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XVIII.
METROLOGICAL NOTES ON THE ANCIENT ELEC-
TRUM COINS STRUCK BETWEEN THE LELAN-
TIAN WARS AND THE ACCESSION OF DARIUS.
Contents:
-

1. Introduction.

2. Derivation and Development
of the Greek Weight-Systems from the Heavy and Light
Babylonian Minje.
-
(a)
From the
heavy Babylonian Mina,
the
Phocaic Gold
Standard,
the Asiatic or 15 Stater Silver
Standard,
and the
JEginetic
Silver Standard,
()
From the
Li^ht Baby-
lonian
Mina,
the Euboic Gold and Silver
Standard,
and the
Baby-
Ionic or 10 Stater Silver Standard.

3. Electrum.
-
(i.) Babylonic.
(ii.)
Asiatic,
(iii.) JEginetic. (iv.)
Euboic.
(v.)
Phocaic.

4. Con-
clusion.

5. Appendix.
-
(i.) Explanation
of the Plates,
(ii.)
Table of the relat ive
weights
of
English grains
and French
grammes,
(iii.) Chronological
Table.

1. Introduction.
The
discovery
not
long
since of a small number of
electrum coins on the coast of the mainland
opposite
the
island of
Samos,
has led me to examine more
minutely
than I had hitherto done the series of electrum coins
preserved
in the British Museum
;
and as a renewed
study
of the coins has convinced me that we have still much to
learn
concerning
these earliest
examples
of the art of
coining,
I have no hesitation in
laying
the results of
my
work before the Numismatic
Society,
in the
hope
that
others also
may
turn their attention to this
interesting
series,
and that thus we
may
obtain a clearer
insight
into
the commercial relations of the various Greek
cities,
both
on the Asiatic and
European
sides of the
sea,
in the
two centuries
preceding
the
subjugation
of the former
by
the Persians.
As the Persian
conquest
will form the limit of
my
investigations,
the
long
series of the
Cyzicene
staters and
hectse,
and of the hectae of
Phocaea,
marked
respectively
VOL. XV. N.S. K K
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246 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
with the
symbols
of
Cyzicus
and
Phocaea,
the
tunny-fish
and the
seal,
being
of a later
date,
will be
beyond
the
bounds of the
present inquiry.
So also will be
many
other electrum coins of a
comparatively
late
period,
issued
by
cities
apparently
unconnected with the above-mentioned
monetary leagues.
In the
following pages
I intend to
confine
myself
to the consideration of the earliest electrum
coins
only,
with
especial
reference to the standards of
weight
which
they
follow. And
here,
once and for
all,
let
me
express
how much I am indebted to
Brandis,
whose
"
Mnz-Mass und Gewichtswesen
"
will
always
remain a
treasure-house stored with the results of
patient research,
to which the numismatist must
continually
return,
and
where he will
always
find new matter for
study, leading
him on to new lines of
inquiry,
and not seldom to new and
important
discoveries.
It
may
even be
objected by
some
that,
after the exhaus-
tive
chapters
which Brandis has devoted to this
subject,
all I shall have to
say
will be
merely
a
recapitulation
of
what
may
be found in his work. To such I would
reply,
that even if it were
only
so,
a short review of the results
arrived at
by
him would not be without its
uses,
especially
in this
country
where students are but too
apt
to
ignore
the existence of
archaeology,
and
especially numismatics,
as a
pursuit worthy
of their serious attention.
Before I
proceed
further I
shall, therefore,
have no
scruple
in
laying
before
my
readers an outline of the
principal
standards used for
weighing
the
precious
metals
about the time of the first invention of
coining.
This will
consist in the main of the results at which Brandis and
other
metrologists
have arrived. In this outline I will
endeavour to be as concise as is
possible consistently
with
clearness.
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METROLOGICL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 247

2. Origin and Development of the Greek Weight-
Systems.
The
Assyrian weights
in the form of bronze lions and
stone
ducks,
found
by Layard among
the ruins of ancient
Nineveh,
led to the
discovery
of the
weight
of the ancient
Assyrian
and
Babylonian
talents. These
appear
to have
existed in a double
form,
the one talent
being just
double
the
weight
of the other. It is
supposed
that the heavier
talent was the older of the
two,
and
originally
in use in
the
Empire
of the
Assyrians,
and
probably
also
through-
out the whole of
Syria,
Palestine,
and Phoenicia.
The
lighter
talent is known
by
the name of the
Babylonian,
and
although
both
may
have been in use in
Nineveh,
the
lighter
form would seem to have been more
generally accepted
in
Babylon.1
The
system according
to which these talents were sub-
divided was the
sexagesimal,
the talent
being composed
of 60
minae,
and the mina of 60
shekels,
the shekel
being
again
divided into 30
parts.
This
sexagesimal system
which
pervaded
the whole of
the
Assyrian weights
and
measures,
both of
space,
of
material,
and of
time,
in which latter it has maintained
itself down to our own
times,
is for
practical employment
in
weighing
and
measuring decidedly preferable
both to
the decimal and to the
duodecimal,
because the number
upon
which it is based
possesses
a far
greater power
of
divisibility.
The heavier of the two
mina,
weighing 1,010
grammes,
seems to have
passed by
land
through Syria
into the Phoenician
coast-towns,
and
by
the Phoenician
1
Brandis, p.
45.
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248 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
traders to have been
spread among
the islands of tlie
JEgean
and the towns
upon
its coasts.
The
lighter
mina,
weighing
505
grammes,
found its
way
into the
kingdom
of
Lydia,
whose
capital
Sardes was
intimately
connected on the land side with
Babylon,
with
which it was in constant commercial intercourse.2
From these two
points,
Phoenicia on the one hand and
Lydia
on the
other,
the Greeks of Asia Minor received the
two units of
weight
on which the whole fabric of their
coinage
rests.
How
long
before the invention of
coining
these
Assy-
rian and
Babylonian weights
had found their
way
into
Greece,
it is
impossible
to
say.
It is
probable,
however,
that the Greeks had
long
been familiar with
them,
and
that the small bars of
gold
and
silver,
which served the
purposes
of a
currency,
were
regulated according
to the
weight
of the sixtieth
part
of the
Babylonian
mina. It is
true
that,
not
bearing
the
guarantee
of the
State,
it was
necessary
to
put
them into the scales and
weigh
them,
like
all other materials
bought
and sold
by weight,
whenever
they passed
from the hands of one merchant to those of
2
Heeren, Ideen,
&c.
Gttingen,
1815. Th. i. Abth. ii.
Handel der
Babylonier, p.
199. All the
Assyrian
and
Baby-
lonian standard
weights
in the British Museum have
recently
been
accurately re-weighed
in a balance of
precision,
under the
direction of the Warden of the Standards. This verification
has
proved
that Dr. Brandis was in the main
right
in
assuming
1,010
and 505
grammes
as the
weights
of the two minae. It
is nevertheless
probable
that
during
the extended
period
from
2000
-
625
b.c.,
the
weights
of these minae varied from
1040
-
960,
and from 520 to 460
grammes respectively.
The
evidence of the
coins, however,
tends to show that about the
time when the Greeks first became familiar with
them,
their
weights
were,
as Dr. Brandis
supposed, 1,010
and 505
grammes.
See the Ninth Annual
.Report
of the Warden of the Standards
for 1874
-
5. London. 1875.
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METROLOGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 249
another
; thus,
although
the invention of
coining brought
with it no essential
change
in the conditions of commercial
intercourse,
the
precious
metals
having
for
ages pre-
viously
been looked
upon
as measures of
value,
it never-
theless
enormously
facilitated such
intercourse,
rendering
needless the cumbrous and
lengthy process
of
weighing
out
the
gold
or silver to be received in
exchange
for
any
given commodity.
The
accepted
value of
gold
as
compared
with silver
was in these
times,
and for
long
afterwards,
as
13J
is to
1
;
3
and from this relation of
gold
to silver the standard
by
which the latter metal was
weighed
seems to have
been
developed
in the
following
manner. The
proportion
of 13*3 to 1 made it inconvenient to
weigh
the two metals
according
to one and the same
standard,
as in that case a
given weight
in
gold
would not have been
exchangeable
for
a round number of bars of
silver,
but for thirteen and one-
third of such bars
; hence,
in order to facilitate the ex-
change
of the two
metals,
the
weight
of the silver stater
was raised above that of the
gold
stater,
in order that the
gold
sixtieth
might
be
easily
convertible into a round
number of silver staters.
Now the sixtieth of the
heavy gold Assyrian
mina was
a
piece weighing
about 260
grains. Dividing
this
piece
again by sixty,
we obtain a minute
gold piece weighing
only
4*3
grains
;
if we
multiply
this
by
13*3,
the
propor-
tionate value of silver to
gold,
we arrive at a unit in silver
of about 67
grains.
Thus arose the silver drachm in-
troduced
by
the Phoenicians into
Greece,
upon
which the
so-called Asiatic or Phoenician silver standard is based.
According
to the
sexagesimal system,
its value was that of
3
Mommsen, Grenzboten, 1868, No.
10, p.
397.
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250 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
the sixtieth
part
of the sixtieth of the
gold
mina. Four
of these silver sixtieths formed a
piece
of metal
weighing
about 230
grains (maximum).
This became the stater of
the Phoenician silver
standard,
and as fifteen of these
staters
go
to form one
gold
sixtieth,
this standard has
been
designated by
Brandis as the fifteen-stater standard.
The
people
of
Lydia, adopting
a different
method,
arrived at a different result. We have seen that at Sardes
the
light Babylonian gold mina, travelling by land,
had
become domesticated in the
country.
The sixtieth of this
mina,
weighing
130
grains, multiplied by 13*3,
yields
about
1,729
grains
of silver.
Applying
to this silver-
weight
a decimal
division,
they
arrived at a convenient
silver stater of about 170
grains,
and as ten of these
pieces
constitute one
gold
sixtieth,
this standard has been called
by
Brandis the ten-stater standard.4
As the Phoenicians had
penetrated everywhere,
esta-
blishing,
with their accustomed
enterprise,
their factories
on almost
every
coast,
they
soon discovered the metallic
wealth of the
land,
and
began
to work for the first
time the veins of silver which had lain for
ages
unsus-
pected
in the mountains.
Hence,
little
by little,
the
Phoenician silver
weight
became
widely
known
through-
out the Greek world. The
Babylonic
silver
standard,
on
the other
hand,
outside the
kingdom
of
Lydia,
was
hardly
known at all until after the Persian
conquest,
when it was
adopted
for the silver
currenoy
of the
empire
and its
dependent satraps.
The
Greeks, however,
when
they
first struck coins of
4
Both the fifteen and the ten stater standard are thus based
upon
one and the same
unit, viz.,
a
piece
of about 57
grains.
This is the third
part
of the stater of 170
grains,
and the fourth
part
of the stater of 230
grains.
We therefore see
why
the
former of these staters is
regularly
divided into three and the
latter into two and four
parts (Brandis, p. 58).
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 251
silver did not
everywhere adopt
the
prevalent
Phoenician
standard. Chalcis and
Eretria,
perhaps
the most
import-
ant commercial cities of
European Greece,
had
established,
as
early
as the
eighth century
B.c.,
an active maritime
trade with the
opposite
coasts of Asia
Minor,
and from
these coasts
they
received, the
Babylonian gold
mina
with its
sixtieth, viz,
130
grains.
As there was little or
no
gold
on their own side of the
sea,
while
silver,
on
the other
hand,
flowed into Eubcea from her colonies in
the
mining
districts of Macedn and
Thrace,
the cities
of that island transferred to silver the standard with
which
they
had become familiar in their commerce with
the Ionian
towns,
and on this
Babylonic gold
standard
they
struck their earliest silver
staters,
weighing
130
grains.
Their
example
was soon followed
by Corinth,
and thenceforward the
Babylonian origin
of this
weight
was lost
sight
of
by
the
Greeks,
and the name of the
Euboic talent was
applied by
them to the old
Babylonian
gold weight ;
all
coins,
whether of
gold
or
silver,
struck
not
only
in Greece but in the East on this
weight, being
said to follow the Euboic standard. The name of the
Babylonic
standard, nevertheless,
remained in use for
the
Lydian
and Persian silver
weight
which had been
developed by
the
Lydians
out of the
gold
mina.
By
the
Babylonic
talent the Greeks therefore understood a
silver
standard,
the stater of which
weighed
170
grains,
while
by
the Euboic talent
they
understood a standard
used either for silver or for
gold,
the stater of which
weighed
130
grains.
At the commencement of the seventh
century b.c.,
or
in other words about the time when the Greeks of Asia
Minor or the
Lydians
first hit
upon
the idea of
stamping
the bars of metal with official marks as
guarantees
of
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252 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
their
weight
and
value,
the
following
were therefore the
weights generally
current in commercial intercourse :
-
(a)
(i.)
The 60th of the
heavy Assyrian
mina in
gold, weighing
260
grains.
This
weight
had found its
way through
Syria
and Phoenicia to the coasts of Asia Minor. The
earliest coins of this class are said to have been issued
at Phocaea. Hence the earliest
gold
staters of 256
grains
(maximum),
with their
subdivisions,
have been
desig-
nated as of the Phocaic standard.
(ii.)
The
corresponding
silver
piece
of 280
grains,
fifteen of
which were
equal
in value to one Phocaic
gold
stater.
This
weight,
which also was of Phoenician
origin,
was
adopted by many
of the coast towns of Asia Minor for
their silver
currency.
The actual
weight
of the coins
of this standard seldom came
up
to the normal
weight
of 280
grains,
220
grains being
about the
average.
As
the earliest coins of this standard were also struck
by
Greek cities of Asia
Minor,
it has obtained the name of
the Asiatic standard. Brandis calls it the Fifteen- stater
standard.
(iii.)
The
weight adopted by
Pheidon, when,
some time
before the middle of the 7th
century,
he first instituted
a mint in the island of
JEgina.
This
appears
to be
only
a
degradation
of the Phoenician silver
standard,8
the
maximum
weight
of the earliest
iEginetic
staters
being
as
high
as 212
grains, though
the
average weight
is not
more than about 190
grains.
The
JEginetic
standard in
the earliest times was
prevalent throughout
the Pelo-
5
Brandis
ingeniously develops
the
iEginetic
silver standard
out of the electrum stater of 220
grains
in the
following
manner.
In the first
place,
he
supposes
the electrum stater to
contain about one-third of
silver,
he then takes what remains
of-
pure gold,
viz.,
about 146
grains,
the silver
equivalent
of
which, according
to the
recognised proportionate
value of the
two
metals,
is
1,941 grains
of
silver,
or
just
ten
^Eginetic
silver
staters of 194
grains.
It is
simpler,
in
my opinion,
to
suppose
the
^Eginetic
standard to be
merely
a reduced or
lighter
form of the Phoeni-
cian,
and the fact that some of the earlier staters of
iEgina
weigh
as much as 212
grains,
of which Brandis does not seem
to have been
aware,
is in favour of this standard
being
the
result of a
gradual
reduction.
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 253
ponnesus,
in the Chalcidian colonies of
Italy
and
Sicily,
in
Crete,
on the
Cyclades, especially Ceos, Naxos,
and
Siphnos,
and even in certain towns in Asia
Minor,
among
which
Teos,
and
perhaps Cyme, may
be men-
tioned,
as well as in
many
other localities which need
not be here
particularised.
( )
(iv.)
The 60th of the
light Babylonian gold mina,
which had
found its
way by
land from the banks of the
Euphrates
to
Sardes,
and from Sardes
probably through
Samos
to the
important
commercial cities of
Euba,
Chalcis
and
Eretria,
where silver coins of 180
grains
were first
issued. This
weight,
whether used for
silver,
as in
Greece,
or for
gold,
as in the
East,
went
by
the name
of the Euboic standard.
(v.)
The
corresponding
silver
piece
of 170
grains,
ten of
which were
equal
in value to. one Euboic
gold
stater of
130
grains.
This
weight being
first met with in the
silver
coinage
of the
Lydians,
who had doubtless
derived it from
Babylon,
retained its
original name,
and
was known as the
Babylonic
silver standard. It has
been
designated by
Brandis as the Ten-stater standard.
In the
preceding survey
of the
weights
of the various
staters in
gold
and silver current
among
the ancient
inhabitants of Asia and Greece in the seventh
century,
I
have,
for the sake of
clearness,
omitted to mention that
the
Greeks,
in
adopting
the sixtieth
part
of the ancient
Babylonian
mina as their
stater,
whether of
gold
or
silver,
did not also
adopt
the
sexagesimal system
in its
entirety,
but constituted new minse for
themselves,
con-
sisting
of
fifty
staters instead of
sixty.
Thus the Greek
stater was identical with the
Assyrian
and
Babylonian
sixtieth,
but the Greek mina was not identical with the
Assyrian
mina,
since it contained but
fifty
of these units.
On the other
hand,
the Greek talent
contained,
like the
Assyrian, sixty minae, though only
3,000
instead of
3,600
staters.
VOL. XV. N.S. L L
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254 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.

