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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 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Triangle
Length
8.55 cm
Width
7.15 cm
Height
1.70 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 462.50 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 462.56 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | RIGHT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | RIGHT |
Wear
Lightly worn
Corrosion
Corroded
Handle
No
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. Triangular lead weight, 462.56 gr., 8.05 x 8.59 x 1.7 cm. Obv. Field within raised border, showing eagle on dolphin r., MNA below and ΣΥΜ/ΝΙ/ΘΕ in corners. Rev. Blank. AN 2004.31. Mina. Several dents, but the fabric does not seem to be significantly affected. An incision along the top left edge on the reverse reads ΔΕ[Δ?]Κ[Α?], possibly a merchant's note, but of no obvious metrological meaning. Equally elusive is the significance of the letters placed in the corners of the obverse.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, triangular shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; small strokes; cuts on the reverse and the sides. The corners are slighlty raised. On the obverse, frame and depiction in relief of an eagle on a dolphin to the right. Below, legend in relief: MNA. In the three corners, legend in relief: ΣΥΜ ΝΙ ΘΕ. The reverse is blank, except an incised legend hardly visible on the right edge: Δ̣Ε[Δ̣?]Κ[E?].
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Triangular lead weight, 462.56 gr., 8.05 x 8.59 x 1.7 cm. Obv. Field within raised border, showing eagle on dolphin r., MNA below and ΣΥΜ/ΝΙ/ΘΕ in corners. Rev. Blank. AN 2004.31. Mina. Several dents, but the fabric does not seem to be significantly affected. An incision along the top left edge on the reverse reads ΔΕ[Δ?]Κ[Α?], possibly a merchant's note, but of no obvious metrological meaning. Equally elusive is the significance of the letters placed in the corners of the obverse.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, triangular shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; small strokes; cuts on the reverse and the sides. The corners are slighlty raised. On the obverse, frame and depiction in relief of an eagle on a dolphin to the right. Below, legend in relief: MNA. In the three corners, legend in relief: ΣΥΜ ΝΙ ΘΕ. The reverse is blank, except an incised legend hardly visible on the right edge: Δ̣Ε[Δ̣?]Κ[E?].
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination, Unidentified |
Fac simile
ΣΥΜ
ΝΙ ΜΝΑ ΘΕ
Δ̣Ε[Δ̣?]Κ[E?]
Edition
ΣΥΜ|ΝΙ|ΘΕ| μνᾶ. || Δ̣Ε[Δ̣?]Κ[E?]
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 2004.31 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 55–56, 71 | 20 | fig. 20 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 32, 46 | 30 | pl. 12/30 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 201 | Istr I b 2 | None | None |
VARIA