1013 



NUMISMATICS. 



NUMISMATICS. 



a female drawing water from a fountain; of this town are the tetra- 

 drachms of the tyrant Alexander, B.C. 363-359, with the head of Larissa 

 or Coronia and a horseman. The early tetradrachms of the Oreskii 

 have a horseman with horses and spears. The coins of Illyricum are, not 

 interesting; the drachms of Apollonia have dancing nymphs and a volcano. 

 Of Epirus there are tetrobols with the heads of Zeus and Hera and 

 a thunderbolt in an oak crown. The most important coins are those of 

 the monarchy of Neoptolemus and Alexander, B.C. 362-322, there 

 are only brass ; but of Alexander I, B c. 342-332, there are staters of 

 fine work with the head of Zeus and a horseman, and silver obuls with 

 Helioa; those of Pyrrhus, B.C. 294-272, are of great beauty, and consist 

 of hemistaters with the head of Artemis and Victory with a trophy 

 and crown ; staters with the head of Pallas-Athene and the same, 

 and also drachms with the head of Proserpine and Athene- Proma- 

 cho.s struck in Sicily ; Dyrrhacium has early coins like Corcyra 

 and drachms with the head of Dionysos and a Pegasus of Corinth ; the 

 didrachms of Anactoriuin have the head of Pallas and Pegasus ; the 

 didrachm of Leucas has Artemis Nauplia with a ship and hind; 

 Thyreum, Achelous and Apollo; Aetolia the Aehelous and Atalanta 

 amidst shields, and triobols with the head of Atalanta and the boar of 

 Calydou. The didrachms-and hemidrachm of Locris offer the head of 

 Persephone and Ajax Oileus, the old drachms and triobols of Phocis 

 the bueranium suspended on the temple and the head of Apollo. The 

 archaic didrachms of Thebes and Bccotia have the celebrated bucklers ; 

 the later didrachms the head of Dionysos, his golden amphora, and 

 Poseidon, Hercules strangling the serpents, or shooting an arrow, a 

 rare tetradrachm, the head of Zeus and Poseidon. 



The coins of Athens have been already described ; the lepta of 

 Kleusis have Demeter in a biga of winged serpents and a sow ; those of 

 Mgara, the head of Apollo and his lyre. Of Achica there is a remarkable 

 series of the league, with the head of Zeus and the monogram of Achasa 

 and the initials of the towns; others have Zeus Nicephorus, and 

 Demeter. The didrachms of Corinth have the v for the initial of the 

 name of the city, the head of Pallas C'halinitis in the Corinthian helmet, 

 and Pegasus, or Bellerophon and the Chimera: on the imperial 

 are Ino, Melicerte. The drachms of Patrae resemble those of the 

 Achican league ; those of Phlius have a wheel. The archaic drachms 

 of Sicyon have a flying dove, with 2E, the archaic initial of the city, 

 of great beauty ; the later, a Chimoera, with the same bird, and are 

 of great beauty. The archaic didrachms of Elis have an eagle with a 

 serpent, emblem of Olympian Jove, and FA for Falis, the j-Kolic name 

 city, with a thunderbolt ; later coins, the eagles feeding off hares, 

 and a winged Victory seated ; and the last, a copy of the head of the 

 celebrated Hera of Polycleitus, with her name Hera inscribed upon the 

 kredemnon or attire. The drachms of the Cranii in Cephallenia have 

 the ram of Helle ; Zacynthus has the head and tripod of Apollo ; 

 Ithaca, Ulysses. 



The Messenian didrachms have the head of Demeter or Persephone 

 bound with ears of wheat, and on the reverse Zeus Ithomatas ; the 

 drachma! of Laconia, the head of Hercules ; and the tetradrachms of 

 H nes the portrait of this monarch and the armed Aphrodite, and 

 on late copper Lycurgus himself. The drachms of Argos, a wolf ; the 

 smaller pieces the protome of a wolf, and on the reverse A in a 

 square, the head of Hera, and Diomed ; Trcezene has the trident of 

 Neptune. Those of Arcadia have Zeus Lyeasus with an eagle, and a female 

 head in a square ; the silver coins, the head of Pan ; the hemidrachms 

 of Henea, the head of Hera ; Mantinea, the bear and acorn ; those of 

 Megalopolis, the laurelled head of Zeus Lyctcus, and Pan seated holding 

 a pedum, and an eagle on Mount Lyceius; Pheneus, the heads of Proser- 

 jinn' and Meleager ; Stymphalns, the head of Artemis, and Hercules 

 and the Stymphalian birds. In Crete the art of the coins is peculiar, 

 rather coarse, and the pieces are often large. The drachms of Aptera 

 have the head of Zeus or Hera, and Hermes or Apollo and Apteras ; 