3. Electrum.
Besides
gold
and
silver,
a third
precious
metal was
known to the
ancients,
which as
early
as the time of
Sophocles6
was known
by
the name of electrum. It
was also called white
gold,7
and
appears
to have been
always
looked
upon
as a distinct metal.8 Electrum was
obtained in
large quantities
from the
washings
of the
Pactolus and from the mines on Tmolus and
Sipylus.
It
was
composed
of about three
parts
of
gold
and one
part
of silver. It therefore stood in an
entirely
different
relation to silver from that of
pure gold,
the latter
being
to silver as 13*3 to
1,
while electrum was about 10 to 1.
This natural
compound
of
gold
and silver
possessed
several
advantages
for
purposes
of
coining
over
gold,
which,
as
might
have been
expected,
were not overlooked
by
a
people
endowed in so
high
a
degree
with commercial
instincts as were the inhabitants of the coast towns of
Asia Minor. In the first
place
it was more
durable,
being
harder and less
subject
to
wear;
secondly
it was more
easily
obtainable,
being
found in
large quantities
in the
immediate
neighbourhood ; and,
lastly, standing
as it did
in the
simple
relation of 10 to 1 as
regards
silver,
it
rendered needless the use of a different standard of
weight
for the two
metals,
enabling
the authorities of the mint to
make use of one set of
weights
and a decimal
system easy
of
comprehension
and
simple
in
practice.
On this account electrum was
weighed according
to the
8
Soph.
Ant. 1087
KpScaivcr', e/xiroXrc
rv ir
p
s
SapScwv
rktKTpov,

ovXeaOc,
/cat rv 'IvSikov
xpvcrv

k.t. X.
7
Herod, i. 50.
8
Brandis, p.
165.
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METROLOG I CAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 255
silver
standard,
and the electrum stater was
consequently-
equivalent
to ten silver staters of the same
weight.
The
weight
of the electrum stater in each town or district thus
depended upon
the standard which
happened
to be in use
there for silver bullion or silver
bar-money,
the
practice
of the new invention of
stamping
metal for circulation
being
in the first instance
only applied
to the more
precious
of the two
metals,
the electrum stater
representing
in a
conveniently
small
compass
a
weight
of silver bullion ten
times as
bulky
and ten times as difficult of
transport.
Once, however,
in
general
use,
the extension to silver and
to
gold
of the new invention of
coining
could not be
long
delayed.
As the standards
according
to which bullion silver was
weighed
were various in different
localities,
having
been
developed,
as we have seen
above,
by
different methods
out of the sixtieth
parts
of the
heavy
and the
light Baby-
lonian
gold
minaB,
so also were the earliest electrum staters
of different
weights, depending everywhere upon
silver
and not
upon gold. Consequently,
as
might
have been
expected,
we meet with electrum coins of the
Phoenician,
the
JEginetic,
the
Babylonic,
and the Euboic
systems.
These I
propose
to consider in the
following
order :
-
i.
Babylonic.
ii. Asiatic or Phoenician.
iii.
Eginetic.
iv. Euboic.
v. Phocaic.
The coins of the so-called Phocaic
system
stand on a
somewhat different
footing.
This
standard,
as we have
seen
above,
was not a silver
standard,
but a
gold one,
based
upon
the sixtieth of the
heavy Babylonian mina,
weighing
about 260
grains
;
hence the electrum coins which
follow
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256 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
this standard are
clearly distinguishable,
not
only by
their
weight
but
by
their
colour,
from the electrum of the four
silver standards. Whether
they ought
to be included
under the
heading
of electrum is almost a
question,
for
the
majority
of these coins
approach
more
nearly
to
gold
in
colour,
and
they
were
probably
intended to circulate
as
gold,
the metal of which
they
are
composed
not
being
the natural
electrum,
as found in
Lydia,
but an artificial
compound,
the use of
which,
as
representing gold, may
have been a source of considerable
profit
to the State.
I. Babylonic.
Of this class I know of
only a] single
electrum
stater,
which
may
be thus
described,
and which I would attribute
to
Lydia
-
Obv.
-
Plain.
(Typus fasciatus.)
Rev .
-
Three incuse
depressions
;
that in the centre
oblong,
the others
square.
Wt. 166*8. PI. VIL 1.
There
appears
to have existed in the
Lydian kingdom,
before the time of
Croesus,
a twofold
coinage
in electrum
-
that is to
say,
that electrum staters were struck at the
same time
upon
two distinct
standards,
the staters of
which
weighed respectively
167 and 220
grains.
This
unusual circumstance can
only
be accounted for on the
supposition
that the staters of 220
grains
were intended to
circulate in the Ionian coast towns where the Phoenician
standard
prevailed,
and the stater of 167
grains
in the
interior of Asia and in commerce with the East. This
twofold
currency
is
quite
in
conformity
with the inter-
mediate
position
of the
Lydian Empire,
which
was,
as
long
as it
lasted,
a
connecting
link between the Greeks
of the coast and the vast
empires
of the interior.
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METROLOGICA!* NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRXJM COINS. 257
If we
grant
that the relation of
pure gold
to silver was
at this time about 13*3 to
1,
that of electrum to silver
would be about 10 to
1,
which accounts for the fact that
electrum and silver staters are
constantly
coined accord-
ing
to the same
weights.
The electrum
coinage
in most
cases
probably preceded
the
coinage
in
silver,
and
may
have
given
rise to the
weights
on which the silver coins
were struck. Thus the above-mentioned electrum stater
of 167
grains
would be
equal
to ten
Babylonic
silver
staters of the same
weight,
and on this account it is
pro-
bably Lydian,
in which
country,
from the time of
Croesus,
silver was struck on this standard.
Croesus,
as we have
seen,
on his
accession,
found two electrum staters current
in his
kingdom,
the one
weighing
220
grains
for the com-
merce with the
Greeks,
and the other 167
grains
for the
inland trade. A
great
reform in the
coinage
would seem
to have been introduced under the rule of Croesus
;
the
coinage
in electrum was
entirely
abolished,
and in its
place
a double
currency
in
pure gold
and in silver was
issued. In the introduction of this new
coinage, regard,
however,
seems to have been had to the
weight
of the
previously
current electrum
staters,
each of which was
thenceforth
represented by
an
equal
value,
though
of
course not
by
an
equal weight,
of
pure gold
;
thus the old
Grseco- Asiatic electrum stater of 220
grains
was
replaced
by
a new
pure gold
stater of 167
grains, equivalent,
like
its
predecessor
in
electrum,
to ten Graeco- Asiatic silver
staters,
as current in the coast
towns,
and the old
Baby-
Ionic electrum stater of 167
grains
was
replaced by
a new
pure gold
stater of 125
grains, equal
in
value,
like
it,
to
ten silver staters of 167
grains.
This latter
gold piece
of
125
grains ultimately superseded
the heavier coin of
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258 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
167
grains,
and became in course of time the
prototype
of
the Persian daric.
The
following
table of the ancient
Lydian
coins
may
serve to make this reform in the
imperial coinage
more
clear to the mind of the student :
-
LYDIA. BEFORE CRSUS.
Electrum.
(i.) Baby
ionie Standard .
Wt. Obverse. Reverse.
166-8 Plain
[typu* fasciatiti ).
Three incuse
depressions ;
that
(Stater.)
in the centre
oblong,
the
others
square.
: [PI.
vii.
i.]
(ii.)
Asiatic Standard .
El. 216*4
Fore-parts
of lion and bull Three incuse
depressions
;
that
(Stater.)
turned
away
from each in the centre
oblong,
the
other,
and
joined by
their others
square,
necks.
[PI.
VII.
2.]
El. 219 Two lions' heads
facing,
Same.
(Stater.) joined by
their necks.
[Brandis, p. 386.]
LYDIA. TIME OF
CRSUS,
B.C. 560-646.
Pure Gold and Silver Coinage.
(i.) Babylonit
Standard.
N . 165
Fore-parts
of lion and
bull, Oblong incuse,
divided into two
facing
each other.
portions.
J. stat.=El. 220
grs.
[Brandis, p. 386.]
JV, 66 Same. Same.
J
AT. etat. == El. 73

