The Didrachm denomination
An ancient Greek silver coin denomination with a value of 2 drachms or 1/2 tetradrachm.

It weighed around 8.6 grammes, and could feature some impressive artwork due to the relatively large flans.
Didrachm
(1) Akragas
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An AR Didrachm struck 480-470 BC in Akragas
Obverse: sea eagle; AK / AЯ

Reverse: crab

Diameter: 20 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.6 g
ex Dr. Ernst von Ferrari-Kellerhof
Jenkins, Gela, Group IV; SNG ANS 954-5.
Greek (City Coinage)
(2) Akragas
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An AR Didrachm struck 510-472 BC in Akragas
Obverse: Crab

Reverse: Eagle, with closed wings, standing right; AK behind, RA before

Diameter: 19 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.4 g
No notes for this coin
Sear 709 A
Greek (City Coinage)
(3) Anonymous
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An AR Didrachm struck 225-214 BC in Rome
Obverse: Laureate janiform head of Dioscuri

Reverse: Jupiter in quadriga driven by Victory right, holding sceptre and thunderbolt; ROMA below

Diameter: 18 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 5.72 g
No notes for this coin
Cr. 28/2, Syd. 65
Roman Republican (Before 211 BC)
(4) Anonymous
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 225-214 BC in Rome
Obverse: Laureate janiform head of Janus

Reverse: Jupiter, holding sceptre and brandishing thunderbolt, in quadriga driven to right by Victory; ROMA incuse on tablet below

Diameter: 24 mm
Die Orientation: 11 H
Weight: 6.76 g
This deeply toned beauty came with a small storage box that was labelled ‘bought at Ball Berlin’. Robert Ball Nachf. (the Nachf. stands for Nachfolger which means ‘successors’) was one of the big numismatic mail-order and auction houses of the 1920’s and 30’s. According to a fellow collector, Andrew McCabe recently received a coin with a similar box and traced it’s creator as Thomas James Clarke, a businessman and collector who lived between 1875-1952. It could be possible that he bought the coin from Robert Ball for himself, but this is not certain since it seems he also made the boxes for other collectors. I’m still hoping to trace this coins full provenance some day.
Crawford 28/3; RSC 23; Sydenham 64
Roman Republican (Before 211 BC)
(5) Anonymous
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 225-214 BC in Rome
Obverse: Laureate janiform head of Janus

Reverse: Jupiter, holding sceptre and brandishing thunderbolt, in quadriga driven to right by Victory; ROMA incuse on tablet below

Diameter: 22 mm
Die Orientation: 6 H
Weight: 6.57 g
No notes for this coin
Crawford 28/3; RSC 23; Sydenham 64
Roman Republican (Before 211 BC)
(6) Antoninus Pius
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An AR Didrachm struck 139 AD in Caesarea (Cappadocia)
Obverse: laureate head right; ANTΩNEINOC__CEBACTOC

Reverse: Mount Argaeus, statue of Helios on top, holding globe and scepter, star below; YΠAT B ΠAT ΠAT P

Diameter: 20 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 6.3 g
No notes for this coin
Sydenham 301c var. (reverse legend); Metcalf 124b
Roman Provincial (Adoptive Emperors)
(7) Antoninus Pius
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An AR Didrachm struck 138-161 AD in Caesarea (Cappadocia)
Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΑΝΤⲰΝƐΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒΑϹΤΟϹ, Laureate head of Antoninus Pius, right

Reverse: ƐΥϹƐΒƐΙΑ, Eusebeia standing, left, wearing stephane, extending right hand over altar

Diameter: 20 mm
Die Orientation: 6 H
Weight: 6.35 g
No notes for this coin
RPC IV.3, 6913 (temporary); Cop 235; BMC 154; S 292; Metcalf 116b
Roman Provincial (Adoptive Emperors)
(8) Baktria
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An AR Didrachm struck 295/3-285/3 BC in Baktria
Obverse: head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and spiral palmette on the bowl wire necklace, round earring monogram

Reverse: owl standing right, grape bunch over tail; prow above AΘE

Diameter: 17.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.2 g
From the 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group, present in Germany in 1975, subsequently exported to the USA.
Roma XIV, 331; Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; SNG ANS 6; N&A 43-45
Eastern (Bactrian Kingdom)
(9) Eastern Celts | Alexander III
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An AR Didrachm struck 300-100 BC in Galatia
Obverse: head of young Herakles right, wearing lion's skin

Reverse: Zeus seated left, leaning on scepter, holding eagle (goose)?; crescent left, AΛEΞANΔPOY (ΔIP) ?

