REGARDING A RARE ISTRIAN BRONZE ISSUE FROM THE 2ND CENTURY BC Cover Image

REGARDING A RARE ISTRIAN BRONZE ISSUE FROM THE 2ND CENTURY BC
REGARDING A RARE ISTRIAN BRONZE ISSUE FROM THE 2ND CENTURY BC

Author(s): Steluța Marin, Virgil Ioniță
Subject(s): History, Archaeology, Cultural history, Economic history, Ancient World
Published by: Editura Muzeului Municipiului Bucuresti
Keywords: Istros; Dionysopolis; Apollonia Pontica; Prusias I of Bythinia; Eumenes II; Cyzicus; counter marks; bunch of grape; Artemis; tripod; lyre;

Summary/Abstract: Among a few archival notes we have discovered a photo of a bronze coin minted in Istros, as we can tell from the image, on the reverse, of an eagle standing on a dolphin. Unfortunately, there are no technical specifications or any information regarding its origin. The coin displays the head of Apollo to the right, wearing the taenia. On the right side, a countermark of 5×10 mm, that seems to be a lyre, was applied. The countermark is blurry, perhaps due to the fact that the punch was moved during stricking. The reverse displays the legend IΣΤΡΙΗΙ above an eagle with folded wings on a dolphin to the left. By comparing it to Greek coins from the south-western Black Sea region it appears that the mintage of such Istrian issues began in the early 2nd century BC. Later issues have also been published in the literature, which differ from our coin, as the obverse displays Apollo alongside an attribute, probably an arrow. The more recent issues reveal the continuity of this monetary type, minted in several variants until the 1st century BC. They remained in circulation until the 1st century AD when they were countermarked with the image of a bunch of grapes. Such dies were applied by the city of Dionysopolis during the first half of the 1st century AD.

  • Issue Year: 4/2018
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 274-286
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: English