-
Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
-
Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
-
Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
-
Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
-
Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
-
Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Istros
Denomination
1/8 Mina
,
1/2 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Rectangle
Length
3.70 cm
Width
4.95 cm
Height
0.90 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.60 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | Yes | No | Yes |
| 85.58 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | Yes | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Unidentified | Relief |
Wear
Heavily worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
No
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
Yes
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight with eagle on dolphin motif.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 85.58 gr., 3.72 x 4.95 x 0.9 cm. Obv. Raised borders on two sides, H[MI] at lower edge. Rev. Upper portion of dolphin and claws of eagle. AN 2004.19. The relatively clean break at the right and upper sides suggests that this fragment may have been cut off deliberately from a half-mina so as to produce a fraction, perhaps one-eighth. The reuse of weights is attested by one example which was provided with a secondary weight inscription (in graffito) in Byzantine times.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape, broken (only a small part of weight remains). Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; strokes and thin cuts on the edges. On the obverse, frame and letters in relief on the lower edge: HṂ. On the reverse, traces of depiction of an eagle on a dolphin : upper portion of dolphin and claws of eagle.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 85.58 gr., 3.72 x 4.95 x 0.9 cm. Obv. Raised borders on two sides, H[MI] at lower edge. Rev. Upper portion of dolphin and claws of eagle. AN 2004.19. The relatively clean break at the right and upper sides suggests that this fragment may have been cut off deliberately from a half-mina so as to produce a fraction, perhaps one-eighth. The reuse of weights is attested by one example which was provided with a secondary weight inscription (in graffito) in Byzantine times.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape, broken (only a small part of weight remains). Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; strokes and thin cuts on the edges. On the obverse, frame and letters in relief on the lower edge: HṂ. On the reverse, traces of depiction of an eagle on a dolphin : upper portion of dolphin and claws of eagle.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination |
Fac simile
Η
Edition
Ἡ[μι](μναῖον).
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 2004.19 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 53, 68 | 8 | fig. 8 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 25, 31, 36 | 2 | pl. 2/2 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 203 | Istr I b 26 | None | None |
VARIA
Additional comment
Meyer 2001–03: The reuse of weights is attested by one example which was provided with a secondary weight inscription (in graffito) in Byzantine times: Ocheșeanu 1996, 244-245, no. 4, pl. figs. 2, 3.
Permalink
External link