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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
1/2 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Square
Length
6.20 cm
Width
6.90 cm
Height
1.20 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 307.50 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 307.47 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Hermes | Relief | RIGHT | Head | ||
| Petasos | Relief | RIGHT |
Wear
Worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight with eagle and dolphin.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 307.47 gr., 6.22 x 6.94 x 1.2 cm. Obv. L (?) within raised border. Rev. Outline of eagle on dolphin r., framed by raised edges. AN 2004.24. Most likely a half-mina (semis) on the bilibral standard of 20 ounces, that is, 150 Athenian drachmas. The plaque is heavily worn, with rounded edges. There are several deep slashes on the left border of the reverse, and the reliefs on either face are discernible in outline only. The top of the lobe at the upper edge has broken away, and its base has bent into the reverse field.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape, flattened handle on the upper edge with small holes on both faces. Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; the right side is hollowed with cuts and strokes; deep cut on the relief on the obverse. The corners are folded. On the obverse, frame and depiction in light relief: Head of Hermes to the right. Below, letters hardly visible in relief: Ι̣Σ̣Τ̣Ρ̣Ι̣ (uncertain). On the reverse, flattened frame and depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the right in light relief.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Square lead weight, 307.47 gr., 6.22 x 6.94 x 1.2 cm. Obv. L (?) within raised border. Rev. Outline of eagle on dolphin r., framed by raised edges. AN 2004.24. Most likely a half-mina (semis) on the bilibral standard of 20 ounces, that is, 150 Athenian drachmas. The plaque is heavily worn, with rounded edges. There are several deep slashes on the left border of the reverse, and the reliefs on either face are discernible in outline only. The top of the lobe at the upper edge has broken away, and its base has bent into the reverse field.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape, flattened handle on the upper edge with small holes on both faces. Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; the right side is hollowed with cuts and strokes; deep cut on the relief on the obverse. The corners are folded. On the obverse, frame and depiction in light relief: Head of Hermes to the right. Below, letters hardly visible in relief: Ι̣Σ̣Τ̣Ρ̣Ι̣ (uncertain). On the reverse, flattened frame and depiction of an eagle on a dolphin to the right in light relief.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Mint, Unidentified |
Fac simile
Ι̣Σ̣Τ̣Ρ̣Ι̣
Edition
[– – –] | Ἰ̣σ̣τ̣ρ̣ι̣(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 2004.24 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 54, 70 | 13 | fig. 13 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 31, 38 | 8 | pl. 4/8 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 202 | Istr I b 18 | None | None |
VARIA