Here for your viewing pleasure is my latest Athenian
New Style stephanophoric
tetradrachm.
It is 31.5mm and 16.81 gm and is given the NEW
Thompson issue number of 29 in Cicerokid's compilation of Athenian
New style issues from all available sources in the
Greek coins discussion. It is the very first coin of
Thompson's middle series of New styles where both the month mark is always on the
amphora and the control is below the
amphora.
Having said that, the ancients are always that little
bit less precise than us and the very first die of this series with
on the
amphora only has a club alone as the symbol and no control at all!
These are
scarce and should be viewed as an abberation and when they occur rarely on other later
types should be viewed as such.
It should be noted that the control
is not directly below the
amphora's
bowl on which the month mark is
, the 4th Athenian month.
It can be seen that the exact positioning of the controls is not totally settled.
Looking at the position of the magistrates names you might think that the first name should be
, but the symbol Bow, Lionskin & Club are attributes of Herekles and the other name is
which is a common contraction of Herekles and reminds us of the previous 2 two
types with highly abbreviated magistrate names.
This apparent reversal of the names only features again on the much later "
Eagle &
Thunderbolt",
reverse types of 126/5 BC.
The introduction of the 3rd magistrate on this issue starts on the very first
reverse dies of this issue and continues unbroken with a few abberations , ( as usual) until " Coiled
Snake" of 95/4 BC, New
Thompson issue 70.
What one can say is that the cutting of the names which are nice and clear but in an unnatural order has the 3rd magistrates,here
, seemingly a
bit tentative and shy compared to the other 2
senior names.
The
owl is absolutely lovely and the
amphora is nicely proportioned and I shall say more on the ordering of the New Styles around this issue of which I have examples both sides.
For now sit back and enjoy and appreciate.
Link to all my tetradrachms:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=3338Cic
