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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
Triangle
Length
2.85 cm
Width
5.05 cm
Height
0.70 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36.80 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | Yes | No | Yes |
| 36.79 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | Yes | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermes | Relief | LEFT | Head | ||
| Caduceus | Relief | ||||
| Unidentified | Relief |
Wear
Heavily worn
Corrosion
Corroded
Handle
No
Suspension hole
No
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
Yes
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Fragment of lead weight.
Meyer 2001–03: Callatian weight of the autonomous period. Triangular? lead weight, 36.79 gr., 5.05 x 2.86 x 0.77 cm. Obv. Head of Hermes l. with caduceus, 0 above. Profile border above and in front of the bust. Rev. Raised border on two sides. Field obscured by lead oxide and/or sinter. AN 2004.39. Two sides preserve a raised border, on both the obverse and the reverse. The angle at which they meet suggests a triangular shape, although the position of the bust is unusual, neither in the centre nor upright to the base of the hypothetical triangle. The formulaic style of the head of Hermes agoraios, with linear outlines and large frontal eye, differs from all other weights from the region, but is almost certainly a function of competence or personal style, not date. Assuming that the fragment represents roughly half of the original, its reconstructed weight corresponds to about one-eighth of a mina, as is also indicated by the omicron.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular? shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: some cuts and bumps, especially on the reverse. The weight is domed. On the obverse, frame and depiction in relief: Head of Hermes to the left with caduceus. On the upper left corner, letter O in relief. On the reverse, depiction in relief hardly visble (uncertain).
Meyer 2001–03: Callatian weight of the autonomous period. Triangular? lead weight, 36.79 gr., 5.05 x 2.86 x 0.77 cm. Obv. Head of Hermes l. with caduceus, 0 above. Profile border above and in front of the bust. Rev. Raised border on two sides. Field obscured by lead oxide and/or sinter. AN 2004.39. Two sides preserve a raised border, on both the obverse and the reverse. The angle at which they meet suggests a triangular shape, although the position of the bust is unusual, neither in the centre nor upright to the base of the hypothetical triangle. The formulaic style of the head of Hermes agoraios, with linear outlines and large frontal eye, differs from all other weights from the region, but is almost certainly a function of competence or personal style, not date. Assuming that the fragment represents roughly half of the original, its reconstructed weight corresponds to about one-eighth of a mina, as is also indicated by the omicron.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular? shape. Signs of wear and corrosion: some cuts and bumps, especially on the reverse. The weight is domed. On the obverse, frame and depiction in relief: Head of Hermes to the left with caduceus. On the upper left corner, letter O in relief. On the reverse, depiction in relief hardly visble (uncertain).
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination |
Fac simile
Ο
Edition
Ὄ(γδοον)?
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 2004.39 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 58, 73 | 28 | fig. 28 | None |
| Gramaticu 2015a | 31, 37 | 6 | pl. 3/6 | None |
VARIA