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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
1/4 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Square
Length
4.80 cm
Width
4.75 cm
Height
0.70 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.70 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | Yes | No | Yes |
| 90.73 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | Yes | 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, 90.73 gr., 4.85 x 4.73 x 0.69 cm Obv. Eagle on dolphin l., TETA above and [?]HM below, all within narrow, raised frame. Rev. X[?], otherwise blank. AN 2004.21. One-fourth mina. A large section at the lower left corner and a smaller at the upper left border have broken off, but otherwise the surface is in good condition. The eagle is particularly well preserved, with separate tail feathers being discernible. The reverse offers room for two more letters in the area of the break.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; the lower left corner is broken and a small part of the upper left corner too; holes of corrosion on the broken parts. On the obverse, frame and depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the left in relief. Above and below, legend in relief: TETA [...]HM. On the reverse, letter in relief: Δ? (uncertain). The reverse is slightly hollowed.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 90.73 gr., 4.85 x 4.73 x 0.69 cm Obv. Eagle on dolphin l., TETA above and [?]HM below, all within narrow, raised frame. Rev. X[?], otherwise blank. AN 2004.21. One-fourth mina. A large section at the lower left corner and a smaller at the upper left border have broken off, but otherwise the surface is in good condition. The eagle is particularly well preserved, with separate tail feathers being discernible. The reverse offers room for two more letters in the area of the break.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; the lower left corner is broken and a small part of the upper left corner too; holes of corrosion on the broken parts. On the obverse, frame and depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the left in relief. Above and below, legend in relief: TETA [...]HM. On the reverse, letter in relief: Δ? (uncertain). The reverse is slightly hollowed.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination, Unidentified |
Fac simile
ΤΕΤΑ
. ΗΜ
Χ? or Δ?
Edition
Τέτα(ρτον) | [.]ΗΜ || Χ? or Δ?[. .]
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 2004.21 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 53, 69 | 10 | fig. 10 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 32, 47 | 34 | pl. 13/34 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 201 | Istr I b 4 | None | None |
VARIA