Collecting can become an obsession-if it can be collected someone will and this latest ( and last?)
area of my obsession has the mark of one whose obsession went too far.
Apellicon of
Teos was a rich peripatetic philosopher who loved books and visited libraries. Unfortunately he was caught pilfering from the
library at
Athens and went on the run.
But the political situation in
Athens was turning in
his favour and he was allowed back and became a
mint magistrate.
This is why he appears as first magistrate on this last ever three magistrate
New Style with the symbol of a leaping griffin- the badge of
Teos!
At some point he was given the task of capturing the treasury of Delos but failed.
Athens was besieged by
Sulla in Autumn 87 and took the city in March 86. Apellicon is thought to have died in 84.
There are 6
New Style issues whose
symbols are thought to represent the factions fighting for political control at
Athens.
Gorgonian and
Pegasos are thought to represent the mythic roots of Mithradates's royal claim and the
pegasos issue's 1st magistrate is Aristion...the same Aristion who appears later?
The next is
Roma and
Roma and
Nike. Self obviously they should be pro-Roman. If the symbol seated
Roma is correctly identified as such then there is no problem. A supporting feature is that the
Roma being crowned by Nike's 1st magistrate is Kointos which is the Greek version of the
Roman name Quintus. Another supporting feature is that a controversial
New Style coin 2 Ears of
Corn is post-Sullan or
contemporary with the Sullan siege and again features Kointos as first magistrate. Why is
Roma being crowned?
Now two new Styles without obvious political links can be politically attibuted because both the magistrates of the seated
Roma issue issued the Coiled
Serpent issue and also the very large
Dolphin & Trident.
The next two political new styles are
Griffin and
Star between two Crescents.
Griffin, the badge of
Teos the birthplace of the first magistrate Apellicon and friend of the tyrant Athenion is self explanatory was also given a
military command to loot the Delian treasury but the
Romans stopped him. The final one is
Star between 2 Crescents-the Pontic Royal badge and the two magistrates are
King Mithridates himself and the tyrant Aristion...the same on the previous
pegasos issue?
Now add in
obverse die links and historical dates for the siege of
Athens and a skeleton of coinage issues can be attempted
Gorgonion and
pegasos are die linked but isolated, and so is coiled
Snake and Winged Agon similarly,
as is Headdress of
Isis and
Dolphin & Trident.
Roma is die linked to
Roma &
Nike which is die linked to
Griffin.
Star and 2 Crescents is isolated but has to be before March 86 and probably struck 88/87 before or around the Sullan stranglehold.
That is, of course if the issues are yearly. DeCallatay has doubts about
Roma and
Roma and
Nike!
Anyway I have all the political ones in my
collection, with the exception of the silver
Star between 2 Crescent for which I have a bronze Fulminating
Zeus with
Star and 2 Crescents.
So I have essentially come to the end with the purchase of
Griffin.
I even have an example of a pseudo-Athenian "Lucullan" minted for Sulla's troops and a few examples of later post-Sullan New Styles.
So I can be said to be at the end of the end.It's an achievement.
But similarly I have essentially the end of the beginning.
I have all six coins of the first 5 issues of the New Styles from the 160's BC, but even more so I have 27 of the 29
types of the early
catalogue.
I have an example of the first control, an example of the first 3 magistrate issue and the last, and an example each of the "over-represented
types".
I have an example from almost the very end of the New Styles and some important imitations. Well That's it folks I guess......