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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Istros
Denomination
1/8 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Square
Length
3.80 cm
Width
3.95 cm
Height
0.50 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.30 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 52.32 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | LEFT |
Wear
Worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
No
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight with eagle on dolphin motif.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 52.32 gr., 3.97 x 3.79 x 0.7 cm. Obv. Eagle on dolphin l., Δ[A] above and ΟΓΔ below, enclosed by a border with rounded profile. Rev. Blank. AN 2004.12. One-eight mina. The surface was stabbed with a pointed tool, especially around the edges, leaving the object in a poor state. Possibly from same mould as no. 2.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: small strokes; the lower left corner is broken; small holes on the edges and sides (punched?), on the obverse, bump on the lower right corner. On the obverse, traces of frame on the right and depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the left. Above and below, letters in relief: Δ[A] and ΟΓΔ. The reverse is flat and blank.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 52.32 gr., 3.97 x 3.79 x 0.7 cm. Obv. Eagle on dolphin l., Δ[A] above and ΟΓΔ below, enclosed by a border with rounded profile. Rev. Blank. AN 2004.12. One-eight mina. The surface was stabbed with a pointed tool, especially around the edges, leaving the object in a poor state. Possibly from same mould as no. 2.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: small strokes; the lower left corner is broken; small holes on the edges and sides (punched?), on the obverse, bump on the lower right corner. On the obverse, traces of frame on the right and depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the left. Above and below, letters in relief: Δ[A] and ΟΓΔ. The reverse is flat and blank.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination, Mint |
Fac simile
ΔΑ
ΟΓΔ
Edition
Δα(μόσιον) | ὄγδ(οον).
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Findspot (site)
context
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
Dec. 31, 1996
circumstances
Meyer and Moreno 2004: In 1996 a private collector of ancient coins received a posted parcel containing 43 metal objects, supposedly lead weights from ancient Istria on the western shore of the Black Sea. These came unsolicited from an antiquities dealer based outside Britain, and given that they would otherwise most likely have been dispersed on the open market, the recipient notified the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and deposited the package at the Department of Antiquities.
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
GREEK
Time frame
FROM
-400
TO
-100
Comments on Chronology
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) | Dec. 31, 1996 | AN 2004.12 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 51, 67 | 1 | fig. 1 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 32, 47 | 37 | pl. 13/37 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 201 | Istr I b 6 | None | None |
VARIA