here's a nice little coin from Kroton in Bruttium. it is considered a triobol by one standard, and a diobol by another. i prefer diobol, as the term tribol indicates 3 obols, which is half a drachm. and this is certainly not a hemidrachm...
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-127795
~ Peter
Hi
Peter,
your coin cannot be a
diobol. The
weight of the achaean
obol in south
Italy was 0,447g. I already discussed this topic on this
forum some years ago.
During the second half of the 6th and the first half of 5th centuries BC, southern
Italy was divided in three distinct monetary "districts".
The first, between the rivers Sele and the Alento, dominated by a "Phoenician"
stater of 7.76 g (binary system: 1
stater = 2 drachms =12 obols).
The second, restricted to the only territory of Rhegion, which uses a
drachm of g 5.82, as well as all the other Chalcidian colonies of
Sicily.
The third, by far the most important for this issue, (extended from
Kroton to Tarentum) that issued a
stater defined "Achaean" or "
reduced Corinthian" (ternary system: 1
stater = 3 drachms = 18 obols).
"Achaean", because originally adopted by all Achaean poleis of
Magna Graecia, from Metaponto to Sybaris, to
Kroton.
"
Reduced Corinthian" because divided into thirds like the Corinthian, but with mass under the
standard established for this unit.
It was probably a measure aimed to ensure more tax revenue to the community. In other words, the local currency was issued at lowest
weight compared to the foreign currency, and the gain came by imposing an equal rate to merchants using foreign currency.
We can determine the mass of "Achaean"
Stater looking to the coinage of
Kroton in the fifth century.
Colin M.
Kraay identified in the
triobol, issued at that time in considerable quantity, a fractional having an economic-technical function, that allowed the passage from local currency to original Corinthian currency.
2 corinthian Staters = 2 achaean Staters + 1
triobolSo, for a corinthian
stater (
weight standard 8,72g) we have:
(2 x g 8,72) = 2 achaean Staters + 1
triobol = g 17,44
..and, turning into obols the achaean:
(2 x g 8,72) = [(2 x 18) + 3] obols
therefore:
17,44 : 39 = g 0,447, which is the
weight of the achaean
obol (multiplying by 18 this unit we can set for the achaean
Stater 8,04 g)
However, a beautiful acquisition, congratulations!!
Best
Nico