We’ve recently discovered which object in our collection is the smallest. It is a coin, a Pegasos Stater of Corinth, which we’ve been able to date to 625-585 BCE due to the design on it. On one side (what I would assume is the front) is an image of Pegasos (also spelled Pegasus) and on the other side is a type of swastika. A picture of either side is below. The first image is Pegasos, which is difficult to see as it has been pretty worn down, but the other side is easier to make out.

Of course you may be wondering why it is just now we are discovering this object as the smallest in the collection (as well as possibly being the oldest). It is because there hasn’t been much work done on this particular coin and it has pretty much lain in storage forgotten, while we thought that a ship model was the smallest object. This ship model (pictured below) is in a flashlight bulb, which seems pretty unbelievable to me! You can see how tiny it is and understand why we thought that this was our smallest object.

It’s pretty amazing to ponder some of the smaller pieces in our collection and imagine the person who had the patience and steady hand to create something so tiny. And speaking of tiny objects, I will post pictures of some of our best ones below. The picture on the left shows our very tiny ship-in-a-bottle. The bottle is about 3 inches long, but the model itself is less than 2. The ship inside is a 3-masted schooner, unknown name. The picture on the right is a little Chinese sampan carved from a Litchi nut and it has working shutters, which the picture shows. There are characters on the bottom which tell of a Chinese family escaping from a typhoon and sailing down the Canton River. Quite an amazing piece with very fine details. Both of these wonderful pieces are currently on display in our A to Z Exhibition.