-
Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
-
Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Istros
Denomination
1/4 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Square
Length
5.48 cm
Width
5.25 cm
Height
1.15 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 156.98 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | Yes | Yes |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Hermes | Relief | RIGHT | Head | ||
| Petasos | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Caduceus | Relief | RIGHT |
Wear
Worn
Corrosion
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 156.98 gr., 5.48 x 5.25 x 1.15 cm. Obv. Recessed relief panel, showing head of Hermes r. with petasos and caduceus, T[PITH] above and ΙΣΤΡΙ below. Rev. Eagle on dolphin 1. Edges folded in. AN 2004.23. One-third mina. The piece is worn and the surface pitted with small holes and blisters. The remnant of a lobe at the upper border is folded into the obverse field. Before the piece reached the Ashmolean its patina was removed, apparently with a chemical agent, revealing several markings on the reverse that had been incised with a sharp tool.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 156.98 gr., 5.48 x 5.25 x 1.15 cm. Obv. Recessed relief panel, showing head of Hermes r. with petasos and caduceus, T[PITH] above and ΙΣΤΡΙ below. Rev. Eagle on dolphin 1. Edges folded in. AN 2004.23. One-third mina. The piece is worn and the surface pitted with small holes and blisters. The remnant of a lobe at the upper border is folded into the obverse field. Before the piece reached the Ashmolean its patina was removed, apparently with a chemical agent, revealing several markings on the reverse that had been incised with a sharp tool.
Autopsy
No
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination, Mint, Unidentified |
Fac simile
Τ
ΙΣΤΡΙ
Edition
Τ[έτα](ρτον) | Ἰστρι(ανῶν) || [– – –]
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 2004.23 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 54, 69 | 12 | fig. 12 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 32, 46 | 32 | pl. 12/32 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 202 | Istr I b 19 | None | None |
VARIA