Poole, Reginald S. [Editor]; British Museum [Editor]; Head, Barclay V. [Oth.]; Wroth, Warwick William [Oth.]; Hill, George Francis [Oth.]: A catalogue of the Greek coins in the British Museum: Catalogue of Greek coins: Attica, Megaris, Aegina (London: Longmans, 1888)

INTRODUCTION.

Ixvi

may have been set up. This Aeginetan goddess of the sea and protector
of trade may have been originally identical with the Phoenician
Astarte, and it is probable that Aegina was one of the stations from
which the Phoenicians introduced their wares into the Peloponnesus.
The standard of the money of Aegina is probably, as I have else-
where pointed out (Hist. Num., Introd., p. xxxviii).
Weights.
a degraded form of the Phoenician standard which
had penetrated into Peloponnesus in the premonetary period. At
the time tvhen Pheidon instituted his coinage the weight of
the Phoenician mina as used in Aeginetan markets had probably
fallen in round numbers from about 11,000 to 10,000 grs., and the

stater, its 50th part, from 220 to about 200 grs. or less.

The unique electrum stater in the Bibliotheque Nationale (obv.

Aeginetan
electrum.
tortoise, rev. incuse square divided into two parts)
weighs 207 grs. (Nam·. Chron. 1875, pl. viii., 16).

Of the silver staters in the British Museum, the heaviest (no. 96),

may probably be regarded as exceptional. Its
Silver.
excessive weight, 211 grs., may be due to want of
care in weighing, for none of the others (except no. 19, which has
gained in weight by oxidation) exceed 195 grs.
The following scale may therefore be taken as representing the
usual maximum weights of the coins of Aegina :—
[Talent, 582,000 grs. = 101 lbs. 0 oz. 10 dwts.]

[Mina, 9,700 grs.]
Stater
. 194
grs.
Drachm
. 97
grs.
Triobol .
. 48
grs.
Diobol
. 82
grs.
Trihemiobol
. 24
grs.
Obol
. 16
grs.
Hemiobol
8
grs.
Tetartemorion
4
grs.