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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
Unidentified
Mint
Istros
Denomination
1/8 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Rectangle
Length
5.30 cm
Width
4.30 cm
Height
0.80 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.70 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 85.67 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Petasos | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Caduceus | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Hermes | Relief | LEFT | Head |
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. Rectangular lead weight, 85.67 gr., 5.33 x 4.35 x 0.8 cm. Obv. Head of Hermes l. with caduceus and petasos, I[ΣTP]I above and ΟΓΔΟ below. All within raised border. Rev. Eagle on dolphin, AΓ[OPA] above, [?] below. Edges folded into the field. AN 2004.20 One-eighth mina. The fabric is very brittle, with traces of wear especially at the back and several deep dents on the profile border on the obverse. The legend repeats the formula appearing on nos. 4, 5, 7 and 21 in this collection, but the poor state of preservation does not allow identification of the magistrate's name.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: cuts, strokes and hollows on both faces, especially on the reverse. On the obverse, frame and depiction hardly visible in relief: Head of Hermes to the left with caduceus and petasos. Above and below, letters in relief: Ι[Σ]Τ[Ρ]Ι and ΟΓΔO. On the reverse, depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the left hardly visible in relief. Above, legend in relief: AΓ̣[O]P̣Ạ.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Rectangular lead weight, 85.67 gr., 5.33 x 4.35 x 0.8 cm. Obv. Head of Hermes l. with caduceus and petasos, I[ΣTP]I above and ΟΓΔΟ below. All within raised border. Rev. Eagle on dolphin, AΓ[OPA] above, [?] below. Edges folded into the field. AN 2004.20 One-eighth mina. The fabric is very brittle, with traces of wear especially at the back and several deep dents on the profile border on the obverse. The legend repeats the formula appearing on nos. 4, 5, 7 and 21 in this collection, but the poor state of preservation does not allow identification of the magistrate's name.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: cuts, strokes and hollows on both faces, especially on the reverse. On the obverse, frame and depiction hardly visible in relief: Head of Hermes to the left with caduceus and petasos. Above and below, letters in relief: Ι[Σ]Τ[Ρ]Ι and ΟΓΔO. On the reverse, depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the left hardly visible in relief. Above, legend in relief: AΓ̣[O]P̣Ạ.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Authority, Denomination, Mint |
Fac simile
Ι . Τ . Ι
ΟΓΔΟ
ΑΓ . ΡΑ
Edition
Ἰ[σ]τ[ρ]ι(ανῶν) | ὄγδο(ον) || ἀγ̣[ο]ρ̣α̣(νόμου) | [– – –](– – –).
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 2004.20 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 53, 69 | 9 | fig. 9 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 31, 37 | 4 | pl. 3/4 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 202–203 | Istr I b 20 | None | None |
VARIA