[Brandis, p. 386.]
W. 28 Same. Same.
J
Jf. stat.=El. 37

[Brandis, p. 386.]
j AT. 14 Same. Same.
AiT.
stat.=El. 18

[Brandis, p. 386.]
(ii.)
Euboic Standard .
N. 125 Same. Same.
jy.
stat.=El. 167
[PI.
X.
1.]
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M ETROLOG IC AL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 259
"Wt. Obverse. Reverse.
jV. 42 Same. Same.
J
tf,
stat.=El.
56grs.*
[Pl.
X.
2.]
W. 21 Same. Same.
JiV.
stat.=El. 28

*
[Brandis, p. 387.]
JST. 11 Same. Same.
AiT.
stat.=El. 14

*
[Brandis, p. 387.]
(i.) Babylonic
Standard,
JR. 165 Same. Same. M.
stat.=^T. 125-f-10
[H.
X.
3.]
iR. 84 Same. Same. JEL
Dr.zzjf. 125-f-20
[PI.
X.
4.]
JEL 55 Same. Same.
JjR. stat.=iy. 125-r30
[Brandis, p. 387.]
JR. 12? Same. Same.
t^JEL.
stat.=iR.
165-rl4
?
[PI.
X.
5.]
II. Asiatic.
The second series of
early
electrum
money
is known
by
the name of
Asiatic,
Graeco-
Asiatic,
or Phoenician. The
staters of this
system weigh
220
grains
maximum. It
appears
to have been of Phoenician or
Syrian origin, or,
at
any
rate,
to have been introduced
by
the Phoenician
traders into the Ionian coast
towns,
where it took firm
root,
and whence it
spread, mainly through
the com-
mercial
activity
of the
Milesians,
on the one side to
Thrace and Macedn for
silver,
and on the other to
iEgina,
if we
may
look
upon
the
coinage
of that island in
electrum and silver as a modification or
lighter
form of
the same standard.
The
primitive
electrum staters of the Asiatic standard
are characterized
by
the
peculiar triple
indentation of the
reverses, consisting
of an
oblong
incuse
depression
between
two
square
ones. Of this
pattern
we
possess
electrum
*
Coins of
56, 28,
and 14
grains
were
probably
not struck
in
electrum,
as the
system by
which the electrum stater was
divided was
by
8, 6, 12, &c.,
not
by 2, 4,
and 8.
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260 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
staters with the lion of Miletus
(Pl.
VII.
3),
the
stag
of
Ephesus (Pl.
VII.
4),
the half-horse of
Cyme (Brandis,
p. 390),
the bull
(Brandis, p.
401, under
Samos),
and the
Chimaera,9
the two last-mentioned
types being
of uncer-
tain attribution. From these Ionian coast-towns the
Asiatic stater
spread along
the
valleys
of the
Maeander,
the
Cayster,
and the
Hermus,
into the heart of
Lydia,
and,
as we have seen in the
previous
section,
was
adopted
in
the
Lydian capital
before the time of
Croesus,
where it
took its
place
side
by
side with the
Babylonic
stater,
which
latter had arrived at Sardes from the land-side
by
means
of the
great
caravan route from the banks of the
Euphrates
and the
Tigris.
The
following
towns
adopted
the Grseco- Asiatic stater
at a somewhat later date
;
for their reverses are no
longer
of the
primitive
form indicated
above,
but exhibit the
ordinary
incuse
square
sometimes divided into four
quarters.
The character of the work
upon
the obverses
of these later coins is more advanced than that of the
extremely
archaic staters of
Miletus,
Ephesus, Cyme,
and
Sardes. Of this later class coins are known with the
sphinx
of Chios
(Pl.
VII.
6),
the half-bull with head
turned back of Samos
(Pl.
VII.
5),
the
winged
boar of
Clazomenae
(Brandis, p. 392),
the cow and calf of doubt-
ful
attribution,10
and
lastly
the sea-horse of
Lampsacus,
9
This
coin,
which is in the British
Museum,
has been
described
by
Brandis
(p. 402)
as
bearing
the
type
of a chimaera.
I must
confess, however,
that it does not seem to me to be a
Chimaera,
but rather a
lion,
in which case there can be little
doubt that Miletus is the
city
to which it should be attributed.
10
This
stater,
on account ot its
type
-
a cow
suckling
her
calf
-
(Brandis, p. 402)
would seem to have some connection
with the island of Euba and should be
perhaps
attributed to
gome Euban
colony
on the Asiatic
coast, e.g. Cyme
in
iEolis,
or Chalcis in the
neighbourhood
of Teos and
Erythrae.
It is noticeable that silver staters of Euboic
weight
also exist
having
on the obverse a cow and
calf,
and on the reverse a star
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS.
2^1
and the
eagle
of
Abdos (Pl.
VII.
7,
8). Abydos
and
Lampsacus
were settlements of
Miletus,
situated on the
Hellespont,
and were of the utmost
importance
to the
mother
city
in her trade with the Black
Sea,
as harbours
of
safety.
We thus
perceive
how it was that the Milesian
electrum stater became domesticated at these two northern
stations. But in all these
cities,
except perhaps
Samos,
the
coinage
in electrum
belongs
to a
very early period,
and cannot in
my opinion
have
long
survived the re-
organization
of the
Lydian coinage by
Croesus.
Roughly
speaking,
the
coinage
of electrum on the Asiatic standard
may
have lasted a little more than a
century
and a
half,
commencing
about b.c.
700,
and
ending
with the
conquest
of Samos
by
the Persians in b.c. 520. The Asiatic stater
of 220
grains
was doubtless the
prototype
of the silver
stater of the same
weight,
which afterwards obtained such
a wide
circulation,
not
only
on the west coast of Asia
Minor,
but in Thrace and Macedn
(Brandis, pp.
134
-
136) ;
and in those few instances where the two
coinages
in electrum and silver were
contemporary,
the electrum
stater would have
exchanged
for ten silver
pieces
of the
same
weight.
Several half-staters of this standard are to be found in
the British Museum/ and other collections
;
but the
only
one which can be attributed with
any degree
of
certainty
as on some of the
early
coins of
Erythr.
I am therefore
rather inclined to fix
upon
Chalcis in the
vicinity
of
Erythr
as
the
place
where both electrum and silver
may
have been coined.
See also Khler Gesch. d. Delisch- Attischen
Bundes, p.
155.
"
Im xxiv. J.
[b.c.
481
-
480]
haben sie
[viz.,
the
Erythrans]
gemeinschaftlich gezahlt
mit einem andern
Ort,
vielleicht
X[aKi&}],
welchen Namen Bckh an einer andern Stelle
herstellen wollte. Er versteht einen Ort in der Landschaft
XaXiTt,
voi
der er
vermuthet,
sie sei zum Theil
erythrisch,
zum Theil teisch
gewesen. Vgl.
Pausan, vii. 5 5. Strab. xiv.
644,
c.
1,
Gr.
II., p.
651."
VOL. XV. N.S. M M
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262 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
is a
piece
of Miletus
weighing
107
grains.
Obv.
-
Lion
recumbent
right,
with head turned to
left,
within a
quadrilateral
frame. Rev.
-
Three incuse
depressions
as
on the earliest
staters,
but each
containing
a
type,
the
upper square
a
stag's
head,
the
oblong
incuse in the
centre,
an animal like a fox
running
to the
left,
and the
lower
square
an
ornament, X,
which
may perhaps
be a
mark of
value,
signifying
that the coin is worth five silver
staters of about 216
grains (Pl.
VIII.
4).
This at
any
rate would be the exact value of the
coin,
and the orna-
ment
might,
I
think,
be thus
interpreted
without
any
too violent stretch of the
imagination,
were it not that
another half-stater of like
weight
has on the reverse the
mark
(Pl.
VIII.
3), which,
if also a mark of
value,
must be taken to
signify
that the coin was
exchangeable
for four
pieces
of silver of about 270
grains,
in which case
we should have to attribute it to some district where silver
was issued
according
to the Euboic
standard,
an inference
which seems
scarcely probable,
and which
consequently
casts much doubt
upon
the
interpretation
of these orna-
ments as marks of value.
The
stag's
head in the
upper
incuse
square
of the first
of these half-staters
may
indicate that the coin was
payable
at the
treasury
of the
temple
of Artemis at
Ephesus,
or
perhaps
that it was struck under the
joint
authority
of
Miletus,
Ephesus,
and some other town or
temple,
the last of which is
symbolized by
the fox-like
animal in the central incuse.
Thirds also exist of several
towns,
among
which
may
be
mentioned
Cyzicus (Brandis, p. 388),
Dardanus
(PL
VIII.
8), Ephesus (PL
VIII.
6,
7),
Miletus
(PL
VIII.
9),
and
Samos
(Brandis, p. 401.)
Those of
Ephesus
are so
pale
in
colour that
they might perhaps
be considered rather as of
silver than of
electrum,
although,
as far as I am
aware,
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M ETROLOGIC AL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 263
silver coins of this
weight
are never found elsewhere.
The obverse
type
of these coins is a
bee,
while the reverse
bears an
oblong
incuse divided into two
parts,
as on the
electrum thirds of the other cities mentioned above.
They
are therefore
clearly contemporary
with the
others,
and
must have
passed
current either as electrum
thirds,
or as
silver,
at the rate of 10 to 1
against
the electrum
pieces
of the other cities of the same
weight,
in which case
they
would be thirds of the silver stater of 220
grains,
and
altogether
an
exceptional coinage,
the Asiatic silver stater
being everywhere
divided into halves and
quarters;
the
division
by
three
being peculiar
to
gold
and
electrum,
and to the silver stater of the
Babylonic
standard of 170
grains.
On this account it is
perhaps
safer to include
them in the electrum
series,
in
spite
of the
very pale
colour of the metal of which
they
are
composed.
Of the smaller
divisions,
Fourths
only
occur at Miletus
(Brit. Mus.)
and Chios
(Brandis, p. 400).
Sixths are
more common and are found at
Ephesus (Pl.
VIII.
10),
Miletus
(Pl.
VIII.
11),
Clazomense
(Pl.
VIII.
12),
Cebrenia
(Brandis, p. 389),
Samos
(Brandis, p. 401),
Cos
(Brandis p. 401),
and other
places.
In addition to the
above,
it will be seen from the
following
table of Asiatic
electrum coins that
Eighths,
Twelfths, Twenty-fourths,
Forty-eighths
and
Ninety-sixths
also
occur,
the last
mentioned minute
piece weighing only
about
21 grains,
and
being equivalent
in value to
exactly
one-tenth
part
of
the silver stater.
ASIATIC STANDARD.
Early Period. Staters.
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
21o*3 Miletus.
Fore-part
of
lion, right ;
Three incuse
depres-
star on forehead. sions
;
that in the cen-
tre
oblong,
the othv.
square.
[Pl.
VII.
3.]
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264 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Wt.
City. Obverse. Reverse.
217*8 Miletus Lion
recumbent, right, Similar,
but incuses con-
looking
left.
taining
ornaments.
[Brandis, p. 402,
described as a
Chimra.]
218
y,
Lion
recumbent, left,
Three incuse
depres-
looking right,
within
sions,
that in the cen-
an
oblong
frame. tre
oblong,
the others
square.
[Brandis, p. 394.]
217
Ephesos.
AMBIM3H0N5[A
,
Similar.
Stag feeding.11
[PI.
VII.
4.]
220
Cyme. Fore-part
of bridled Similar.
horse, right ; above,
flower.
[Brandis, p. 390.]
216 Uncertain. Bull
walking, right, Similar,
but incuses con-
(Calchedon ?)
head lowered.
taining
ornaments.
[Brandis, p.
401
; Lenormant,
Mon. des
Lagides,
Pl. VIII.
8.]
215*4
Sardes. Fore-parts
of lion and Three incuse
depres-
bull turned
away
from sions, that in the cen-
each
other,
and
joined
tre
oblong,
the others
by
their necks.

square.
[Pl.
VII.
2.]
219

Two lions' heads
facing,
Same.
joined by
their necks.
[Brandis, p. 386.]
Later Period. Staters.
217 Chios.
Sphinx seated,
right.
Incuse
square, quar-
tered.
[Pl.
VII.
6.]
214

