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Copyright credit: Auction Roma 2019
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Copyright credit: Auction Roma 2019
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Copyright credit: Auction Roma 2019
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Copyright credit: Auction CNG 2019
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Apamea
Denomination
4 Drachmas
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Struck
Shape
Disc or similar (ellipse, etc.)
Length
2.50 cm
Width
2.50 cm
Height
- cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17.04 | - | - | Auction Roma 2019 | No | No | Yes |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeus / Jupiter | Stamped / Countermarked | RIGHT | Head | ||
| Nike | Stamped / Countermarked | LEFT | Walking | ||
| Wreath | Stamped / Countermarked | ||||
| Palm | Stamped / Countermarked |
Wear
Corrosion
Handle
No
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Auction Roma 2019: Seleukis and Pieria, Apameia on the Orontes(?) PB “Tetradrachm”. Dated SE 298 = 15/4 BC. Diademed head of Zeus right / [AΠ]AME[ΩN] THΣ IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY, Nike advancing left, holding wreath in outstretched right hand and palm in left; ΘP(retr.)Σ (date) in inner left field. Cf. Bertolami E-31, lot 126 for a PB muled “tetradrachm” of Syracuse and Akragas; cf. Roma E-35, lot 204 for a PB “tetradrachm” of Lysimachos. 17.04g, 25mm, 12h. Near Very Fine. An extremely interesting lead “tetradrachm”, the types of which are closely associated with the known issues of Apameia and yet is seemingly unpublished. From a private North American collection.
Auction CNG 2019: SELEUKIS and PIERIA, Apameia. 1st century BC. PB "Tetradrachm"(?) (25mm, 17.03 g, 11h). Dated SE 299 (14/3 BC). Laureate head of Zeus right / Nike advancing left, holding wreath; [AΠ]AME[ΩN] THΣ IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY at sides, Θ(koppa)Σ (date) to inner left. Unpublished in the standard references. Tan patina. Good Fine. Rare and unusual.
Auction CNG 2019: SELEUKIS and PIERIA, Apameia. 1st century BC. PB "Tetradrachm"(?) (25mm, 17.03 g, 11h). Dated SE 299 (14/3 BC). Laureate head of Zeus right / Nike advancing left, holding wreath; [AΠ]AME[ΩN] THΣ IEPAΣ KAI AΣYΛOY at sides, Θ(koppa)Σ (date) to inner left. Unpublished in the standard references. Tan patina. Good Fine. Rare and unusual.
Autopsy
No
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Stamped / Countermarked | Date, Mint |
Fac simile
[AΠ]AME[ΩN]
THΣ IEPAΣ
ΘϘΣ
KAI AΣYΛOY
Edition
[Ἀπ]αμέ[ων] | τῆς ἱερᾶς | καὶ ἀσύλου.
θϙσ´.
θϙσ´.
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Findspot (site)
context
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
Feb. 7, 2019
circumstances
Antiquities trade.
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
GREEK
Time frame
FROM
-14
TO
-13
Comments on Chronology
SE 299 = 14/13 BCE.
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| Antiquities Trade | Feb. 7, 2019 | None |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auction CNG 2019c | None | 224 | None | None |
| Auction Roma 2019b | None | 422 | None | None |
VARIA
Additional comment
Is it a weight?
Auction CNG 2019: Lead coins were issued in several areas of the ancient Greek world. Most prominent among the issuers are Alexander Jannaeus of Judaea and the rulers of the Nabataean kingdom. Yet unique lead objects from other areas are periodically seen as well, sometimes directly copying one or both sides of an official coin, sometimes bearing completely unknown fantasy types (for example, CNG 85, 330 and BCD Thessaly 1305). These enigmatic pieces are frequently identified as distribution tokens or entry tickets, an untenable attribution given the lack of precise provenance. Other possible uses for the objects abound, including: tokens, bullae, weights, contemporary or modern counterfeits, funerary money, test-pieces or strikes, and even circulating coinage. Of these suggestions, a use as a token or test-piece is often most likely. As tokens, the objects may have initially served as proof or guarantee of some sort. As test-pieces, the objects would have served to demonstrate coin designs for approval prior to mass striking, as pattern coins do in the modern world.
Auction CNG 2019: Lead coins were issued in several areas of the ancient Greek world. Most prominent among the issuers are Alexander Jannaeus of Judaea and the rulers of the Nabataean kingdom. Yet unique lead objects from other areas are periodically seen as well, sometimes directly copying one or both sides of an official coin, sometimes bearing completely unknown fantasy types (for example, CNG 85, 330 and BCD Thessaly 1305). These enigmatic pieces are frequently identified as distribution tokens or entry tickets, an untenable attribution given the lack of precise provenance. Other possible uses for the objects abound, including: tokens, bullae, weights, contemporary or modern counterfeits, funerary money, test-pieces or strikes, and even circulating coinage. Of these suggestions, a use as a token or test-piece is often most likely. As tokens, the objects may have initially served as proof or guarantee of some sort. As test-pieces, the objects would have served to demonstrate coin designs for approval prior to mass striking, as pattern coins do in the modern world.
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