 those of Gnossus, the Minotaur holding in each hand a bull, and the 

 labyrinth ; the didrachrns, the head of Minos, Hera or Ariadne ; those 

 Ionia, the ivy-crowned head of Dionysus, and Cydon with his 

 hound, holding a bow ; the tetradrachms, Artemis, with a hound and 

 torch. The drachms of Elyms have a bee of the celebrated hives which 

 nourished the Cretan Zeus, and the celebrated goats which by eating 

 the herb dictamos drew the iron from their wounds; the old didrachm 

 of Oortynn, Europa seated in the tree, with Zeus as an eagle, and Zeus 

 under the form of the bull ; Hierapytna, a palm tree and eagle ; the 

 didrachms of Itanus, Tritons and two sea serpents; the very old 

 drachms of Lyttus, a flying eagle and the forepart of a boar; the 

 didrachms of Phscstus, Hercules killing the hydra, bulls and ear of 

 corn, and an ox bound and feeding, or the winged Talos hurling 

 stones at all who approached the island, and Zeus Gelchanos seated on 

 a tree holding a cock. Polyrrhenium, Priansus, and Khaucus have 

 interesting coins. Eubcca has Aphrodite; the tetradrachms of 

 Carystus, a cock, and a calf sucking a cow. The didrachms of Chalcis, 

 Apollo and a lyre ; the triobols of Histiea, the head of Hera, and the 

 prow of a ship; the tetradrachms of Eretria, the head of Artemis 

 Amarynthia, and a bull with a fillet on his horns. The old didrachms 

 of Ceos, a bunch of grapes and incuse square ; the didrachms of Melos, 

 a pomegranate. Ceos has a pomegranate ; Coresia a sepia, the copper 

 i,f .lulirf, the head of Aristseun, and a bee; the didrachms of Paros, 

 mentioned by Hrsyrhius, have the head of Ariadne and a goat; Teuos 

 baa the head of Dionysus, with the ram's horu and grapes. 



The Asiatic coins commence with the Cimmerian Bosphorut 

 extend from n.c. 289 to A.D. 337. The first of them, those of Par. 



r.-i, resemble those of Lysimachus. The tetradrachms of Mi 

 dates III., B.C. 297-266, are of fine although barbaric work, with a g. 

 portrait. Those of the great Mithridates IV., B.C. 123-62, both tL 

 staters and tetradrachms, give fine portraits of the king. Those 01 

 Pharnaces II., B.C. 62-47, are nearly as fine. The later kings, com- 

 mencing with Asander, B.C. 4(5-13, struck a series of gold and electrum 

 staters, didrachms of base alloy, and copper, with portraits of the 

 G'assar as their reverses and dates. Those of Pontus are not remark- 

 able. Amastris has the head of Amastris the Amazon, its founder. 

 The tetrobols of Cromna have the heads of Zeus and Hera ; the 

 drachms of Sinope with Greek or Phoenician inscriptions, have the head 

 of the local eponymous nymph and an eagle devouring a tunny. The 

 brass obols, Perseus and the ^Egis. In Bithynia, the old drachms of 

 Chalcedon have a bull and incuse square ; the drachms and trihemio- 

 bols of Heraclea, the heads of Hercules and Hera ; the drachms of 

 Cius, the head of Apollo and a ship ; the didrachms of Heraclea, 

 Heracles and the city, and didrachms of the tyrants Timotheus and 

 Dionysius. There is a fine regal series of tetradrachms and copper of 

 the kings of this state, with portraits, as Nicomedes I., B.C. 270-250, 

 Prusias II., B.C. 149, with his head winged as Perseus and Jupiter 

 and of Nicomedes II. These coins are dated with the Bitliynian sera. 