Same.
Similar,
but three
quar-
ters
again
divided
diagonally.
[Brandis, p. 399.]
217 Clazomense.
Fore-part
of
winged
Incuse
square, quar-
boar, right.
tered.
[Brandis, p. 392.]
216 Uncertain Cow
suckling
calf
;
Incuse
square.
(Chalcis
Ionia)
?)
flower and ear of corn.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
11
This is the earliest inscribed coin known to exist. For the
meaning
of the
legend
see Mr. Newton's article in the Num.
Chron., N.S.,
vol. x.
p.
237.
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METllOLOGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 265
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
214
Lampsacus. Fore-part
of
sea-horse,
Incuse
square, quar-
left
; above,
flower. tered.
[Pl.
VII.
8.]
217
Aby
dos.
Eagle standing,
left
;
in Incuse
square,
front, dolphin.
[PI.
VII.
7.]
Time op Polycrates. Statek.
217 Samos.
Fore-part
of
bull, right,
Incuse
square, quar-
looking
back. tered.12
[PI.
VII.
5.]
Half-staters. Early Period.
105*8 Uncertain. Plain.
{Typus fasciatus.)
Three incuse
depres-
sions
;
that in the
centre
oblong,
the
others
square. (Double
struck.)
[PI.
VIII.
1.]
107 Miletus. Lion
recumbent, right, Similar,
but each sink-
looking left,
within
ing containing
a
type:
oblong
frame. the
upper, square,
a
stag's
head
;
the cen-
tral, oblong,
a fox run-
ning,
left
;
the
lower,
square,
an ornament
X
[PI.
VIII.
4.]
110-1 Uncertain. Raised
square.
Incuse
square,
contain-
ing
cuneiform orna-
ments, arranged
thus
><
[PI.
VIII.
2.]
12
The issue of Samian electrum on the Asiatic standard is
to be
distinguished
from the earlier
coinage
of the island which
followed theEuboic standard
(see
below, p.
276
-
278).
It is
pro-
bable that in the time of
Polycrates,
when the Samians obtained
dominion over the entire
iEgean (Euseb.
Chron. II. Ed. Mai.
Milan, 1818, p. 334)
in b.c.
530, they
likewise succeeded to the
position previously occupied by
Miletus,
and that
Samos,
until
the time of its
conquest by
the Persians in b.c.
520,
remained
the chief if not the
only place
of
mintage
for Asiatic electrum.
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266 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Wt. City. Obverse. Reverse.
108*6 Uncertain. Bound shield? in
high
Incuse
square,
contain
-
relief,
divided
diago- ing
an
ornament,
thus
nally by
two broad
^
bands.
[PL
Y III.
3.]
110*2 Uncertain. Incuse
square
contain- Incuse
square,
contain-
ing
cuneiform orna-
ing
cuneiform orna-
ments.
"
Name of ments.
Cyrus
"
? ?
[Brandis, p.
402
; Lenoruiant,
Mon. des
Lagides.
Pl. VIII.
9.]
Thirds.
73
Cyzicus.
HtVfc. Lion's
head, Oblong
incuse,
divided
left.ia into two
parts.
[Brandis, p. 388.]
73- 1 Dardanus or Cock and Hen. Same.
Selymbria
?
[Pl.
VIII.
8.]
71 Uncertain Raised
square, quar-
Same.
(Lesbos?)
tered.
[Pl.
VIII.
6.]
71
Ephesus.
Bee in linear
square.
Same.
[PL
VIII.
6.]
67-8
Similar. Similar.
[Pl.
VIII.
7.]
7 1 Miletus. Lion
lying, left, looking
Two incuse
squares,
one
right. containing
a star
(both
ornamented).
[Brandis, p. 394.]
73
}t
Lions head with
open Oblong incuse,
divided
jaws ;
above, star. into two
parts.
[Pl.
VIII.
9.]
73 Samos. Lion's
scalp facing. Oblong incuse,
divided
into two
parts.
72 ,,
Same. Same.
[Brandis, p. 401.]
Fourths.
48*9 Miletus. Lion's head with
open Oblong incuse,
divided
jaws
; above,
star. into two
parts.
[Brit. Mus.]
13
The attribution of this coin to
Cyzicus
rests
upon
the in-
scription solely.
Vide
Brandis, p. 177,
note 1.
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METROLOGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 267
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
56*4 Chios.
Sphinx,
left. Two incuse
depressions,
adorned with stars and
flowers.
[Brandis, p. 400.]
Sixths.
36
Ephesus. Fore-part
of
stag,
left
;
Incuse
square,
covered
in
front,
three
pellets.
with lines.
[PI.
VIII.
10.]
37 Miletus. Lion's
head, right ;
in
Oblong incuse,
divided
front,
inscription?
into two
parts.
[PI.
VIII.
II.]
37 Miletus. Lion's head with
open
Same.
jaws ; above,
star.
35*7

