DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49262#0239
CH. ix]
THE DATING OF COINS
219
thirds of the tetradrachm of the Attic standard, see p. 36).
The Naxian pieces were more oxydized than the others, having
perhaps been more exposed. This would happen if they were
put in at the top of the jar. Most of them were not much
worn, and must therefore have been comparatively fresh from
the mint when withdrawn from circulation. Many of the
Zancle coins of class (&) were also in fresh condition. Were
there no other means of dating the coins we should from these
circumstances place the coins of the class 1 (a) earlier than
the others which are less worn.
Now we know that in 493 b.c. Anaxilas of Bhegium induced
the Samian and Milesian refugees to seize Zancle, when the
name of the place was altered to Messene ; and just about the
same time, perhaps a little earlier, Hippocrates of Gela laid
hands on Naxos. As none of the coins with the name of the
Messenians occur in this hoard, we may date its deposit about
498 b.c. It is of course clear for other reasons that the Naxian
tetradrachms and drachms of the Attic standard, with the fine
archaic head of Dionysus and the squatting Silenus (Pl. VI. 1),
cannot be as early as 493 b. c. ; but did we not know it already
this find would go far to prove it.
Another find made in the Lipari islands1 consisted of the
following coins :—
Cales (circa 334-268 b.c.) ....
. I
Neapolis (c. 340-268 b. c.) .
17
Tarentum
c. 281-272 b.c. (Period ‘Evans VII’) .
. 22
c. 272-235 b. c. (Period ‘ Evans VIII ’).
. 14—36
Campano-Tarentine after 272 b c. ? .
5
Velia before c. 268 b.c.
Q
Rhegium.
I
Uncertain .......
0 I
63
The dates here given are those otherwise ascertained as the
dates of the classes to which the coins belong. As Mr. Mac-
donald points out, the hoard must have been buried soon after
the beginning of Evans’ Tarentine Period VIII, i.e. soon after
272 b. c. ; for nearly two-thirds of the Tarentine didrachms
belong to Period VII, and one of the didrachms of Period VIII
1 G. Macdonald in Num. Chr. 1896, pp. 185 ff.
THE DATING OF COINS
219
thirds of the tetradrachm of the Attic standard, see p. 36).
The Naxian pieces were more oxydized than the others, having
perhaps been more exposed. This would happen if they were
put in at the top of the jar. Most of them were not much
worn, and must therefore have been comparatively fresh from
the mint when withdrawn from circulation. Many of the
Zancle coins of class (&) were also in fresh condition. Were
there no other means of dating the coins we should from these
circumstances place the coins of the class 1 (a) earlier than
the others which are less worn.
Now we know that in 493 b.c. Anaxilas of Bhegium induced
the Samian and Milesian refugees to seize Zancle, when the
name of the place was altered to Messene ; and just about the
same time, perhaps a little earlier, Hippocrates of Gela laid
hands on Naxos. As none of the coins with the name of the
Messenians occur in this hoard, we may date its deposit about
498 b.c. It is of course clear for other reasons that the Naxian
tetradrachms and drachms of the Attic standard, with the fine
archaic head of Dionysus and the squatting Silenus (Pl. VI. 1),
cannot be as early as 493 b. c. ; but did we not know it already
this find would go far to prove it.
Another find made in the Lipari islands1 consisted of the
following coins :—
Cales (circa 334-268 b.c.) ....
. I
Neapolis (c. 340-268 b. c.) .
17
Tarentum
c. 281-272 b.c. (Period ‘Evans VII’) .
. 22
c. 272-235 b. c. (Period ‘ Evans VIII ’).
. 14—36
Campano-Tarentine after 272 b c. ? .
5
Velia before c. 268 b.c.
Q
Rhegium.
I
Uncertain .......
0 I
63
The dates here given are those otherwise ascertained as the
dates of the classes to which the coins belong. As Mr. Mac-
donald points out, the hoard must have been buried soon after
the beginning of Evans’ Tarentine Period VIII, i.e. soon after
272 b. c. ; for nearly two-thirds of the Tarentine didrachms
belong to Period VII, and one of the didrachms of Period VIII
1 G. Macdonald in Num. Chr. 1896, pp. 185 ff.