Nomos AG
obolos 2 14 June 2015
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ISLANDS off THRACE, Thasos. Circa 500-463 BC. Stater (Silver, 20mm, 9.46 g), c. 490. Nude, ithyphallic satyr rushing to right in the archaic kneeling-running position, holding a nymph in his arms who raises her right arm in protest. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square of windmill form. Le Rider, Thasiennes 1. SGC 1356. Of unusually fine archaic style. Slightly porous surfaces, otherwise, good very fine.
The coinage of Thasos in the first half of the 5th century must have been enormous: they appear all over the eastern Mediterranean area and are found as far east as Afghanistan. The coins were made in order to utilize the silver from the island's mines: not only were the coins used to pay expenses, they were also a convenient way to export bullion. The scene on the obverse refers to the Dionysiac revels that accompanied the island's other great speciality, the wine for which Thasos was also famous
The coinage of Thasos in the first half of the 5th century must have been enormous: they appear all over the eastern Mediterranean area and are found as far east as Afghanistan. The coins were made in order to utilize the silver from the island's mines: not only were the coins used to pay expenses, they were also a convenient way to export bullion. The scene on the obverse refers to the Dionysiac revels that accompanied the island's other great speciality, the wine for which Thasos was also famous