Diameter: 21 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 7.7 g
imitation of Carrhae?
Price B 40 (Var.) - Imitation Price 3816/3820?
Celtic (Eastern Celts)
(10) Hyria (Campania)
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 405-400 BC in Hyria (Campania)
Obverse: head of Hera Lakinia facing slightly right, wearing necklace and polos ornamented with palmette between the foreparts of two griffins

Reverse: man-faced bull walking right YPINA (retrograde)

Diameter: 21 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 6.9 g

From the H.J. Müller collection.

Rutter 134; Historia Numorum Italy 540
Greek (Other Greek)
(11) Korkyra
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 229-48 BC in Korkyra
Obverse: Head of Dionysos right wearing ivy-wreath

Reverse: Pegasos; below prow right (KP) (AV) (KP)

Diameter: 22 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 4.7 g
No notes for this coin
HGC 6, 65
Greek (City Coinage)
(12) Metapontion
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An AR Didrachm struck 400-340 BCE in Metapontion
Obverse: Head of Demeter right, hair bound with wreath of barley ears

Reverse: META (Barley ear)

Diameter: 19.6 mm
Die Orientation: 6 H
Weight: 8.05 g
At the bottom of Demeter's neck, one can just make out the top of an A and an Ρ for 'ΑΡΙ', or Aristoxenos, the die-cutter. Provenance: Hess-Leu, Lucerne, March 27th 1956, lot 22. Peus, Frankfurt, auction 274, October 29th 1970, lot 1511. Privately purchased from ArtAncient.
No references provided for this coin
Greek (City Coinage)
(13) Rhodos
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 316-305 BC in Rhodos
Obverse: Helios head facing slightly right

Reverse: rose, grape cluster left, bud to the right; POΔION / E

Diameter: 18.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 6.8 g
No notes for this coin
Ashton 2001, 108; SNG Keckman I, 445; SNG Ashmolean XI, 551
Greek (City Coinage)
(14) Roman Republic
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An AR Didrachm struck 250-240 BC in Neapolis or Capua(?)
Obverse: Head of Roma (or Diana) right, wearing Phrygian helmet; sword in scabbard with belt to left.

Reverse: Victory standing right attaching wreath to long palm frond; ROMANO upward to left, II to lower right.

Diameter: -
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 6.5 g
No notes for this coin
Crawford 22/1
Roman Republican (Before 211 BC)
(15) Rome
/Files/Images/Coinsite/CoinDB/1495_Rome_didrachm.jpg
An AR Didrachm struck 225-217 BC in Rome
Obverse: laureate head of Janus

Reverse: Jupiter and Victory in quadriga right. Jupiter holding thunderbolt and scepter, Victory holding reins; ROMA

Diameter: 20 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 7 g
No notes for this coin
Crawford 34/1, Albert: 90.
Roman Republican (Before 211 BC)
(16) Segesta
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 460-440 BC in Segesta
Obverse: Hound standing left

Reverse: Head of the nymph Segesta right, swastika behind

Diameter: 21 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.2 g
ex Roma Numismatics
SNG ANS 621 (Without Swastika); McClean 2543 (Without Swastika)
Western
(17) Tyre
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An AR Didrachm struck c. 330-329 BC in Tyre
Obverse: Bearded Melqart riding hippocamp with curled wing to right, waves and dolphin below

Reverse: Owl standing right, head facing; crook and flail behind date II (year 2) and Phoenician letter tsade in right fields

Diameter: 21 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.6 g
ex Forum Ancient Coins
BMC Phoenicia p. 231, 29; SNG Cop 307 var.(year)
Greek (City Coinage)
(18) Vespasian
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An AR Didrachm struck 76-77 AD in Caesarea (Cappadocia)
Obverse: diademed head right; AYTOKPA KAICAP OYECΠACIANOC CEBACTOC

Reverse: Nike advancing right, holding wreath and palm; NIKH__CEBACTH

Diameter: 20 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 6.9 g
No notes for this coin
RPC II 1647, Sydenham 89
Roman Provincial (Twelve Caesars)
(19) Vespasian | Titus
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An AR Didrachm struck 76-77 AD in Caesarea (Cappadocia)
Obverse: laureate head of Vespasian right; AYTOKPA KAICAP OYECΠACIANOC CEBACTOC

Reverse: laureate head of Titus right; ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΟΥEϹΠΑϹΙΑΝΟϹ ϹEΒΑϹΤΟΥ ΥΙΟϹ

Diameter: 20 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 7.1 g
No notes for this coin
RPC II, 1650; S 102, Metcalf Conspectus 4, Ganschow 66b
Roman Provincial (Twelve Caesars)