Lion's
head,
left. Incuse
square,
contain-
(Plated ?) ing
star.
[Brandis, p. 395.]
35 9 Clazomense
(?)
IAA[X].
Boar's
head,
Two incuse
squares
of
right.
different sizes.
[Pl.
VIII.
12.]
37 Uncertain. Plain
( typus fasciai
us).
Same.
[PL
Vili.
13.]
36*3 Cebrenia. Ram's
head,
left. Incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 389.]
36 Samos. Lion's
scalp, facing. Oblong
incuse.
[Brandis, p. 401.]
35 Cos. Crab. Incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 401.]
36 Uncertain.
Fore-part
of
lion, up-
Incuse
square.
right,
with
open jaws,
left,
one
paw
raised.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
38 Uncertain. Horse's
head,
left. Incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
30 Uncertain. Beardless
head, right,
of Incuse
square.
(Plated)
archaic
style.
[Brit. Mus.]
Eighth.
26*5 Uncertain. Shield ? ornamented Incuse
square,
with three
crescents,
back to
back,
contain-
ing
dots.
[Pl.
VIII. 14
]
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268 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Wt.
City. Obverse. Reverse.
^
Twelfths.
18*1
Miletuf, Lion's
head,
right,
with Incuse
square,
open jaws ; above,
star.
[Brandis, p. 395.]
18*4
Ephesus. Fore-part
of
stag, right,
Incuse
square,
looking
back.
[Brandis, p. 393.]
18 Chios.
Griffin, left; beneath,
X Incuse
square,
orna-
mented with star or
flower.
[Brandis, p. 400.]
17 '7 Samos. Lion's
scalp, facing.
Incuse
square.
[PL
VIII.
15.]
18 Uncertain. Plain
( typus fasciatus).
Incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
18*5 Uncertain. Lion's
head, facing.
Incuse
square.
[Bank
of
England.]
14 Cebrenia. Rain's
head, right.
Incuse
square.
[Brit. Mus.]
Twenty- fourths.
9*3 Miletus? Lion's
head, right.
Incuse
square, quar-
tered.
8*8 Cebrenia. Ram's
head, right. Irregular incuse square.
[Brit. Mus.]
0.7
1 1
" ' ft
[Brandis, p. 389.]
9*3 Uncertain. Horse's
head,
left. Incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
9*5 Uncertain. Boar?
right. Same.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
8*9 Uncertain.
Irregular lumps.
Same.
[Brit.
Ms
]
9 Uncertain. Plain
( typus
fasciatus).
Same.
[Brit. Mus.]
6. Uncertain. Beardless
head, left,
of Incuse
square,
archaic
style.
Forty-eighths.
4*1
Abydos. Eagle, right, looking
Incuse
9quare.
back.
[Brandis, p. 389.]
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METROLOGl CAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTKUM COINS. 269
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
4*8 Miletus. Lion's
head, right ;
star Same,
over forehead.
[Brandis, p. 396.]
4*7 Uncertain. Head of
eagle
or fish. Incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 402.]
4*1 Uncertain. Flower. Star- formed
sinking
with central bose.
[Brit. Mus., Newton,
Discoveries at
Halicarnassus,
vol.
ii., part ii., p. 684.]
Ninety-sixths.
2*9 Eresus.
Barleycorn.
IneuRe.
[Brit. Mus.]
1*9 Cos. Crab. Incuse
square.
[Brit. Mus.]
III. Eginetic.
In addition to the Ionian maritime towns the Asiatic
electrum stater would seem to have found its
way
across
the
iEgean
to the island of
^Egina,
where it was
pro-
bably
introduced
by
the Phoenician or Ionian traders.
A
specimen
is
preserved
of this
coinage
in the Paris
collection,
weighing
207
grains,
and
bearing
the
figure
of
a
tortoise,
the
symbol
of the Phoenician
goddess
of the sea
and of trade
(Pl.
VIII.
16).
This remarkable coin is
somewhat
lighter
than the
corresponding pieces
as struck
on the Asiatic
coast,
and this is
perhaps
the reason
why
the
.Eginetan
silver when first coined
by
Pheidon of
Argos
was of a
lighter
standard than the Asiatic silver of
the
opposite
coast. The earliest
iEginetan
silver
coins,
judging
from the heaviest
specimen
in the British
Museum,
weighed'
about 212
grains,
and would
consequently
have
exchanged
with the electrum in the
proportion
of
10 to
1,
a rate which thus seems to have been universal
between electrum and
silver,
for in
every
instance where a
primitive
electrum
coinage
existed,
it was followed and
generally replaced by
a silver coin identical in
weight,
as
VOL. XV. N.S. N N
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270 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
we have seen in the case of the
Lydian
electrum of 167
grains
and of the Asiatic electrum of 220
grains,
and as
we shall
presently
see was also the case with the Euboic
electrum of 130
grains.
The
following
are the
only
genuine
coins of electrum which can in
my judgment
be
assigned
to the island of
^Egina.
jEGINETIC STANDARD.
Stater
(circ.
212
grs.)
207
JEgina.
Tortoise. Incuse
square,
divided
into two
parts.
[Pl.
Y III. 16. Par.
Mus.]14
Fourth
(circ.
54
-
48
grs.)
43*8
JEgina.
Tortoise. Incuse
square.
[Pl.
VIII. 17. Brit.
Mus.]
Twelfth
(circ.
16
grs.)
11*8
JEgina.
Tortoise ? Incuse
square.
[Pl.
VIII. 18. Bank of
England.]
IV. Euboic.
No electrum coins have
up
to the
present
been
assigned
by metrolog8ts
to the Euboic standard. I have neverthe-
less no hesitation in
separating
as Euboic certain
pieces,
some of which are now for the first time
published,
while
others have hitherto been classed
among
the Phocaic.
The earliest coins of the Phocaic standard are staters of
256
grains (maximum),
and are of
comparatively pure gold,
having
been intended as I think to circulate as
sueh,
and
at the rate of 13.3 as
regards
silver. The coins which I
14
For an
impression
of this
unique
and
highly interesting
coin,
as well as for that of the Euboic double stater
(Pl.
IX.
1),
I am indebted to the kindness of M.
Chabouillet,
Conservateur
du
Dpartement
des Mdailles la
Bibliothque
Nationale.
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 271
would class as Euboic
are,
on the
contrary,
of the usual
pale-coloured electrum,
standing
in the
proportion
of 10 to 1
to
silver,
and
though scarcely distinguishable
in
weight
from Phocaic
gold, may
I think be included in a
separate
category.
We have seen that in
every
district where
silver was
coined,
whether on the
Babylonic,
the
Asiatic,
or the
iEginetic
standard,
a
previous
electrum
coinage
had
existed,
the staters of which
weighed
167,
220,
and 207
grains respectively. Arguing
from
analogy,
we
might expect
to find that the Euboic silver stater of
130
grains
as first issued in Chalcis and
Eretria,
had also
been
preceded by
an electrum
coinage
of like
weight
;
and
that such a
coinage actually
existed,
not
only
in Euboea
but on the
opposite
coasts of the
-ZEgean,
is I am inclined
to think
capable
of
proof.
Before
describing
the electrum
coins of this
standard,
it
may
be
perhaps
of use to remind
my
readers of the
important position occupied by
Chalcis
and Eretria as
trading
cities in the
eighth
and seventh
centuries b.c.
These two
cities, although
in
population they may
not
have rivalled the more celebrated cities of Corinth or
Athens,
were
yet
more influential than either of them in
spreading
Greek culture and Greek ideas over the ancient
world.
They
were the
great
rivals of
Miletus,
and the
starting-points
of the colonists bound for the shores of
Italy
and
Sicily
and the northern coasts of the
^Egean.
The
peninsula
of
Chalcidice,
from the number of Chalci-
dian colonies which it had
received,
was named after their
mother
city.
The colonies of Eretria were
hardly
less
numerous,
and were for the most
part
dotted about the
promontory
of Paliene and round the foot of Mount
Athos. These two towns
were,
according
to
Grote,
"
the
most
powerful
and
enterprising
Ionic cities in
European
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272 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Greece,
apparently surpassing
Athens and not inferior to
Samos and Miletus." Their
ships
covered the seas and
carried the native
copper
ore of
Euba,
for which Chalcis
was so famous and from which its name was
derived,
to
the coasts of
Asia,
of
Thrace,
of
Italy,
and of
Sicily,
bringing
back in
exchange
the
products
of
every
land.
The
precious
metals in
particular
flowed
plentifully
into
the island of Euba- the
gold
of the
East,
the electrum
of
Sardes,
and
especially
silver from the
highlands
of
Chalcidice,
in which district no less than
thirty-two towns,
chiefly engaged
in
mining,
had been founded
by
Chalcis
alone,
without
counting many
of which Eretria was the
mother
city.
From Asia
-
probably
from Samos
-
the Eubans im-
ported
the
gold
standard
according
to which
they weighed
this
silver,
and which under the name of the Euboic
standard
was,
by
means of the
widespread
commercial
relations of the two
great
Euban
cities,
soon made
known over the whole Greek world. This must have
taken
place
in the course of the
eighth century,
and
before the war which some time before b.c. 700 broke out
between Chalcis and
Eretria,
nominally
for the
possession
of the fields of
Lelantum,
which
lay
between the two rival
cities. This war was in
reality
a contest for maritime
supremacy,
in which the commercial interests of each
town were at stake. This is evident from the universal
character which it assumed.
Nearly
all the
important
states of Greece took one side or the
other,
and the whole
JEgean
Sea became one vast theatre on which the
quarrel
was to be
fought
out. Corinth took the side of
Chalcis,
Corcyra
that of Eretria. Samos and Miletus also took
opposite
sides in the contest. This
separation
of all
Greece into two hostile
camps
we must
suppose
to have
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M ETROLOGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 273
been occasioned
by
the commercial relations of the several
states,
the interests of some
being
more
closely
bound
up
with one
party,
those of others with the other. The
intimate alliance of Samos at this
period
both with
Corinth and Chalcis is most
significant,
and it is
surely
no mere chance coincidence that the earliest coins of
these three states follow one and the same
standard,
namely,
the Euboic. This is what leads me to
suppose
that it was
through
Samos that both Euboea and Corinth
received this standard from
Asia,
the
period
of
peace
and
renewed commercial
prosperity
which succeeded the
Lelantian
wars,
being
the time to which the earliest elec-
trum coins must be
assigned.
The electrum coins of Samos and
Chalcis,
which I have
now the
pleasure
of
publishing
for the first
time,
date
from about this
period,
and are
specimens
of this
early
electrum
coinage
on the Euboic
standard,
which in
my
opinion preceded
the silver
coinage
in
precisely
the same
way
as the silver of the
Babylonic, Phoenician,
and
j3Eginetic
standards was also
preceded by
electrum.
The
following
is a list of all the electrum coins which
I would
distinguish
as Euboic from those which follow
the Phocaic standard.
They
are,
as will be
noticed,
some-
what
higher
in
weight
than
corresponding
denominations
of the Phocaic
system.
EUBOIC STANDARD.
Doublb Stater.
Wt,
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
269
Corcyra?
"
Gardens of Alcinoua." Two
oblong
incuses.
[PI.
IX.
1.]
Stater.
133-1
Corcyra
P Similar. Two
deep incuses,
one
oblong,
the other
square*.
[Mller,
"
Mon. de l'Ane.
Afr.," Suppl.
Pl. I.
1.]
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274 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
133*5 Samos. Lion's
scalp facing.
Two
deep incuses,
one
triangular
and ou e
oblong.
[Pl.
IX. 4. Found at
Priene.]
Half-Stater.
66*2 Samos. Lion's
scalp, facing.
Incuse
square.
LP1.
IX.
.]
67*6 Samos. Head of
lioness,
left. Incuse
square.
[Brit. Mus.]
Thirds.
44*4 Uncertain.
Lumpy type
of uncer- Incuse
square,
tain forms.
[Found
at
Priene.]
44-1 Uncertain. Doubtful
type.
Incuse
square.
[Found
at
Priene.]
Sixths.
21*8 Chalcis. Wheel. Incuse
square.
[Pl.
IX. 7. Bank of
England.]
22*1 Chalcis.
Eagle flying, right.
Incuse
square.
[Pl.
IX. 8. Found at
Priene.]
21*1
Cyme
in Eu-
Half-horse, right.
Incuse
square,
ba ?
[Pl.
IX.
11.]
22*5 Uncertain. Four cuneiform hori- Incuse circle,
zontal lines.
[Pl.
IX.
12.]
20*3 Uncertain. Small animal of doubt- Incuse
square,
ful
species,
above
which marks of value ?
[Pl.
IX.
13.]
Twelfth.
9*7 Uncertain. Similar
animal, right.
Incuse
square.
[Brit. Mus.]
Of the above described coins the first two are attributed
by
Mller to
Cyrene,
and if the
type
can be
proved
to
be as he calls
it,
"deux
pousses
de
Silphium,"
I have
nothing
to
say against
his attribution
;
but to
my eyes
it
seems rather to resemble the ornament sometimes called
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METROLOG IC AL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 275
the Gardens of Alcinous on the coins of
Corcyra,
to
which island the reverse
type, consisting
of two
oblong
incuse
depressions,
would also seem to
point. (Cf.
Pl.
IX. 1 and
2.)
In this case we
might
attribute these two
primitive pieces
to that
island, which,
from its intimate
connection with Corinth as well as with
Euboea,15
may
be
presumed
in remote times to have made use of the same
standard as its mother
city
for
weighing
the
precious
metals
(Curtius,
Hermes
Bd.,
x.
p. 224),
and not to
have
passed
over to the
JEginetic
standard until after its
rupture
with Corinth. We
may
even
point
to one or
two archaic silver coins with the
Corcyrean type
of the
cow
suckling
her
calf,
and with the Euboic
diagonally
divided incuse
square, weight
about 130
grains (PI.
IX.
3), which,
if
Corcyrean, represent
this earliest silver
coinage
of the island. These coins are classed as un-
certain in the British Museum. I have some doubts
whether to attribute them to
Corcyra
or to the island
of Euboea
itself,
to which the
type
would be
equally
appropriate.
If,
on the other
hand,
Mller's attribution of the
electrum stater to
Cyrene
be
preferred,
it would in no
way
affect
my thory
that these electrum coins are of
the Euboic
standard,
but would
merely
tend to show an
early
commercial intercourse between that
city
and
Samos,
a connection which it is well known existed in later
15 "
Corcyra,
like
Euboea,
originally
bore the name of
Maoris,
and was
by
ancient
myths
as well as
by recurring
names con-
nected in
many ways
with the latter island."
"
The Chalcidians
had constituted
Corcyra
the
starting-point
of a wider extension
of Hellenic
colonization,
branching
out in several directions."
-
Curtius,
Hist. Gr. If this be borne in
mind,
it should cause us
no
surprise
to find in
Corcyra
electrum struck on the Euboic
standard.
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276 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
times. The
early
silver of
Cyrene,
it is needless to
say,
also follows the Euboic standard.
Of the five coins
standing
next in the
list,
the stater
weighing
133.5,
and the thirds
weighing
44.4 and
44.1
respectively,
are now for the first time
published,
having
been
lately
discovered near the site of
Priene,
on the coast of the mainland,
nearly opposite
the island,
of Samos. The two half-staters
weighing
66.2 and 67.6
have lain for
years
unnoticed in the collection of the
British Museum. The
types
of the stater and the two
half-staters are so
clearly
Sam: an that I have no hesita-
tion whatever in
attributing
them to that island. The
character of the
modelling
of the lion's
scalp
on the
stater is more archaic than 'that of
any
other coin with
which I am
acquainted.
The island of Samos was in the
eighth
and
following
centuries one of the chief maritime
powers among
the
Hellenic States. Its
situation,
separated
as it was
by
a
narrow strait from the mainland of
Asia,
rendered it
the natural outlet
through
which the
products
of the
interior and of the coast lands of Asia made their
way
across to the
opposite
continent,
and even into the remote
lands of the
West,
for it was a Samian
ship
which first
passed
the
pillars
of Hercules and made the Greeks
familiar with the
phenomenon
of the tides. Samos
may
therefore have been the means of
introducing
into Euba
the
gold
standard which was
adopted
in the latter
island,
and this
supposition
is borne out
by
the
weights
of the
coins now before us. These are
clearly
electrum of the
so-called Euboic standard of the
very
earliest
period
of
the art of
coining.
The intimate connection
existing
between the
people
of Samos and those of
Euba,
as
being
the two
greatest
maritime
powers
of
Greece,
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 277
cannot fail to have
brought
about an
interchange
of
commodities which would have rendered it a matter of
commercial
policy
to institute a similar
coinage
in the
two islands. Hence we
may
infer that the cities of
Euba,
in
adopting
a
coinage
of their
own,
would strike
their silver on the same standard as the Samian electrum.
The same reasons will
apply
to Corinth
;
and if Pheidon
of
Argos
selected another and a different standard for the
currency
of his
dominions,
this
may
be
explained by
supposing
that the trade of
Argos
and
.Egina
was
chiefly
carried on with Miletus and those cities of Asia
which had
adopted
the Phoenician standard.
Hence,
also,
the choice of the
tortoise,
the
symbol
of the
Phoenician
goddess
of the
sea,
for the coins of
-ZEgina.
The
discovery
of these earliest electrum coins of Samos
fills
up
a
period
in the numismatic
history
of the
island,
