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Copyright credit: Ocheşeanu 1992–93
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Copyright credit: Ocheşeanu 1992–93
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mna(– – –), agoranomos (Istros)
Mint
Istros
Denomination
1/8 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Rectangle
Length
5.35 cm
Width
5.00 cm
Height
0.73 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73.89 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | Yes |
| 73.89 | - | - | Ocheşeanu 1992–93 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Hermes | Relief | LEFT | Head | ||
| Petasos | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Caduceus | Relief | LEFT |
Wear
Corrosion
Heavily corroded
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight, Hermes with his caduceus staff.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 73.89 gr., 5.35 x 5.0 x 0.73 cm. Obv. Hermes l. with petasos and caduceus, ΟΓΔΟ below. All within raised edges. Rev. Eagle on dolphin l., AΓ[OPA] above, MNA below. AN 2004.15 One-eighth mina. Part of the lobe at the upper edge is missing. The surface is heavily corroded, especially in the area of the inscription where the corrision has created holes. This piece had allegedly been discovered on the territory of ancient Histria in the 1980s and was published (together with no. 15) as part of a Romanian private collection in 1996 . The editor princeps read the inscription on the reverse as AΓ ...Χ and restored Ἀγορανόμου ... χ, designating the civic official responsible for the particular issue. The chi has since been worn away.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 73.89 gr., 5.35 x 5.0 x 0.73 cm. Obv. Hermes l. with petasos and caduceus, ΟΓΔΟ below. All within raised edges. Rev. Eagle on dolphin l., AΓ[OPA] above, MNA below. AN 2004.15 One-eighth mina. Part of the lobe at the upper edge is missing. The surface is heavily corroded, especially in the area of the inscription where the corrision has created holes. This piece had allegedly been discovered on the territory of ancient Histria in the 1980s and was published (together with no. 15) as part of a Romanian private collection in 1996 . The editor princeps read the inscription on the reverse as AΓ ...Χ and restored Ἀγορανόμου ... χ, designating the civic official responsible for the particular issue. The chi has since been worn away.
Autopsy
No
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Authority, Denomination |
Fac simile
ΟΓΔΟ
ΑΓ
ΜΝΑ
Edition
Ὄγδο(ον) || ἀγ[ορα](νόμου) | Μνα(– – –)?.
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Romania: Constanța
Findspot (site)
Istria [Istros / Histria]
context
Meyer 2001–03: Discovered on the territory of ancient Histria in the 1980s.
Ocheşeanu 1992–93: Cele patru ponduri au fost găsite în anii ’80, la Histria, pe Platou de-a lungul celor două drumuri amenajate prin situl arheologic pentru fenna piscicolă. Două dintre greutăţile antice au fost aflate pe drumul ce leagă şoseaua asfaltată ce merge spre cetate de poarta fermei piscicole (fără a şti, din păcate, care anume), iar celelalte pe drumul ce însoţeşte canalul piscicol.
Ocheşeanu 1992–93: Cele patru ponduri au fost găsite în anii ’80, la Histria, pe Platou de-a lungul celor două drumuri amenajate prin situl arheologic pentru fenna piscicolă. Două dintre greutăţile antice au fost aflate pe drumul ce leagă şoseaua asfaltată ce merge spre cetate de poarta fermei piscicole (fără a şti, din păcate, care anume), iar celelalte pe drumul ce însoţeşte canalul piscicol.
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 2004.15 |
| Private Collection, Constanța | None | None |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocheşeanu 1992–93a | 241–244 | 2 | fig. 2 | None |
| Meyer 2001–03 | 52, 67 | 4 | fig. 4 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 31, 41 | 15 | pl. 7/15 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 203 | Istr I b 24 | None | None |
VARIA