Here for you viewing pleasure is (New)
Thompson issue 42 "
Dioscuri" my 15th
New Style.
This Athenian
New Style tetradrachm dates from 123/2 BC and has some really interesting features.
The first 2 magistrates are MIKION & EURYKLEI. Mikion is MIKION V according to
Habicht and was the first magistrate on an earlier
New Style "
Nike driving
quadriga" where the symbol commemorates
his feat of winning the event at the panathenaic games just like
his grandfather. An excellent example is in my
gallery.
Here he is paired with
his brother EURYKLEI V ( also according to
Habicht), with the very appropiate symbol
DIOSCURI, the later
Roman Castor & Pollox.
The 3rd magistrate BOYKATTES is the only magistrate for
the 4th Athenian month and is unknown otherwise.
Euryklei features as first magistrate on
his own on (New)
Thompson issues 58 & 60 both "Winged
Tyche &
amphora" issues that are seperated by a "no symbol" issue. This is the only time where the exact same symbol is used on 2 issues.
Mikion & Euryklei are both descendants from a famous Athenian family from Cephisia who's ancestor finally removed the Macedonians from Pireas in 229 BC.
The issue itself is an extensively produced issue with 10 out of 13 possible months represented, ( no
,
or
), each month having a new 3rd magistrate.
This coin itself is a typical of its
type being well worn ( but a better than normal specimen particularly on the
reverse), and is commonly found on
e-bay along with the closely connected
type "
Eagle on
fulmen".
This is because they are often dug up in
hoards from the Balkans particularly the lands that comprised ancient
Thrace and
Macedonia, therfore modern SW
Bulgaria, FYR
Macedonia and round-abouts.
These
hoards can often comprise of New Styles only or mixed with Thassos Dionysus/Herekles
imitative tetradrachms. The New styles often are all closely connected in times and often consist of a large percentage of 4 definite
types of New Styles. This "over-representation "of the 4
types, New
Thompson issues 39 to 42, "
Eagle on
thunderbolt", "Tripod", "Prow of ship" and
Dioscuri" was first noted by De
Callatay ( " Athenian
New Style tetradrachms in Macedonian
hoards"
AJN 2nd series 1992), and has been confirmed as a feature since. Other features are that the coins are well worn and when with
Thasos imitatives show that they were buried some 30 - 40 years after they were minted.
Why the Macedonians
had these particular
types from the mid to late 120's BC in such numbers
no body knows. It has been posited that they are local imitatives. This is unlikely because why would the locals need to change the controls, month dates or magistrates- that is a lot of expensive unnecessary fuss.
It was always noted that the 4 "over-represented"
types were not in the original
Thompson order, but Mattingley in 1997 ( "review of
LGPN 2" NC 157 ),and Andrew
Meadows ("Thasos/New
Style Hoard" 1996 in
Coin Hoards 9 2009), have proposed a new ordering that brought them into sequence and displaced other
types.
This is possible because a new
obverse die link was noted between the "Cicada" issue with an "
Eagle on
thunderbolt" issue linking them. and the fact there are no die links between the 4 "over-represented" issues themselves but the next 2 latest
types, "
Nike" and "3
Graces" are connected by a die link only so they could be displaced from the old
Thompson order.
Sadly,so far, there is no die link between "Cicada" and earlier
types like " Conucopaea and grain stalk".
However stylistically the
obverse of the "
Dioscuri"
type is least like the other 3
types to me but the
obverse is typical: mine is a very well conceived
reverse with a big-eyed flat headed
owl, well cut and clear, uncrowded lettering and clear uncrowded symbol. Check also my " Tripod"
type in my
gallery:
gallery link here :
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=3338Except for the well -worn
obverse almost certainly made from a well worn die it is an excellent coin presently 16.23 g ( quite an acceptable
weight), on a
good size but somewhat tapering oblongish
flan,sadly stripped by the finders.
Enjoy,
Cicerokid
