AE Griffin from Thrace, Abdera, looking for reference help

[zanzi]

Hello again, I am here this time to share this cool bronze Thracian coin which I have recently bought. I am at a loss for an exact reference, and all which I can find online do not match the partial inscription. I have dug through acsearch, Numista, Wildwinds, and any sources I could find on Google but still have not found this one.

I can read ΘΗΝ ΟΡI, or perhaps OΗΝ ΟΡI.

 

Ancient Thrace
City of Abdera
c. 400s to 300s BC
AE Chalkon
O: Griffin rearing left
R: Quadripartite square with a pellet in each quarter, partial legend ΘΗΝ ΟΡI
Weight: 1.2 grams
Size: 10.9mm - 10.6mm - 2.3mm
cf. Numista 1 and Numista 2

 

If there is anyone who has specialized references for this area, could you please look for me? I would be very thankful to have a reference for this nice coin. Thank you

[zanzi]

I took a second look through the 400+ Abdera AE coins on acsearch and I found one that is certainly a match, and another which might be. Could this type be unpublished? Savoca Numismatik sold both examples and did not give a reference for them.

 

Based on this new one, I think the script can be expanded to ΘΗΝΟΡIΦ or OΗΝΟΡIΦ. I'm not sure what it could mean, a name or word? Any thoughts or help would be very gracious

 

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9275741

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9275750

[zanzi]

I also found a short list of inscriptions for these square-pellet reverse types, which does not include whatever the legend on my coin is. It says they are each a name of a magistrate, so my coin should also be a magistrate name.

APXEΛΑΟΣ

APXEΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ

EΠΙ ΠΑΥΣΑΝΙΩ

Source: https://silver.kbr.be/S_782_-_Abdera,_bronze,_chalkoi_(346-336_BCE)

 

This website Snible.org also has some useful information about Abdera coins, but again this inscription is missing. I think an unknown magistrate name is the most likely answer here https://snible.org/coins/hn/thrace.html

[kirispupis]

I don’t have access to my notes at this time, but my assumption is this is a magistrate. 
 

You can see my assortment from Abdera here.

[zanzi]

4 hours ago, kirispupis said:

I don’t have access to my notes at this time, but my assumption is this is a magistrate. 
 

You can see my assortment from Abdera here.

Nice link, you have a very impressive collection! If you do have time down the road to check your notes, it would be nice to see if you have anything about this type. May I ask, do you think the reading of ΘΗΝΟΡIΦ or OΗΝΟΡIΦ seems accurate from the two specimens?

[kirispupis]

So, I looked up my notes, but unfortunately I never uncovered a full list of magistrates from Abdera. I just add them once in a while.

Therefore, I turned to two other strategies.

The Dictionary of Greek Coin Inscriptions - I didn't find much here.

The Lexicon of Greek Personal Names - This one is online. A search for *ΘΗΝΟ* provided an interesting entry.

V4-1281   Ἀθηνόβιος   M    c.336-311BC   Abdera < Thrace   UP (Chryssanthaki diss.) p. 225 (coin)

 

This is a reference to the dissertation The Coinage of Abdera by Chryssanthaki. I couldn't find a copy online, but evidently she discusses a coin from Abdera with the inscription Ἀθηνόβιος. This may fit your coin, since the 'P' may actually be a 'B'. There's the I, and then what appears to be a 'Y', so perhaps the 'O' was left out. To the left of the Θ there may be an 'A'.

 

This work appears to be a great reference, though the reviews state that the plates suck. If you find an online copy, please share it! I suspect your coin may be covered there.

[Anaximander]

The work by Chryssanthaki-Nagle (C-N) has been published, but I've not actually seen a copy.

Katherina Chryssanthaki-Nagle. L'histoire monetaire d'Abdere en Thrace (VIe s. av. J.-C. – IIe s. ap. J.-C.). Melethmata 51 (Athens. 2007).  The monetary history of Abdera in Thrace: (6th century BC - 2nd century AD). 431 pages, 64 plates. French Text. ISBN: 978-960-7905-37-6. Eur 90. 

 

I have a recently acquired tetrobol of Abdera and had hopes of narrowing the vague reference for C-N from 'period VII.' Still, there's quite a few attributions on my coin: 

1. May, J. M. F.  The Coinage of Abdera (540-345 B.C.). Royal Numismatic Society Special Publication No. 3.  (London, 1966). An excellent die-study and a primary reference for coins of Abdera (pages xi and 298, 24 plates).
2. Hoover, Oliver. ("HGC") Vol 3.2. Handbook of Coins of Macedon and its Neighbors: Thrace, Skythia, and Taurike (2017). 8/31/2017. CNG
3. McClean II. Grose, Sidney William (1886-1980). Catalogue of the McClean collection of Greek coins. Vol. II: The Greek mainland, the Aegaean islands, Crete. 1926.
4. Corpus Nummorum Online: ("c-n") https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/ for coin types minted in Moesia Inferior, Thrace, Mysia, and the Troad. 

I think cn is going to be your "go-to" resource in this search. It's designed for searches by type. I entered the city name and narrow ranges of weight and diameter (link here), and came up with 14 coins, many of which could well be something you can sink your teeth into. Here's a partial screenshot (double-click to enlarge).

 

 

One that stands out to me is #6607, the one in the middle of this screenshot.

 

 

Its attribution is Chryssanthaki-Nagle, L'histoire monétaire d'Abdère en Thrace: (VIe s. avant J.-C. - IIe s. après J.-C.), Athen 2007 p. 190-191, nr. 114-115 (c. 336-311 BC, chalkous);  Strack and Münzer, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands. 2. Die Münzen der Thraker und der Städte Abdera, Ainos, Anchialos 1. Halbbd., Berlin 1912 p. 101, nr. 191. 

