82 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



earliest period, also used as a royal or sacred emblem and 

 signet on the coins. 



Lydia. — A fine silver stater of King Croesus (B.C. 568-554) 

 of the usual Lion and Bull type. 



(h) Transitional, fine art, and later coins, B.C. 480 to 

 Imperial times. 



Eryx in Sicily. — Two tetradrachms struck towards the 

 close of the fifth century, B.C. One of these has on the 

 obverse a victorious quadriga, and on the reverse the legend 

 ERVKINON and a figure of Aphrodite seated, holding a dove 

 :and with a winged Eros standing before her. The other, 

 which is of rougher work, has the same reverse type, but on 

 the obverse, in place of the chariot, a dog before three stalks 

 of corn, a type which occurs at the neighbouring city of 

 Segesta, where the dog symbolizes the River Crimissus. The 

 combination of these types on one coin proves close commer- 

 cial relations between the two cities of Eryx and Segesta. 



Istrus in Moesia Inferior. — A remarkable silver drachm. 

 The ver}^ high relief and fine style of the heads of the 

 Dioskuri on this coin, and the well-defined incuse square on 

 the reverse, show that it belongs to the end of the fifth 

 century. It is thus quite a hundred years earlier than any 

 of the other coins of Istrus in the Museum collection. Pur- 

 chased at the Carfrae Sale. 



Pliilip'pi in Macedon.—A beautiful gold stater of the time 

 .of Philip of Macedon, struck before his death in B.C. 336. 

 "The style of the head of Herakles on the obverse is freer than 

 on any hitherto published specimens. The town of Philippi 

 had, during Philip's reign, the unique privilege of autonomous 

 coinage of gold as well as of silver. 



Eurea or Eureae in Thessaly. — An extremely rare bronze 

 coin of the best period of art (B.C. 400-344). Obverse, a very 

 refined head of a Bacchante, full face ; reverse, EYPEAII2N 

 Vine-branch with grapes and small letter A- Eurea is an 

 entirely unknown Thessalian town, the existence of which 

 was for the first time established by a coin, probably from 

 the same die as the present specimen, in the collection of the 

 Hermitage Museum at St. Petersburg. 



Fvrea 'J) in Thessaly. — Another Thessalian bronze coin, 

 evidently from the same " find " as the preceding, scarcely 

 inferior to it in style, and quite unique. Obverse, head of 

 Zeus of excellent Thessalian work ; reverse, a vine-branch 

 accompanied by the letter A- If it is not a coin of Eurea, it 

 must have been struck at some city in the immediate neigh- 

 bour! ood of that town. 



Melitaea 



