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A Coin from Massalia


Sulla80

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A new addition from Massalia has me chasing down references and origin stories, in my most recent notes post:

image.png.d1c2e59d43e9104903f19149fe5d1cf3.png

You can find the details here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/massalia

Please post your coins of Massalia, additional information about and references for these coins, or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

 

Edited by Sulla80
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Interesting page. You mention Celtic imitations - this is from Massalia, and was the template for the first coins made in Britain. Trade with Massalia seems to have been strong throughout Gaul and into northern Europe. They looked at establishing a trade in tin from Cornwall via the sea, but it didn't work out.

Gallic Import Bull MA Hemiobolion, 150-120BC
image.png.20783868bc415d71e60af2c1fcaaff14.png
Massalia. Bronze, 15mm, 3.92g. Head of Apollo left. Bull butting right, MA above (for Massalia, usually ΜΑΣΣΑ) (ABC 115). Found in Dover, Kent on 25 Sep 2018. This type of cast bronze inspired the first coins made in Britain (the Apollo/Bull potin). About 20 have been found in the UK.

Thurrock Potin, 120-100BC
image.png.2f19827f7f1df5fadb3827afdf888cb4.png
Cantii or Trinovantes tribe, imitating a hemiobolion from the Greek colony Massalia. Cast bronze, 17mm, 3.10g. Head of Apollo left. Bull butting right with central boss, exergual line below, MA above (S 62; ABC 120; VA 1402 'Trinovantian A').

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Nice coin, much better than mine:

normal_G_341_Massalia.jpg.77e52a9d890c701ada64afa99bd0fd05.jpg

Gaul, Massalia (Marseille)
AR Drachm or Tetrobol
Obv.: Diademed and draped bust of Artemis left, bow and quiver over shoulder
Rev.: Lion standing left, raising foreleg; A below raised foreleg, ΛΛ below, MAΣΣA above
Ag, 2.52g
Ref.: Jean Charra 1203, F&P DRM-43-4; Depeyrot, Marseille 43/– (unlisted variety), Same reverse die as CNG Electronic Auction 441, Lot 6
Ex Künker eLive auction 53, Lot 8008

Edited by shanxi
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Re: “anything else you find interesting”-

Marseilles is often dismissed as an outpost in the Greek world or at best it’s overlooked. This dna study showed the Greek settlers’ continued huge genetic impact on Provence.

“19% of the Phokaian and 12% of the Smyrnian representatives were derived for haplogroup E-V13, characteristic of the Greek and Balkan mainland, while 4% of the Provencal, 4.6% of East Corsican and 1.6% of West Corsican samples were derived for E-V13. An admixture analysis estimated that 17% of the Y-chromosomes of Provence may be attributed to Greek colonization. Using the following putative Neolithic Anatolian lineages: J2a-DYS445 = 6, G2a-M406 and J2a1b1-M92, the data predict a 0% Neolithic contribution to Provence from Anatolia. Estimates of colonial Greek vs. indigenous Celto-Ligurian demography predict a maximum of a 10% Greek contribution, suggesting a Greek male elite-dominant input into the Iron Age Provence population.”
 

17% of Y chromosomes NOW are from Greek colonization way back. (Massalia was a specifically Phokaian settlement too.)

And here’s a coin, still in its original cng wrapper!

GAUL, Massalia. Circa 150-125 BC. AR Drachm (18mm, 2.68g, 6h). Diademed, draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder / Lion standing right, raising foreleg with AB monogram to right.

 

 

6BF1EC7C-3ABD-4DB2-AECD-4C7131C29549.png

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4 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

A new addition from Massalia has me chasing down references and origin stories, in my more recent notes post:

Thats a very attractive drachm. I like it a lot. Congrats on the acquisition!

My only coin from Massalia is this obol:

132031068_GriechenGallienMassaliaObolos.png.0d76ecdc4110343e17e7104e8f8052bc.png

Gaul, Massalia, obol, ca. 4th–1st century BC. Obv: Youthful male head (river god?) left. Rev: MA in wheel with four spokes. 10.65mm, 0.75g. Ref: SNG Copenhagen 723–728; de la Tour 1892, no. 689 or similar.

 

 

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4 hours ago, shanxi said:

Nice coin, much better than mine:

normal_G_341_Massalia.jpg.77e52a9d890c701ada64afa99bd0fd05.jpg

Left facing seems to have had a moment Charra's series 12.  Quite a nice coin by my measure @shanxi, thanks for posting.  Les drachmes de Marseille, essai de classement typologique préliminaire (IVe-1ersiècleavantJ.-C.). Archéologie en Languedoc is the best online resource I could find for classifying these coins.

