eerie all night winds, the substantial ruins of the old city, the thermal pools and imposing Mount Fengari--there is a palpable mystique that saturates the island. Anyone else visited? Dave C.