of which no coins were hitherto
known,
but
during
which
it is inconceivable that a State of the
importance
of Samos
should have been behind her
neighbour
and rival Miletus
in
issuing
coins of her own.
The relations of Samos with Euba would also lead us
to believe that after the issue of the Euboean silver Samos
must have also struck silver
money
;
and there
exist,
indeed,
several
specimens
of silver of Euboic
weight
which
may perhaps
be Samian. I allude to two
pieces
in
the British
Museum,
classed
among
the uncertain. These
are
-
.
1. Obv.
-
Half- bull
swimming, right.
Rev.
-
Incuse
square,
with transverse lines.
M,
weight
185
grs. (Pl.
IX.
6).
2. Obv.
-
Lion's
scalp facing.
Rev.
-
Incuse
square.
M , weight
63*1
grs. (Brit. Mus.)
VOL. XV. N.S. oo
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278 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Thus also in
Samos,
as in
Corcyra,
if
my
attributions
be
accepted,
we find both electrum and silver of the
Euboic standard in the earliest times. This standard in
Corcyra
on her
rupture
with Corinth was
replaced by
the
iEginetic,
while in
Samos,
probably
about the time
of
Polycrates,
it made
way
for the Asiatic or Phoenician
standard,
which had from the first
prevailed
at
Miletus,
and
according
to which silver was afterwards coined at
Samos.
(See above, p.
265,
note
12.)
Of the five hectae described
above,
the first is in the
collection of the Bank of
England,
and the second was
lately
found with the stater of Samos. Dr. von
Saliet,
in the Zeitschrift fr
Numismatik,
Bd. iii.
p.
134,
publishes
a silver coin of Chalcis in
Euboea,
which
unites the
types
of the two hectae which I would
give
to
the same
city.
Obv.
-
Eagle,
with
serpent
in
beak,
flying,
right.
Rev.
-
AAV
[XAA]
Wheel
;
weight,
42
grains.
(Pl.
IX.
10.)
The
type
of the
eagle
and
serpent
is
well known on the later coins of
Chalcis,
and the late
researches of Dr. Imhoof-Blumer and Professor Curtius
(Hermes,
Bd. x.
225)
have resulted in the restoration to
Chalcis of the series of
coins,
previously thought
to be
Athenian,
with the
wheel-type.
Here, then,
we have two Euboic electrum
coins,
the
types
of both of which
point
to Chalcis. The fact that
one of them was found near the coasts of Samos is also
much in favour of
my attribution,
when the alliance of
that island with Chalcis in the Lelantian war is re-
membered,
and when it is borne in mind how close
were the commercial relations of these two cities.
The wheel
(Pl.
IX.
9)
seems to have been the
principal type
of Chalcis in
early
times,
and its
preva-
lence
among
the coins of the Thraco-Macedonian tribes
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METROLOGICL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 279
(cf.
the
pieces
of
Ichnae, Tuntenon, Eminako, Orreskii,
&c.
-
Saliet. 1. c. Zeit. f.
Num.,
Bd. iii. Pl.
II.)
is
significant
as
tending
to show the extent of the Chalci-
dian trade
;
for it was
probably
from the coins of Chalcis
in
Euboea,
which doubtless circulated
freely amoDg
her
colonies in
Macedn,
that these
peoples
derived a
type
which
appears
to be common to so
many
of them. The
fact that the coins of Chalcis with the
wheel-type
did cir-
culate in Macedn is
proved by
their
being frequently
found there at the
present day. (Curtius, Hermes,
Bd.
X.
p. 225.)
The restoration of the archaic silver coins of various
types,
hitherto
generally
treated as
Athenian,
to the
island of
Euboea,
is a real
step
in advance for the science
of
numismatics,
and it
only
remains now to decide to
what cities the several
types
are to be
assigned.
Of these
I think the two or three best known
may
be thus
distributed : the wheel to Chalcis
(Pl.
IX.
9),
the Gor-
goneion
to
Ertria,
and the
amphora
to
Ceos,
in which
island the same
change
of standard from Euboic to
-ZEginetic
would then be observable
whiqh
we have noticed
in
Corey
ra.
16
The coins of
Eretria,
no less than those of
Chalcis,
would be current
among
her colonies in the Isthmus of
Paliene,
and
probably
served as models for the
coinage
of
Neapolis,
an
important
town in that district.
J6
Dr. Imhoof- Blumer
was,
as far as I am
aware,
the first to
suggest
the restoration to Euboea of some of the archaic silver
coins
previously given
to Athens. Prof. E. Curtius
(1. c.)
appears, independently
of Dr. Imhoof
-Blumer,
to have arrived
at the same conclusion.
Although
therefore there can be no
longer
a doubt that the
majority
of the didrachms and smaller
divisions of various
types,
attributed
by
Beul to Athens
should now be restored to
Euba,
I am still far from affirm-
ing
that some of these
types may
not be Solonian.
Among
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280 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
But to return to tlie electrum.
My
attribution of these
two hectes to Chalis shows that the same
phenomenon
which I haYe elsewhere remarked is also noticeable in
Euba. I allude to the
coinage
in the seventh
century,
of
electrum and silver
upon
one and the same standard. In
Euba,
in
Samos,
in
Corey
ra
(or perhaps Cyrene),
this
standard was Euboic. In
Lydia
it
appears
to have been
twofold, viz.,
both
Babylonic
and Phoenician. In the
Ionian coast
towns, Miletus, Ephesus, Cyme,
and at a
later
period
in
Lampsacua, Abydos,
Chios, Clazomense,
and
Samos, &c.,
it was
Phoenician,
and in the dominions
of Pheidon of
Argos
it was
iEginetic,
but
everywhere
the
two metals follow one and the same
standard,
and stand
to one another in the
proportion
of 10 to 1.
Of the three
remaining
hectae,
one has the
type
of
Cyme
-
the
fore-part
of a horse
-
the other two are un-
certain. The first of these
pieces
I am inclined to attri-
bute to
Cyme
in
Euba,
although
it is
by
no means
impossible
that
Cyme
in iEolis
may
have been its
place
of
mintage
;
for we know that the Asiatic
Cyme
was at
one time connected with
Cyme
and Chalis in
Euba;
and we find these two cities
combining
to found the
colony
of Cumse in
Italy.
This
gives
us a clue to the
side which the Asiatic
Cyme may
have taken in the
commercial
wars,
in which we
may presume
that she
sided with her old
ally Chalis,
and with Samos. It
would therefore not be
surprising
to find a similar
these I would class the didrachm with the owl
(Beul, p. 17).
The didrachm with the bull's head
facing given by
Gardner
(Num.
Chron., N.S.,
vol.
xiii.,
Pl. VII.
2)
to
Athens,
I should
prefer,
however,
to attribute to
Eretria,
with which
city
the
Gurgoueion
on the tetradrachm with the same bull's head on
the reverse seems to connect it. Mr. Gardner
gives
them both
to Athens
;
but now that the
Gorgoneion
has been restored to
Euba,
the bull's head can
hardly
assert a claim to be the
long-sought-for
Attic
ov
s.
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M ET ROLOGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 281
electrum
coinage
here also. The fact that an electrum
stater of Phoenician
weight (220 grains)
also bears the
type
of
Cyme,
would seem to
point
to a
change
of
policy
which induced the rulers of that
city
to
prefer
the Asiatic
to the Euboic standard. A similar
change
of standard is
also noticeable at
Corcyra,
at
Ceos,
and at Samos. The
two former states
having
at an
early period exchanged
the
Euboic for the
-Eginetic
standard,
and the
latter,
like
Cyme,
the Euboic for the Phoenician.
V. Phocaic.
The staters of the Phocaic standard are less ancient
than the
primitive
electrum coins of
Miletus,
Ephesus,
Sardes, &c.,
of the Phoenician standard. These latter
probably
ceased to be issued in
any
considerable
quantity
during
the Milesian
war,
b.c. 623
-
612,
although
the
hectae and smaller divisions
may
have survived to the
time of
Crsus, who,
as we have
seen,
reorganized
the
entire
coinage
of his
kingdom, abolishing
electrum and
substituting
a double
currency
in
gold
and silver. The
unit of the
gold coinage
of Croesus was the sixtieth
part
of
the
light Babylonian
mina,
weighing
about 130
grains
(maximum),
or 125
grains
actual
weight.
Now between the cessation of the Milesian
electrum,
circ.
612,
and the accession of Croesus in
560,
there is a
period
of about half a
century, during
which the
city
of
Phocsea seems to have obtained a considerable increase of
power
and
influence,
more
especially upon
the sea. It
may
therefore be considered as certain that the rise and
extension of the Phocaic standard coincides with this
period, during
which the
Phocseans,
owing
in
part
perhaps
to the troubles of
Miletus,
are said to have been
supreme upon
the sea
(aarroKparcv).
This
period,
accord-
ing
to Eusebius
(Chron.
II.,
ed.
Mai., p. 331),
lasted
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282 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
forty-four years, commencing
from b.c. 575 It
has,
how-
ever,
been
proved
that this date is
erroneous,
and that the
commencement of the Phocaean
Thalassocracy
should be
placed
in the
year
B.c. 602.
17
From this time until that
of
Croesus,
the influence of
Phocsea,
both
by
sea and
land,
appears
to have been
sufficiently strong
to
carry through
a
reform in the
gold currency
of the
greater part
of the Asiatic
coast lands
;
and it is
worthy
of remark that the staters
of the Phocaic
standard,
as
originally
issued
by
the cities
of
Phocaea, Teos,
Cyzicus,
and
others,
are not of the
pale-
coloured electrum of the old Milesian
standard,
but are of
comparatively pure gold,
and that
they
follow the standard
afterwards
adopted by
Croesus for his
royal gold coinage,
the Phocaic stater
weighing
256
grains maximum,
which
is,
allowing
for a
slight percentage
of
alloy, just
double the
value of the staters of Croesus. This is a coincidence
which leads me to infer that the cities which took
part
with Phocaea in the issue of this new
coinage
intended
their
money
to circulate as
gold
and not as
electrum,
and
that, therefore,
although they
retained the
globular
form
of coin with which the Asiatic Greeks had been so
long
familiar,
they
at the same time selected the old
Babylonic
gold
standard,
with its sixtieth of 260
grains,
as their new
gold
stater.
The cities of which we
possess gold
staters of Phocaic
weight
are the
following
:
-
Phoca . Obv.
-
Seal. Rev.
-
Two shallow incuse
squares
of different
sizes,
wt. 254
grs. (Pl.
X.
6.)
Teos . Obt>.
-
TS OM Griffin's
head,
right.
Rev .
-
Incuse
square,
wt. 256
grs. (Brandis
p. 397.)
Sardes? Obv .
-
Lion's head with
open jaws
and
protruding tongue.
Rev.
-
Rough
incuse
square,
17
Goodwin,
"
De
potenti
veterum
gentium
maritim
epochis
apud
Eusebium."
Gttingen,
1855.
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 283
wt. 248
grs. (Pl.
X.
8.) Cyzicus.
Obv .
-
Tunny-fish
between two fillets. Rev .
-
Two incuse
squares
of different
sizes,
the smaller one
containing
a
cray-fish
P
(ora/cs),
wt. 252
grs. (Pl.
X.
7.)18
Zeleia
,
Troadis . Obv .
-
Chimaera. Rev.
-
Two incuse
squares
of different
sizes,
wt. 252
grs. (Pl.
X.
9), wrongly
described as a lion
by
Brandis,
and therefore
erroneously
attributed
by
him to
Miletus. To the new attribution here
proposed
I shall
presently
return. Thasos or Thrace . Obv .
-
Centaur
carrying
off a woman. Rev .
-
Deep
incuse
square
divided
into
quarters,
wt. 252
grs. (Pl.
X.
11.)
Here are in all six
types
of the stater issued
by
six
different
cities,
in
my opinion
between about b.c. 600 and
560,
when Croesus was able to
impose
his new
Lydian
coinage upon
all the Greek coast towns.
It has been
generally supposed
that the Phocaic
coinage
was
contemporary
with the
Milesian,
and that Miletus
contemporaneously
with her electrum of 220
grains
struck
gold
on the Phocaic standard of 250
grains (Brandis,
p.
395) ;
and the stater attributed to that
city,
with the
type
of the lion's head described
above,
has even been considered
by Burgon
to be the oldest of all Greek coins. In
my
judgment
both the Milesian
origin
and the
supposed high
antiquity
of this
piece
are
exceedingly
doubtful. The
style
in which the lion's head is executed differs
essentially
18
The
type
within the small incuse
square
on the reverse of
this stater of
Cyzicus appears
to be a fish of the same
species
as
that which occurs as an
adjunct symbol by
the side of the anchor
on the silver coins
lately
attributed
by
Dr.
Imhoof-Blumer to
Ancore. I have ventured to call this creature an
crraK,
which
we learn from
Epicharmus
was a
species
of crab. If this be the
correct
name,
it is
probably
a
type parlant referring
to the
city
of
Astacus on the
Propontis.
In this instance it would lead us to
infer that the
gold
of
Cyzicus
was current in the former
city,
a
supposition
which is
prim
facie
exceedingly probable.
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284 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
from that of the
early
coins of
Miletus,
and
may
be called
barbaric rather than archaic. It bears a much closer
resemblance,
on the other
hand,
to the lions' heads
upon
the staters of
Crsus,
but is even more
roughly
executed.
Now it seems to have been from the first the
policy
of the
Mermnadae in
Lydia
to render the
coinage
of Sardes con-
formable,
on the one
hand,
to that of the wealthiest and
most
important
of the Greek coast towns with which
Sardes carried on an active commercial
intercourse,
and
on the other with the vast
empires
of the interior. Thus
we see
Crsus,
at a later
period, instituting
a
currency
in
pure gold
with two staters of 167 and 130
grains
respectively,
the former
representing
the value of an elec-
trum stater of the Asiatic standard
(220 grains),
the latter
that of a
Babylonic
electrum stater
(167 grains),
while
at the same time it was
equal
to half that of the staters of
the Phocaic
system (260 grains).
I would therefore
suggest
that the
gold
stater with the
lion's head above described
may
be also
Lydian,
and that
it
may represent
an endeavour on the
part
of the
previous
King
of
Lydia, Alyattes,
to assimilate his
currency
not
only
in
value,
but also in
fabric,
to that of the Ionic coast
towns
;
and as at this time the influence of Phocaea seems
to have been
predominant,
and the Phocaic
gold
stater to
be little
by
little
ousting
the Milesian
electrum,
so
Alyattes,
in order to facilitate intercourse with the Greek
cities which had
adopted
this
standard,
struck these
gold
staters of the fabric and
weight
of those of Phocaea.
The attribution of this coin to Sardes rather than
Miletus is of more
importance
than
might
be at first
imagined,
7
since it enables us to define within more
o
7
reasonable limits the
territory
over which the influence of
Phocaea
extended,
while at the same time we are no
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METROLOGICA!. NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 285
longer compelled
to
suppose
that Miletus
suddenly
changed
the standard of her
coinage,
or issued contem-
poraneously
coins of two different
systems,
for it is
pro-
bable that
during
the
period
to which I
propose
to
attribute the issue of Phocaic
gold,
viz.,
b.c. 600
-
560,
Miletus was still
striking
hectae on the Asiatic
standard,
although
doubtless the
activity
of her mint had been
much affected
by
her wars with
Lydia.
I now
pass
to the
stater,
above described
(p. 283), having
on the obverse a Chimaera
advancing
to the left
(Pl.
X.
9).
The
Chimaera,
unlike the lion or the
bull,
is a
type
so
unusual,
that the attribution of a coin
bearing
the
figure
of this
mythical
monster is of
necessity
limited to a small
number of localities.
Lycia
is the land where the Belle-
rophon myth
had its
rise,
and from
Lycia
it
spread
across
the sea to Corinth and
Sicyon,
the coins of which cities are
distinguished by
the
figures
of
Pegasus
and the Chimaera.
But neither
Lycia
nor
Peloponnesus
can
assuredly lay
claim to a
gold
stater of the Phocaic standard.
They
are
both too far removed from the north-western
portion
of
Asia
Minor,
where the influence of Phocaea was
sufficiently
strong
to induce cities in her
vicinity,
such as Teos and
possibly
Sardes,
and others in the circle of her maritime
trade,
such as
Dardanus,
Cyzicus,
and
Selymbria
on the
Propontis,
to
adopt
the Phocaic standard for their
gold
coinage.
Let us therefore confine our attention to this
district,
and there search for
any
traces of the Chimaera
legend.
"
The Troadand
Lycia" (says
Curtius,
Hist.
Gr.,
Eng.
Tr.,
vol. i.
p. 84)
"
are countries
intimately
related to one
another
;
they worship
the same
gods,
such as Zeus
Triopas,
and
Apollo
;
the same
heroes,
such as Pandarus
;
they
have the same names for rivers and mountains.
VOL. XV. N.S. P P
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286 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Part of the Troad was called
Lycia
after its
inhabitants,
just
as
Lycians
in their own
country
called themselves
Trojans."
Here then is an
important
clue which I
may
be allowed to follow
up
still further. Plutarch
(De
Mul.
Virt., ix.)
has the
following
remarkable
passage:
-
urb
5' kv vKa
ytvia-Oai Xey/xevov fxvOiSes fxv
otlv,
exet
S riva
<>rfxrjv b/iov fxaprvpovcrav
.
'AfiuruiSapos yp>
ws
</>acriv,
ov
'Icrpav
AvKLOL
KaXoV(TLVy
fjKCV
K
TTS 7Tpl
ZXciaV OLTTOLKiaS
AVKLV, X^O"-
rp8
as
ayuiv
vaus,
&v
Xifiappos r/yetro, ttoXc/Iot^s ficv