 

4 hours ago, Deinomenid said:

Re: “anything else you find interesting”-

Marseilles is often dismissed as an outpost in the Greek world or at best it’s overlooked. This dna study showed the Greek settlers’ continued huge genetic impact on Provence.

“19% of the Phokaian and 12% of the Smyrnian representatives were derived for haplogroup E-V13, characteristic of the Greek and Balkan mainland, while 4% of the Provencal, 4.6% of East Corsican and 1.6% of West Corsican samples were derived for E-V13. An admixture analysis estimated that 17% of the Y-chromosomes of Provence may be attributed to Greek colonization. Using the following putative Neolithic Anatolian lineages: J2a-DYS445 = 6, G2a-M406 and J2a1b1-M92, the data predict a 0% Neolithic contribution to Provence from Anatolia. Estimates of colonial Greek vs. indigenous Celto-Ligurian demography predict a maximum of a 10% Greek contribution, suggesting a Greek male elite-dominant input into the Iron Age Provence population.”
 

17% of Y chromosomes NOW are from Greek colonization way back. (Massalia was a specifically Phokaian settlement too.)

And here’s a coin, still in its original cng wrapper!

GAUL, Massalia. Circa 150-125 BC. AR Drachm (18mm, 2.68g, 6h). Diademed, draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver over shoulder / Lion standing right, raising foreleg with AB monogram to right.

6BF1EC7C-3ABD-4DB2-AECD-4C7131C29549.png

Great coin @Deinomenid and I love the DNA evidence!

4 hours ago, John Conduitt said:

Interesting page. You mention Celtic imitations - this is from Massalia, and was the template for the first coins made in Britain. Trade with Massalia seems to have been strong throughout Gaul and into northern Europe. They looked at establishing a trade in tin from Cornwall via the sea, but it didn't work out.

Gallic Import Bull MA Hemiobolion, 150-120BC
image.png.20783868bc415d71e60af2c1fcaaff14.png
Massalia. Bronze, 15mm, 3.92g. Head of Apollo left. Bull butting right, MA above (for Massalia, usually ΜΑΣΣΑ) (ABC 115). Found in Dover, Kent on 25 Sep 2018. This type of cast bronze inspired the first coins made in Britain (the Apollo/Bull potin). About 20 have been found in the UK.

Thurrock Potin, 120-100BC
image.png.2f19827f7f1df5fadb3827afdf888cb4.png
Cantii or Trinovantes tribe, imitating a hemiobolion from the Greek colony Massalia. Cast bronze, 17mm, 3.10g. Head of Apollo left. Bull butting right with central boss, exergual line below, MA above (S 62; ABC 120; VA 1402 'Trinovantian A').

Thanks @John Conduitt, apprecaite teh connection between Celts in Britain & Massalia!

40 minutes ago, Ursus said:

That's a very attractive drachm. I like it a lot. Congrats on the acquisition!

My only coin from Massalia is this obol:

132031068_GriechenGallienMassaliaObolos.png.0d76ecdc4110343e17e7104e8f8052bc.png

Gaul, Massalia, obol, ca. 4th–1st century BC. Obv: Youthful male head (river god?) left. Rev: MA in wheel with four spokes. 10.65mm, 0.75g. Ref: SNG Copenhagen 723–728; de la Tour 1892, no. 689 or similar.

Thanks, @Ursus, for the nice addition of an obol!

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Drachm of Massalia 125-90 BC Obv Bust of Artemis right with bow and bow case behind, Rv Lion advancing left Maurel 653 2.72 grms 16 mm Photo by W. Hansenmassalia5.jpeg.45167b97b018cba29a67c6ba4194bd19.jpeg

The symbology of this coin is quite interesting and may hint at the origins of the city of Massalia. This city was founded by peoples from Asia Minor a region where the worship of the goddess Artemis is quite strong and the lion is one of her familial animals. However the lion could also stand for chaos which would indicate tha Massalia is advertising its status as a outpost of the civilized world. 

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My one example is not nearly as nice.

Gaul, Massalia. Circa 130-121 BC. AR Tetrobol (15mm, 2.78g, 6h). Obv: Draped bust of Artemis right, quiver at shoulder. Rev: ΜΑΣΣΑ-ΛIHTΩN; Lion prowling right; between legs, H and A. Rev: Depeyrot 41/20. Good Fine, toned, reverse encrustations. Ex Old Roman Coins, May 2002.

image.jpeg.7f7a7f5e6846dda42810a239433d967f.jpeg

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13 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

Left facing seems to have had a moment Charra's series 12.  Quite a nice coin by my measure @shanxi, thanks for posting.  Les drachmes de Marseille, essai de classement typologique préliminaire (IVe-1ersiècleavantJ.-C.). Archéologie en Languedoc is the best online resource I could find for classifying these coins.

Thanks for the link. My example is Jean Charra 1203.

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