In the neighbouring state of Mysia, the most remarkable autonomous 

 coins are those of the celebrated electrum and gold stater system of 

 Cyzicus, already mentioned, and tetradrachms with the head of Proser- 

 pine and a lion's head. Of Lampsacus, there are staters with the head 

 of Poseidon, the bust of Demeter, and hippocampus ; the didnichms 

 have Hercules. Of Parium, there are staters with the head of Deiui'tcr, 

 and drachms with a goat. The most remarkable of the coins of Per- 

 gamus are the cistophori, or tetradrachms, with a snake escaping from 

 a basket, all in an ivy crown, or two snakes entwined round* a bow. 

 A fine series of tetradrachms of the kings of Pergamus commence 

 with Philetcerus, B.C. 288, Attains I., B.C. 241-147, Eumenes II., r,.c. 

 197-159, Aristonicus, with their portraits, and Pallas Athene. Of the 

 Truas, the drachms have the Gorgonmin, and an anchor or eagle, and 

 Trojan myths. 



The coins of Abydos have the head of Pallas, Artemis, and the 

 Gorgonium, an anchor or eagle ; of Alexandria Troas, the head of 

 Apollo Smintheus, and a pasturing horse ; the tetradrachms of 

 Tenedos, described by Aristotle and Suidas, have a double head and 

 the bipennis with which Teues cut the fatal rope. The drachms of 

 Aege in Aeolis present the head of- Apollo and Zeus Aetophoros and a 

 goat ; the tetradrachms of Cyuie the head of the eponymous Amazon, a 

 horse, and jug ; those of Myrrhina, the head of the Gryntean Apollo, a 

 female offering, and a diota. The island of Lesbos struck for itself only 

 bronze coins, but the drachms of Methymna have the head of Pallas 

 and a bull, of fine work and old style ; Mytilene the head of Apollo and 

 a lyre ; Clazomenae has beautiful staters with the head of Apollo and a 

 winged boar, and didrachms with the same head and a swan ; of Ephesua 

 there are staters with the head of Artemis and the Ephesian Artemis ; 

 cistophori, tetradraehms with a bee, deer, and a palm-tree. Erythroo 

 has a stater with a stag; the tetradrachms of Magnesia have the head 

 of Artemis and Apollo on the Mieander, the didrachms, a rider and 

 bull ; one has the name of Themistocles, then its dynast. Miletus 

 offers coins of the oldest style with the laurelled head of Apollo, 

 a lion, and star ; Phocaea has staters and silver coins with a seal ; 

 Smyrna, a double stater, with head of Cybele, and a female ; bronze 

 coins with Homer; and sesterces struck by the praetor Theudianos. 

 Teos has silver didrachms with a gryphon, and brass coins with 

 Anacreon. The type of Chios in gold and silver is a sphinx and 

 diota. Samos has the head of a lion and forepart of a bull. 

 Antiochia, of Caria, has the head of Apollo and a Pegasus. Of Cnidus 

 there are coins of great antiquity, with the heads of Aphrodite and a 

 lion ; Myndus, Serapis and his head-dress ; Nysa, the rape of Proserpine ; 

 Termeros has a trihemiobol of Tymnus its tyrant. Of the Carian 

 princes, commencing with Hecatomuus, B.C. 381, and ending witli 

 Pixodarus, 330, there is a fine series of tetradrachms, didrachms, and 

 drachms, the normal type of which is Zeus Labrandenos. The didraehms 

 of Calymna have the head of Mai's and a lyre. Of Cos, there are silvrr 

 coins with Hercules and crabs, and tetradrachms with the dance of 

 Apollo before the tripod, while the brass coins have Aesculapius. 

 The gold and silver coins of Rhodes have the head of the Colossos and 

 the rose. 



The coins of Lycia consist of an early series of didrachms, 

 drachms, and trihemiobols, of the earliest Attic standard, with 

 incuse squares with symbols, the types of the oldest B.C. b'UO ; the 

 normal type is a ring with three or four hooks. These early coins 

 have inscriptions in the Lycian characters, and the names of Tlos, the 

 Troes, Pinara, and other cities, are found on them. A later series of 

 didrachms, having oa one side the head of Pallas armed, and on the 

 other the head of a satrap, and inscribed Udeuenefele, Pttara/u, 

 Feggsere, Arina, and Garue, probably record the names of satraps 

 after the Persian conquest. (Sir C. Fellowes, ' Coins of Lycia,' 4to, 

 London, 1855.) Of Lycia there are also a series of drachms struck 

 by the Lycian league, with the head of Apollo and lyre, and the 

 initial letters of the states. 



In Pamphylia, and Aspeudus, the didrachm has wrestlers, three legs, 



