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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
Rectangle
Length
3.80 cm
Width
5.70 cm
Height
0.75 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71.00 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 71.02 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Hermes | Relief | RIGHT | Head | ||
| Petasos | Relief | RIGHT |
Wear
Worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
Yes
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight, Hermes with petasos hat.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 71.02 gr., 5.74 x 3.85 x 0.74 cm. Obv. Panel within raised border, showing head of Hermes r. with petasos, IΣ[TPI] above and ΟΓΔΟ below. Rev. Eagle on dolphin. Edges folded in. AN 2004.14. One-eighth mina. The fabric is porous. The eagle on dolphin on the back is very worn and the legend beneath, if indeed there was one, is illegible. The lobe attached to the upper border is pierced through for suspension and, on the obverse, shows a deep cut from the right at its base, continuing into the field and to the profile border on the opposite side.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape, square handle pierced for suspension on the upper edge on the right. Signs of wear and corrosion: strokes; big diagonal cut on the obverse. On the obverse, frame and depiction hardly visible in relief: Head of Hermes to the right with the petasos hat. Above and below, letters in relief: ΙΣ[ΤΡΙ] and ΟΓΔỌ. On the reverse, depiction hardly visible of an eagle on a dolphin. Below, legend in relief? (uncertain and illegible).
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 71.02 gr., 5.74 x 3.85 x 0.74 cm. Obv. Panel within raised border, showing head of Hermes r. with petasos, IΣ[TPI] above and ΟΓΔΟ below. Rev. Eagle on dolphin. Edges folded in. AN 2004.14. One-eighth mina. The fabric is porous. The eagle on dolphin on the back is very worn and the legend beneath, if indeed there was one, is illegible. The lobe attached to the upper border is pierced through for suspension and, on the obverse, shows a deep cut from the right at its base, continuing into the field and to the profile border on the opposite side.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape, square handle pierced for suspension on the upper edge on the right. Signs of wear and corrosion: strokes; big diagonal cut on the obverse. On the obverse, frame and depiction hardly visible in relief: Head of Hermes to the right with the petasos hat. Above and below, letters in relief: ΙΣ[ΤΡΙ] and ΟΓΔỌ. On the reverse, depiction hardly visible of an eagle on a dolphin. Below, legend in relief? (uncertain and illegible).
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination, Mint |
Fac simile
ΙΣ
ΟΓΔΟ
Edition
Ἰσ[τρι](ανῶν) | ὄγδο(ον).
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 2004.14 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 51, 67 | 3 | fig. 3 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 32, 44 | 27 | pl. 10/27 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 203 | Istr I b 25 | None | None |
VARIA