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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
1/8 Mina
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Leaf
Length
4.95 cm
Width
4.30 cm
Height
0.80 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76.10 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 75.13 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Dolphin | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Hermes | Relief | LEFT | Head | ||
| Petasos | Relief | LEFT | |||
| Caduceus | Relief | LEFT |
Wear
Lightly worn
Corrosion
Corroded
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Heart shaped lead weight.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Hear-shaped lead weight, 75.13 gr., 4.35 x 4.92 x 0.85 cm. Obv. Part of raised border. Rev. Eagle on dolphin l. AN 2004.33. Probably one-eighth mina, but the surface is covered in bruises and sinter, obscuring possible weight marks, and the handle is missing.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, (inverted) heart shape; handle missing? Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; some small strokes and bumps; cuts on the obverse on the relief and on the reverse on the lower edge with a bump above. On the obverse, frame and depiction in relief: Head of Hermes to the left with petasos and caduceus. Below, legend hardly visible in relief? On the reverse, depiction in relief of an eagle on a dolphin to the left.
Meyer 2001–03: Histrian weight of the autonomous period. Hear-shaped lead weight, 75.13 gr., 4.35 x 4.92 x 0.85 cm. Obv. Part of raised border. Rev. Eagle on dolphin l. AN 2004.33. Probably one-eighth mina, but the surface is covered in bruises and sinter, obscuring possible weight marks, and the handle is missing.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, (inverted) heart shape; handle missing? Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; some small strokes and bumps; cuts on the obverse on the relief and on the reverse on the lower edge with a bump above. On the obverse, frame and depiction in relief: Head of Hermes to the left with petasos and caduceus. Below, legend hardly visible in relief? On the reverse, depiction in relief of an eagle on a dolphin to the left.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Unidentified |
Fac simile
[illegible]
Edition
[illegible]
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 2004.33 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 56, 72 | 22 | fig. 22 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 31, 41 | 16 | pl. 7/16 | None |
| Killen 2017a | 202 | Istr I b 14 | None | None |
VARIA