vrp9 /s
8c Kal
OrjptASrjq

rXci Se irXota) Xcovra
ikv l'ovri irpwpaOev
&ri<rqJLov>
ck 8c
irpvimrjs Spxovra,
Kal TroXX kolkol tovs Avklov
inou ku ir'v<rai
rrjv
OdXarrav ovk
rv9
ovS ras
c'yyvs
0aXrn/s
TToXciS okLV
'
TOVTOV OVV TTOKTClVaS
BcXXc/DO^VT^S,
K.T.X.
This same
Amisodarus,
whose connection with the
Chimaera is thus
amusingly
softened down
by
Plutarch,
is also mentioned
by
Homer as the man who reared the
monster
(II.
xvi.
328)
:
-
vies cLKovTLOTai
'AfjLicTto&pov,
os
pa JLifxaipav
p'1/v fiaL/iaKerrjVj
iroXcr tv kolkqv
vOpwiroiariv,
And
Zeleia,
from which
city, according
to Plutarch
(1. c.),
he
despatched
his
piratical
vessels,
is also mentioned
by
Homer
(II.
ii.
824)
as
being
the
city
of the
Lycian
hero
Pandarus :
-
ot Si ZcXciav cvatov virai iroSa vtvaroy
"lrjs,
<l>V lot, 7TV0VT
vStop fltXoV
'
AuTTpTOlO,
T
paies
tcv a vT
rjp'
A
vKaovo
ayXas
vs
HdvSapos
<5 Kat
roov
'AirXwv avr cSokcv.
Cf. Strabo xii.
p. 565, rrjv AvKtav,
rrv
vir
llavSpw,
iv
fi rj
ZcXcia, We
may, therefore,
accept
it as
proved
that
Zeleia was the
centre
of a
Lycian population
settled in
the
neighbourhood
of Mount Ida.
Consequently
the
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METROLOGICA!. NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRTJM COINS. 287
Chimsera is here as much at home as in
Lycia
itself,19
and
when we take into consideration the fact that Zeleia
belonged
to the
territory
of
Cyzicus,20
from which it was
distant
only
about
twenty English
miles,
while it was
only eight
miles from the
sea,
on the
iEsepus,
the
largest
river of
Mysia,
the attribution of the Chimaera stater can
no
longer
be a matter of doubt.
Zeleia was
probably, therefore,
a
place
of some im-
portance,
and the attribution to it of the above-mentioned
Phocaic stater is in a measure confirmed
by
the existence
of a silver coin in the collection of the British Museum
(Pl.
X.
10),
which I would venture also to ascribe to the
Lycian colony
settled in this
part
of the Troad. It is
perhaps
somewhat later in date
21
than the
gold
stater,
as
it bears a double
type.
On the obverse is a
Chimaera,
which in its massive and somewhat thick-set
proportions
exhibits a
striking
resemblance to that
upon
the
gold
coin,
while on the reverse is a
Gorgoneion precisely
similar to
that with which we are familiar on the silver coins of the
neighbouring city
of
Abydos. Although
this
interesting
19
It is well known that the
Lycian
hero
Bellerophon
was a
form of the
Sun-god (vide Preller,
Gr.
Myth.
ii.
p. 78),
and
it is
worthy
of remark that the name of the
city
Zeleia
appears
to be also connected with that of Helios
(vide
in
Marquardt,
Cyzicus
und sein
Gebiet,
p. 129): "Etym.
M.
p. 408,
40.
Z e A. e ta
wvfiao-raL
Sar
ZeXv tlvo, r
St r rv "Htov tv
avrjj
Xtav
tvo-czivOac
und des Schol. z. Ilias. 4. v.
108, p. 125,
41 Bekk. :
f
vi r
rfj
"I
Srj
AvKta r 7ra'aiv Ze'eta koXZlto Sia r rv 'A-n-o.-
Xcova v a
vrf
Xlav
evo-eetaaL,
welche beide die
Vermuthung
Schwenks
besttigen,
dass die Namen :
SAa, Zc'a, ZcXcta,
sich
auf den Cult des
Sonnengottes
beziehen."
20
Strab. xiii.
p. 83,
Icrrt vvv
fj
Zeeta tw v
Kv^lktjvuv. Although
Zeleia afterwards formed
part
of the
territory
of
Cyzicus,
it is
probable
that in the sixth
century
b.c. it was
independent
of
that
city, though
both one and the other were doubtless tribu-
tary
to
Lydia.
21
The name of Zeleia occurs in the list of cities
tributary
to
Athens as
early
as the
year
b.c. 452
(Khler,
Gesch. d. Delisch-
Attisches
Bundes, p. 10).
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288 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
piece
has hitherto been classed to
Sicyon,
I have no hesi-
tation in
affirming
that it has
nothing
whatever in
common with the coins of that
city beyond
the casual
coincidence of
type. Style,
fabric,
and the reverse
type
all
point
to the
Troad,
as will be
readily
admitted
by any
one familiar with such matters. Its
weight, moreover,
is
not
JEginetic,
as would have been the case had the coin
been
Sicyonian,
but Euboic
(64 grains)
;
and in this also
we obtain a further clue to a more definite
attribution,
for
Lycia,
as is well
known,
from the earliest times struck
silver on the Euboic
standard,22
and it can be a matter for
no
surprise
that
Zeleia,
as a
Lycian
settlement,
should do
the same. Nor is this coin indeed the
only example
of
silver of Euboic- Attic
weight
in the north-western
districts of Asia
Minor,
as witness the
early
coins of the
neighbouring
island of Tenedos
(Brandis, p. 390).
Thus, therefore,
by
the restoration to Zeleia and Sardes
of the Phocaic
gold
staters
given by
Brandis
(p. 395)
to
Miletus,
we are enabled to define within
comparatively
narrow limits the
territory
over which the influence of
the Phocaic
gold
standard extended in
early
times. This
included the district from Teos northwards to the shores
of the
Propontis, together with,
in all
probability,
the
islands of Lesbos23 and
Thasos,
or the
opposite
coasts of
Thrace.
22
Brandis, p.
208.
23
It is known that at a later
period
also the island of Lesbos
was a member of the Phocsean
monetary league,
and much
light
has been thrown
upon
the mutual relations of
Mitylene
and Phoca
by
the
discovery
of an
inscription forming
the
latter
portion
of a
treaty
between these two cities for the
regu-
lation
by reciprocal guarantee
of the standard of the
gold
coinage
common to both. This
inscription
was
published
and
annotated
by
Newton
(Trans.
R. Soc.
Lit., N.S.,
vol.
viii.),
and
is
assigned by
him to a
period
not later than about b.c. 392.
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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 289
Doubtless,
in later
times,
the
monetary league
or
leagues,
at the head of which Phocaea and
Cyzicus appear
to have
stood,
included a far more
widely
extended confederation
of
towns,
the coins of this later Phocaean
league being
for the most
part distinguishable
from those of the earlier
times
by
the
pale
colour of the metal of which
they
are
composed,
and in
very many
instances
by
the addition to
the main
type
of the
adjunct symbol
of
Phocaea,
the seal.
The earlier Phocaic
gold coinage
seems,
on the other
hand,
to have been a
currency
of no
very long
duration,
if we
may
judge
from the extreme
rarity
of
every
one of the known
types
of the stater. It was
probably already
on the decline
when Croesus ascended the throne of
Lydia
;
and the issue
of his new
gold
coins,
which soon attained a
high reputa-
tion for
purity
of
metal,
doubtless contributed in no small
degree
to discredit the Phocaic
gold,
which, although
far
purer
than the Milesian
electrum,
was less
pure
than the
new
imperial coinage
of
Lydia.
The fall of
Sardes,
in
546,
and the
breaking up
of the
Lydian Empire,
and
with
it of the mild and beneficent rule of
Croesus,
whose
policy
it had been to cultivate the
friendship
of the
Greeks,
and
to
develope
the resources of his
kingdom
towards the
sea,
brought
about
consequences
of vital
importance
to all the
Greek cities of
Asia,
for
they
were now for the first time
brought
face to face with the
Persians,
war with whom
they
soon found to be a
very
different
thing
from that
which
they
had been accustomed to
wage
with the half
Hellenized
people
of
Lydia.
All trade with the
interior,
lately
so
flourishing,
came to an
abrupt standstill,
and
then
began
a vast
emigration,
the inhabitants of some of
the towns
forsaking
their homes en masse rather than
submit to the rule of the Barbarian
;
and thus the
culture,
the
arts,
and the
luxury
of Ionia
spread
themselves over
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290 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
the western lands. The autonomous
gold coinage
of the
coast towns
finally
ceased with the cessation of
friendly
relations between the coast and the
interior,
and unless
we attribute the
gold
stater with the
type
of a Centaur
carrying
off a
woman,
to
Thasos, Macedn,
or
Thrace,
to
which district the
type
would seem to
point,
and where
the
people
of Teos
emigrated
in
541,
recolonising
the old
city
of
Abdera,
we
may safely
affirm that the
coinage
in
gold by
the Greeks died out in the middle of the sixth
century,
and that for the
space
of a hundred
years
the
Persian daries were the
only
coins in that metal current
in the ancient world.
Perhaps
not until after the Athe-
nian
hegemony
had
begun
to
wane,
and that
city
after
city
ceased to
pay
tribute to
Athens,
do we
notice,
in
any
marked
degree,
a revival at
Cyzicus
on the
Propontis
of
the ancient electrum
coinage. Lampsacus, Phocaea,
Chios,
and other states then followed the
example
of
Cyzicus,
all
striking
coins which in their form and fabric recall the
ancient
pieces
of
electrum,
but the
style
of which
betrays
a later
period
of art.24
21
M. Ch.
Lenormant,
Rev.
Num., 1856,
was of
opinion
that
the
period
of the emission of the
Cyzicene
staters and hect
lay
between about b.c. 420 and
881,
and that
by
far the
greater
number were struck between the Peace of
Antalcidas,
in
887,
and the latter date. I
am, however,
inclined to think that the
commencement of this
coinage
dates from a somewhat earlier
period,
which, judging
from the
style
of the art
upon
some of
the earlier
specimens,
I should
say might
be about the middle
of the fifth
century.
It is true that the earliest mention in in-
scriptions
of
Cyzicene
staters,
is in the account of the
public
expenses
of the Athenians in 01. 90*4=b.c. 417
(F.
Lenormant,
Rev. Num.
1867,
p. 848)
;
but as
early
as b.c. 445 in the
Lygdanis inscription (Newton,
Discoveries at
Halicarnassus, &c.,
Yol. II. Part II.
p. 671)
mention is made of a
rji
iUktov
(1. 26)
and of staters
(1. 88.)
Mr. Newton
conjectures
that the coins
here alluded
to, may
have been
adjusted according
to the
Milesian
standard,
the stater of which
weighed
220
grains
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METROLGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 291
As in the
present
article I do not
attempt
more than a
sketch of the
early
electrum
coinages
anterior to the
Persian
conquest,
I must dismiss the
Cyzicene
staters as
extraneous to
my subject.
I
may,
however,
mention that
a late
important
find of this class of
coins,
containing
many new,
or at
any
rate
unpublished, varieties,
may
ere
long
add much to our
knowledge
of this beautiful series.
The
following
is a list of the
early
Phocaic electrum
coins. It will be remarked that
although
the staters are
archaic in
style,
some of the smaller divisions are
appa-
rently
of later work. The
coinage
of these
may perhaps
have continued for a time under Persian rule after that of
the
larger
coins had been
suppressed.
PHOCAIC STANDARD.
Staters.
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
254 Phocsea.
Seal, right,
beneath
. Two incuse
squares
of
different sizes.
[Pl.
X.
6.]
256 Teos. TSCM. Griffin's head. Small incuse
square.
[Brandis, p. 397.]
248 Sardes ? Head of
lion, left,
roar- Incuse
square (rough),
ing.
[Pl.
X.
8.]
252
Cyzicus. Tunny
fish between two Two incuse
squares,
the
fillets.
larger
one
containing
zigzag ornaments,
the
smaller a
scorpion
or
cray-fish (araK).
[Pl.
X.
7.]
252*7 Zeleia. Chimra
walking,
left. Two incuse
squares
of
different sizes.
[Pl.
X.
9.]
(max.).
I
should, however, prefer
to consider the staters and
twelfths here mentioned as of the later Phocaic or
Cyzicene
standard,
as know of no coins of the Milesian which are not
distinctly
earlier in
style.
In this case the commencement of
the
Cyzicene
and Phocaean
gold coinage
of the later
period
would date from about the middle of the
fifty century
b.c.
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292 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Wt.
City. Obverse. Reverse.
252 Thrace or Centaur
carrying
off a
Deep
incuse
square
Thaeos. woman.

