Head, Barclay V.: Historia numorum: a manual of Greek numismatics (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1887)

CRETE.

385

Chronological Table of the Coinage of Crete.

480-400
400-300
300-200
200-67
Imperial.
Alassa ?
A?
Allaria
A
A ptera
A A
A A
Arcadia
At
Arsinoe
A
Axus
At
At ? A
At
Bianus
A
Ceraea
At
A
Chersonesus
At
A
Cnossus
a
At A
A
A A
colon. A
Cydonia
At Al
A A
A A
Eleutherna
a
At A
A
A
Elyrus
At Al
A
Gortyna
A
At A
A ? A ?
St ? At A
A A
Hierapvtna
At
At A
A A
Hyrtacina
At
Itanus
a
At A
At
A
Lappa
A
A A
A A
Latus
A
Lissus
A
Lyttus
A
A A
At A
Matalia ?
At
Naxus
At
Olus
A A
Phaestus
At
At A
A
Phalasarna
A A
Polyrhenium
A A
A
At A
Praesus
a
A A
Priansus
A A
A
A
Pyran thus
A
Rhaucus
a
A A
Rhithymna
A A
Sybrita
A A
Tanus
A
Tylissus
■■■
At

Art. The art of the coins of Crete, as Mr. Poole has already pointed
out, is essentially realistic. ‘ Its want of force is relieved by its love of
nature. It excels in the portrayal of animal and vegetable subjects and
delights in perspective and foreshortening,’ Num,. Citron., 1864, p. 240.
Professor Gardner, Types of Greek Coins, p. 161, also remarks, with O. Jahn,
that the Cretan coins are affected by a somewhat crude local nature
worship, and that there is always present a substratum of barbarism.
It would almost appear as if it were usual in Crete to employ a well-
known and skilful engraver, such as NEYANTO£ or PYOOAXIPOC, to
engrave the dies in the first instance, and as if these dies were sub-
sequently copied and recopied by unskilled hands. How else are we
to account for the occurrence of the most beautiful and the most
barbarous coins of the same types at the same towns and within the
same half century ?

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