DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45277#0067
INSCRIPTIONS.
lxiii
indicating the highest and lowest limits within which coins occur at each
town. It will be seen that the Greek Imperial series nowhere extends
beyond the reign of Gallienus, except at a few towns chiefly in southern
Asia Minor, where it is continued down to that of Aurelian, A. D. 2*70-275,
and at Alexandria, where it does not finally come to an end until the reign
of Diocletian, A. d. 284-313.
§ 13. Inscriptions on Autonomous and Regal Coins.
The inscriptions on Greek coins, when present, which in the archaic period
is rarely the case, consist as a rule of the first three or four letters of the
ethnic, e. g. AOE (Fig. 211), META (Fig. 37), ZYPA (Fig. 92), for
tAerairovTlvmv, 'SvpaK.oaiav, or of the name of a dynast sometimes at full length
as TETAZ HAONEON BAZIAEYZ (Fig. 121), ZEY0A KOMMA (Fig. 171),
cfiANOZ EMI ZHMA (Fig. 308), the last being especially remarkable, not
only as the earliest inscription yet found on any coin, but as being couched
in the first person. Although in the vast majority of cases the legend is in
the genitive plural of the ethnic there are nevertheless instances where the
name of the city itself occurs either in the genitive or nominative singular,
as AKPATAZ and AKPATANTOZ (Fig. 67), TOPTYNOZ TO RAIMA
(p. 394), etc. Sometimes also an adjectival form is met with, as ZEPMY-
AIKON (Fig. 126), APKAAIKON (p. 372), etc. agreeing, when in the neuter,
probably with vopcapa or some such word understood, or when in the
masculine as KATANAIOZ (p. 115), PHTlNOZ (p. 93), etc., with the name
of the divinity whose figure is represented on the coins. In addition to or
in place of the name of the people we frequently meet with legends referring
directly to the type, as TEPlNA and NIKA accompanying the head of the
nymph Terina and the figure of Nike on a coin of Terina (Fig. 64), or again
AIOZ EAAANlOY(p. 160), IEYZ EAEY0EPIOZ (p. 156), APEOZ (p. 136),
etc. on Sicilian coins written round the heads of Zeus Hellenios, Zeus Eleu-
therios and Ares.
On some coins of the finest period of art the name of the engraver occurs Engravers’
in minute characters either in the nominative or genitive, as KI MDN (Fig. 101), names-
EYAINETO, EYMENOY, etc. on coins of Syracuse; the verb eirotei being in
a few rare cases added, as OEOAOTOZ EROEI on a coin of Clazomenae
(Fig. 296) and NEYANTOZ EROEI on one of Cydonia in Crete (p. 391).
Another class of inscriptions consists of the signatures of the officers of Magis-
the State or of the mint who were responsible for the coinage. trates’
These usually occupy some prominent place in the field of the coin, butS1^nat
as a rule they are expressed in an abbreviated form or in monogram. 'When
they are written at full length they doubtless stand for some superior Magi-
strate such as an Archon or a Prytanis during whose tenure of office the coin
was issued (Fig. 298).
When the sovereign power was in the hands of a tyrant or a king his name Names of
occupies the place of honour to the exclusion of that of the people. Such dynasts,
names are almost always in the genitive, as ATAOOKAEOZ (p. 159),
AAEEANAPOY TOY NEORTOAEMOY (Fig. 182), BAZIAEGZ ZEAEY-
KOY (p. 637), etc.
lxiii
indicating the highest and lowest limits within which coins occur at each
town. It will be seen that the Greek Imperial series nowhere extends
beyond the reign of Gallienus, except at a few towns chiefly in southern
Asia Minor, where it is continued down to that of Aurelian, A. D. 2*70-275,
and at Alexandria, where it does not finally come to an end until the reign
of Diocletian, A. d. 284-313.
§ 13. Inscriptions on Autonomous and Regal Coins.
The inscriptions on Greek coins, when present, which in the archaic period
is rarely the case, consist as a rule of the first three or four letters of the
ethnic, e. g. AOE (Fig. 211), META (Fig. 37), ZYPA (Fig. 92), for
tAerairovTlvmv, 'SvpaK.oaiav, or of the name of a dynast sometimes at full length
as TETAZ HAONEON BAZIAEYZ (Fig. 121), ZEY0A KOMMA (Fig. 171),
cfiANOZ EMI ZHMA (Fig. 308), the last being especially remarkable, not
only as the earliest inscription yet found on any coin, but as being couched
in the first person. Although in the vast majority of cases the legend is in
the genitive plural of the ethnic there are nevertheless instances where the
name of the city itself occurs either in the genitive or nominative singular,
as AKPATAZ and AKPATANTOZ (Fig. 67), TOPTYNOZ TO RAIMA
(p. 394), etc. Sometimes also an adjectival form is met with, as ZEPMY-
AIKON (Fig. 126), APKAAIKON (p. 372), etc. agreeing, when in the neuter,
probably with vopcapa or some such word understood, or when in the
masculine as KATANAIOZ (p. 115), PHTlNOZ (p. 93), etc., with the name
of the divinity whose figure is represented on the coins. In addition to or
in place of the name of the people we frequently meet with legends referring
directly to the type, as TEPlNA and NIKA accompanying the head of the
nymph Terina and the figure of Nike on a coin of Terina (Fig. 64), or again
AIOZ EAAANlOY(p. 160), IEYZ EAEY0EPIOZ (p. 156), APEOZ (p. 136),
etc. on Sicilian coins written round the heads of Zeus Hellenios, Zeus Eleu-
therios and Ares.
On some coins of the finest period of art the name of the engraver occurs Engravers’
in minute characters either in the nominative or genitive, as KI MDN (Fig. 101), names-
EYAINETO, EYMENOY, etc. on coins of Syracuse; the verb eirotei being in
a few rare cases added, as OEOAOTOZ EROEI on a coin of Clazomenae
(Fig. 296) and NEYANTOZ EROEI on one of Cydonia in Crete (p. 391).
Another class of inscriptions consists of the signatures of the officers of Magis-
the State or of the mint who were responsible for the coinage. trates’
These usually occupy some prominent place in the field of the coin, butS1^nat
as a rule they are expressed in an abbreviated form or in monogram. 'When
they are written at full length they doubtless stand for some superior Magi-
strate such as an Archon or a Prytanis during whose tenure of office the coin
was issued (Fig. 298).
When the sovereign power was in the hands of a tyrant or a king his name Names of
occupies the place of honour to the exclusion of that of the people. Such dynasts,
names are almost always in the genitive, as ATAOOKAEOZ (p. 159),
AAEEANAPOY TOY NEORTOAEMOY (Fig. 182), BAZIAEGZ ZEAEY-
KOY (p. 637), etc.