quartered.
[PI.
X.
11.]
Sixths.
42-5 Sardes ? Lion's
head, left,
on Incuse
square,
round shield.
[Pl.
X.
12.]
40 3 Dardanus. Two
cocks,
face to face. Incuse
square (mill-sail
type).
[Pl.
X.
14.]
40*3
Selymbria
? Head of
^Herakles, left,
Similar.
in lion's skin
;
be-
neath,
club.
[Pl.
X.
13.]
38*9 Lesbos. Raised
square (quar-
Incuse
square (quar-
tered). tered).
[Brit. Mus.]
40*3 Uncertain. Kose and
zigzag
orna- Two incuse
squares
of
ment. different
shapes.
[Pl.
X.
10.]
Twelfth.
20*3 Phocsea. Head of
seal,
left. Incuse
square.
[Pl.
X. 16. Bank of
England.]
Twenty-foukths.
10*2 Teos. Head of
griffin, right.
Incuse
square, quar-
tered.
[Pl.
X. 18. Bank of
England.]
10 Er
y
th rae. Man on
half-horse, right.
Incuse
square.
[Pl.
X. 17. Bank of
England.]
9 Lesbos ? Raised
square, quar-
Incuse
square (mill-
tered
; around,
dots. sail
type).
[Brit. Mus.]
8.7 Lesbos ? Raised
square, quartered.
Incuse
square, quar-
tered.
[Brit. Mus.]
Forty-eighths.
4*7 Phocsea. Head of
seal,
left. Incuse
square.
[Brit. Mus.]
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METROLOGICAL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 293
Wt.
City.
Obverse. Reverse.
5-2
JEg'd
? Head of
goat.
Incuse
square,
contain-
[Brit. Mus.] ing
three
pellets.
4'8 Lesbos. Raised
square, quar-
Incuse
square,
tered.
[Bit. Mus.]

4. Conclusion.
In the
preceding pages
I have endeavoured to
give
an
account of the rise and extension of the
early
electrum
and
gold
currencies of the
Greeks,
both on the Asiatic
and
European
sides of the
.Egean.
From the
complicated
nature of the
subject
I
have, however,
found it a difficult
matter to
convey
to
my
readers a clear idea of the chrono-
logical sequence
of the coins of the several
systems
which
have formed the
subject
of
my remarks,
as it has been
necessary
to treat of each
separate
class in a section
by
itself
;
a method of
arrangement
which has also been for
the most
part
followed on the Plates which
accompany
this
article,
where I venture to think that a
strictly
chronological
classification would have been less intel-
ligible
than that which has been
adopted.
To
remedy
this defect I
append
a
chronological
table,
by
means of
which I trust that it will be
comparatively easy
to arrive
at an
approximate
idea of the dates of the first issue of
the several currencies.
Barclay V. Head.
VOL. XV. N.S. Q Q
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294 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE,

6. APPENDIX.
Explanation of the Plates.
Plate VII.
1. Une er taiD. El. Stater. Earliest
period probably Lydiaii,
of the
Babylonic
Standard.
2. Sardes. El.
Stater,
before
Croesus,
of the Asiatic
Standard.
3. Miletus. El.
Stater,
earliest
period,
of the Asiatic
Standard.
4.
Ephesus.
El.
Stater,
earliest
period
5. Samos. El.
Stater, period
of
Polycrates
? of the
Asiatic Standard.
6. Chios. El.
Stater,
of the Asiatic Standard.
7.
Abydos.
El. Stater.

8.
Lampsacus.
El. Stater.
,,
Plate YIII.
1. Uncertain. El. Half Stater. Asiatic Standard.
2.
j> ,,
3.
>> ff ),
4. Miletus.
,,
5. Uncertain. El. Third.
,,
6.
Ephesus.

,,
7.
h >>
,,
8. Dardanus.
,,
9. Miletus.
,,
10.
Ephesus.
El. Sixth.
,,
11. Uncertain.
(Miletus ?)
,,
12. Clazomensp.
,, ,,
18. Uncertain.
,,
14.

El.
Eighth.
15. Samos. El. Twelfth.

16.
^Egina.
El. Stater.
^lginetic
Standard.
17.

El. Fourth.

18.

El. Twelfth.

19.
,,
M Stater.

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METROLOGICA!, NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECT RU M COINS. 295
Plate IX.
1.
Corcyra
? El. Double Stater. Euboic Standard.
2.
Corcyra.
M Stater.
-Eginetic
Standard.
8.
Corcyra
or
Euba. M
Stater. Euboic Standard.
4. Samos. El. Stater.
,,
5. Samos ? El. Half stater.
,,
6.
M Stater.

7. Chalis. El. Sixth.
,,
8
>> >> "
9.

&
Stater.
,,
10.
Tetrobol,
later
period.
Attic Standard.
11.
Cyme.
El. Sixth. Euboic Standard
12. Uncertain.
,, ,,
18.
m
Plate X.
1. Sardes. N Stater,
time of Croesus Euboic Standard.
2.

N Third.
8.
,,
m Stater.
Baby
Ionic Standard.
4.

M Half Stater.
,,
5.

M Twelfth ?

6. Phoca.
El. or J Stater. Phocaic Standard.
7.
Cyzicus.
ty ft
8. Sardes ? m
9. Zeleia.
10.

M
Drachm
(later period)
Euboic Standard.
11. Thrace or
Thasos.
El. or N Stater. Phocaic Standard.
12. Sardes ? El. or N Sixth. ,
18.
Selymbria.
,,

14. Dardanus. ,,
>>
15.
Erythrse
?
,,
>>
16. Phocaea. El. or w
Twelfth. ,,
17.
Erythr.
El. or N
Twenty-Fourth.

18. Teos. y y
yy >>
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296 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
TABLE OF THE RELATIVE WEIGHTS OF ENGLISH
GRAINS AND FRENCH GRAMMES.
Grains. Grammes. Grains. Grammes. Grains. Grammes. Grains. Grammes.
1 -064 47 3-045 93 6-026 139
9-007
2 -129 48 3-110 94 6*091 140 9*072
3 -194 49 3-175 95 6-156 141 9 136
4 -259 50 3-240 96 6-220 142 9-200
5 -324 51 3-304 97 6-285 143 9-265
6 -388 52 3-368 98 6-350 144 9-330
7 '453 53 3-434 99 6*415 145 9*395
8 -518 54 3-498 100 6-480 146 9-460
9 -583 55 3-564 101 6*544 147 9*525
10 -648 66 3-628 102 6-609 148 9 590
11 -712 57 3-693 103 6-674 149 9-655
12 *777 58 3*758 104 6 739 150 9-720
13 -842 59 3-823 105 6-804 151 9*784
14 -907 60 3-888 106 6*868 152 9-848
15 -972 61 3-952 107 6*933 153 9*914
16 1*036 62 4*017 108 6*998 154 9*978
17 1-101 63 4-082 109 7*063 155 10 044
18 1-166 64 4*146 110 7-128 156 10-108
19 1-231 65 4-211 111 7*192 157 10-173
20 1*296 66
4*276 112 7*257 158 10*238
21 1*360 67 4-341 113 7*322 159 10.303
22 1-425 68 4*406 114 7*387 160 10*368
23 1*490 69
4-471 115 7-452 161 10*432
24 1-555 70 4*536 116 7*516 162 10*497
25 1*620 71 4*600 117 7*581 163 10*562
26 1*684 72 4*665 118 7*646 164 10*626
27 1*749 73 4*729 119 7-711 165 10*691
28 1*814 74 4*794 120 7*776 166 10*756
29 1*879 75 4*859 121 7*840 167 10 821
30 1-944 76 4-924 122 7*905 168 10-886
31 2-008 77 4-989 123
7*970 169 10-951
32 2*073 78 5*054 124 8-035 170 11-016
33 2-138 79 5-119. 125 8-100 171 11-080
34 2-202 80 5 184 126 8*164 172 11-145
35 2-267 "81 5-248
127 8*229 173 11*209
36 2*332 82 5-312 128 8*294 174 11*274
37 2-397 83 5*378 129 8*359 175 11*339
38 2*462 84 5*442 130 8-424 176 11-404
39 2-527 85 5-508 131 8*488 177 11*469
40 2 592 86 5*572 132 8*553 178 11*534
41 2-656 87 5*638 133 8*618 179 11-599
42 2-720 88 5*702 134 8*682 180 11*664
43 2-785 89
5-767 135
8*747 181 11-728
44 2-850 90 5-832 136 8-812 182 11*792
45 2-915 91 5*896 137 8*877 183 11*858
46 2-980 92 5*961 138 8 942 184 11*922
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METROLOG IC AL NOTES ON ANCIENT ELECTRUM COINS. 297
Grains. Grammes,

Grains.1 Grammes.
'
Grains. Grammes. Grains. Grammes.

I !
i
'

185 11-988 219 14 191 253 16-394 350 22-67
186 12-052 220 14-256 254 16*458 360 23.32
187 12-117 221 14-320 255 16*524 370 23-97
188 12 182 222 14 385 256 16-588 380 24-62
189 12-247 223 14-450 257 16-653 390 25-27
190 12-312 224 14-515 258 16*718 400 25-92
191 12-376 225 14-580 259 16-783 410 26-56
192 12-441 226 14-644 260 16-848 420 27'20
193 12-506 227 14-709 261 16-912 430 27'85
194 12-571 228 14-774 262 16-977 440 28-50
195 12-636 229 14*839 263 17*042 450 29*15
196 12*700 230 14*904 264 17*106 460 29-80
197 12-765 231 14*968 265 17*171 470 30*45
198 12-830 232 15*033 266 17*236 480 3M0
199 12-895 233 15-098 267 17*301 490
31-75
200 12*960 234 15*162 268 17*366 500 32-40
201 13-024 235 15*227 269 17*431 510 33-04
202 13-089 236 15-292 270 17*496 520 33-68
203 13-154
237 15-357 271 17-560 530 34-34
204 13-219 238 15-422 272 17.625 540 34-98
205 13-284 239 15-487 273 17*689 550 35 64
206 13-348 240 15.552 274 17*754 560 36-28
207 13-413 241 15*616 275 17*819 570 36-93
208 13-478 242 15*680 276 17*884 580
37*58
209 13-543 243 15-745 277 17*949 590 38-23
210 13-608 244 15 810 278 18-014 600 38-88
211 13-672 245 15-875 279 18-079 700 45-36
212 13-737 246 15*940 280 18*144 800 51-84
213 13-802
247 16-005 290 18-79 900 58-32
214 13-867 248 16*070 300 19*44 1000 64-80
215 13*932 249 16-135 310 20*08 2000 129 60
216 13-996 250 16*200 320 20*73 3000 194-40
217 14-061 251 16-264 330 21-38 4000 259-20
218 14-126 252 16-328 340 22 02 5000 324-00
Note.
-
The above table is taken from the
catalogue
of Greek coins in
the British
Museum, part I., Italy pp. 430,
431.
London,
1873.
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