Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 138 18-19 May 2023
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Mysia, Cyzicus.
Stater circa 400-350, EL 15.97 g. Head of Athena r., wearing crested Corinthian helmet; below, tunny-fish. Rev. Quadripartie incuse square. Greenwell –. von Fritze 188 (these dies). Boston, MFA 1563 (these dies).
Extremely rare. A portrait of excellent late Classical style
exceptionally complete. About extremely fine
From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
Cyzicus was a critical centre for Greek coin production in northwestern Asia Minor. By the mid-sixth century BC, most cities had abandoned the use of the electrum as an alloy for coinage and began to strike their regular coinages in silver. However, Cyzicus continued to produce a vast array of staters and fractions in electrum down to the last decades of the fourth century BC. Finds of Cyzicene staters in the Black Sea region and a decree from Olbia regulating the value of the local coinage in relation to the Cyzicene stater seem to support the idea that the coins were struck for use in the Black Sea grain trade. There was a great deal of money to be made in this trade since many of the Greek cities, including Athens, depended on imported grain to stave off starvation. As the indigenous grain producers of the Black Sea region had come to expect payment in electrum early on, coins in this metal were needed to carry on the trade even though the rest of the Greek world had moved on from this alloy. As Cyzicus was located on the Hellespontine shipment route for ships coming and going from the Black Sea, it took up the job of continuing electrum coin production. The types used for Cyzicene electrum staters were extremely varied-some 207 individual types and varieties have been catalogued-and many seem to depict the badges of other cities. This multiplicity of types has led to the suggestion that at least some of the coins may have been commissioned by other cities with trading interests in the Black Sea region. However, while the primary types for many issues may have been drawn from the coinages of other cities, the staters of Cyzicus almost always include a tunny (tuna) fish as part of the design as a means of identifying the issuing city. The tunny was an emblem of Cyzicus and had been a regular feature of Cyzicene coinage going back to the sixth century BC. On the present stater of the early fourth century BC, the tunny mint mark is very clear beneath the neck truncation of Athena. Her depiction, wearing a Corinthian helmet adorned with a wreath around the bowl recalls similar representations of the goddess of the silver staters of Corinth.
Stater circa 400-350, EL 15.97 g. Head of Athena r., wearing crested Corinthian helmet; below, tunny-fish. Rev. Quadripartie incuse square. Greenwell –. von Fritze 188 (these dies). Boston, MFA 1563 (these dies).
Extremely rare. A portrait of excellent late Classical style
exceptionally complete. About extremely fine
From a Distinguished Swiss Collection.
Cyzicus was a critical centre for Greek coin production in northwestern Asia Minor. By the mid-sixth century BC, most cities had abandoned the use of the electrum as an alloy for coinage and began to strike their regular coinages in silver. However, Cyzicus continued to produce a vast array of staters and fractions in electrum down to the last decades of the fourth century BC. Finds of Cyzicene staters in the Black Sea region and a decree from Olbia regulating the value of the local coinage in relation to the Cyzicene stater seem to support the idea that the coins were struck for use in the Black Sea grain trade. There was a great deal of money to be made in this trade since many of the Greek cities, including Athens, depended on imported grain to stave off starvation. As the indigenous grain producers of the Black Sea region had come to expect payment in electrum early on, coins in this metal were needed to carry on the trade even though the rest of the Greek world had moved on from this alloy. As Cyzicus was located on the Hellespontine shipment route for ships coming and going from the Black Sea, it took up the job of continuing electrum coin production. The types used for Cyzicene electrum staters were extremely varied-some 207 individual types and varieties have been catalogued-and many seem to depict the badges of other cities. This multiplicity of types has led to the suggestion that at least some of the coins may have been commissioned by other cities with trading interests in the Black Sea region. However, while the primary types for many issues may have been drawn from the coinages of other cities, the staters of Cyzicus almost always include a tunny (tuna) fish as part of the design as a means of identifying the issuing city. The tunny was an emblem of Cyzicus and had been a regular feature of Cyzicene coinage going back to the sixth century BC. On the present stater of the early fourth century BC, the tunny mint mark is very clear beneath the neck truncation of Athena. Her depiction, wearing a Corinthian helmet adorned with a wreath around the bowl recalls similar representations of the goddess of the silver staters of Corinth.