 

Something to explore, at the very least.

 

 

 

 

 

[zanzi]

On 11/22/2024 at 10:02 AM, kirispupis said:

So, I looked up my notes, but unfortunately I never uncovered a full list of magistrates from Abdera. I just add them once in a while.

Therefore, I turned to two other strategies.

The Dictionary of Greek Coin Inscriptions - I didn't find much here.

The Lexicon of Greek Personal Names - This one is online. A search for *ΘΗΝΟ* provided an interesting entry.

V4-1281   Ἀθηνόβιος   M    c.336-311BC   Abdera < Thrace   UP (Chryssanthaki diss.) p. 225 (coin)

 

This is a reference to the dissertation The Coinage of Abdera by Chryssanthaki. I couldn't find a copy online, but evidently she discusses a coin from Abdera with the inscription Ἀθηνόβιος. This may fit your coin, since the 'P' may actually be a 'B'. There's the I, and then what appears to be a 'Y', so perhaps the 'O' was left out. To the left of the Θ there may be an 'A'.

 

This work appears to be a great reference, though the reviews state that the plates suck. If you find an online copy, please share it! I suspect your coin may be covered there.

Thank you kirispupis!! I must say, your argument for Ἀθηνόβιος as magistrate is quite convincing. This is an interesting website, thank you very much.

[zanzi]

23 hours ago, Anaximander said:

The work by Chryssanthaki-Nagle (C-N) has been published, but I've not actually seen a copy.

Katherina Chryssanthaki-Nagle. L'histoire monetaire d'Abdere en Thrace (VIe s. av. J.-C. – IIe s. ap. J.-C.). Melethmata 51 (Athens. 2007).  The monetary history of Abdera in Thrace: (6th century BC - 2nd century AD). 431 pages, 64 plates. French Text. ISBN: 978-960-7905-37-6. Eur 90. 

 

I have a recently acquired tetrobol of Abdera and had hopes of narrowing the vague reference for C-N from 'period VII.' Still, there's quite a few attributions on my coin: 

1. May, J. M. F.  The Coinage of Abdera (540-345 B.C.). Royal Numismatic Society Special Publication No. 3.  (London, 1966). An excellent die-study and a primary reference for coins of Abdera (pages xi and 298, 24 plates).
2. Hoover, Oliver. ("HGC") Vol 3.2. Handbook of Coins of Macedon and its Neighbors: Thrace, Skythia, and Taurike (2017). 8/31/2017. CNG
3. McClean II. Grose, Sidney William (1886-1980). Catalogue of the McClean collection of Greek coins. Vol. II: The Greek mainland, the Aegaean islands, Crete. 1926.
4. Corpus Nummorum Online: ("c-n") https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/ for coin types minted in Moesia Inferior, Thrace, Mysia, and the Troad. 

I think cn is going to be your "go-to" resource in this search. It's designed for searches by type. I entered the city name and narrow ranges of weight and diameter (link here), and came up with 14 coins, many of which could well be something you can sink your teeth into. Here's a partial screenshot (double-click to enlarge).

 

 

One that stands out to me is #6607, the one in the middle of this screenshot.

 

 

Its attribution is Chryssanthaki-Nagle, L'histoire monétaire d'Abdère en Thrace: (VIe s. avant J.-C. - IIe s. après J.-C.), Athen 2007 p. 190-191, nr. 114-115 (c. 336-311 BC, chalkous);  Strack and Münzer, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands. 2. Die Münzen der Thraker und der Städte Abdera, Ainos, Anchialos 1. Halbbd., Berlin 1912 p. 101, nr. 191. 

 

Something to explore, at the very least.

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Anaximander, thank you very much for such a detailed response and deep search for my mystery coin. When I saw your image, my heart jumped that the obverse matched my coin nearly exact! I had to compare them, I thought I had a plate coin. Nonetheless, they are different coins but the style of the obverse is exactly a match to mine. The legend of coin 6607 is given as "ΕΠΙ Α-ΘΗΝ-ΑΙΟ". EΠI meaning "in the time of" or "struck under" the magistrate named. The Α-ΘΗΝ portion matches the name kirispupis found of " Ἀθηνόβιος " but I think "ΑΙΟ" does not match my coin, nor the other example listed below. Coin 6607 only really shows the portion "ΕΠΙ Α-ΘΗΝ" portion of the legend so perhaps it truly does end in AIO but I really think it it is probably the OPI/OPY/OBY that kirispupis suggests matches Ἀθηνόβιος. I looked through the website more with widened size parameters but still did not find anything particularly close besides coin 6607. I think the answer to my coin lies in one of Chryssanthaki-Nagle's works. This website is really nice though, thank you again Anaximander I will have it bookmarked. Thank you for your help researching! By the way, I'd love to see your Abdera coin.

[zanzi]

Just to show how much they match on obverse, here is coin 6607, left, and my coin, right, compared.

[Anaximander]

I was curious to see if the second reference from c-n online had anything useful. It's old, but it is available online, and it was cited for coin 6607.

Münzer, F. & M. L. Strack. Die antiken Münzen von Thrakien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. II. (Berlin, 1912). p. 101, #191. 

The reverse legend cited does not yield any epiphanies. Unless someone can discern what I cannot, this is probably a dead end. I'm really not surprised that there are few plates in this work from 1912 and no images of this coin. I checked my copies of the McClean Collection and May's Coinage of Abdera and found nothing remotely similar. The corpus SNG Copenhagen Vol. II (Part 6) had three of the type, #371-373, but none were a match for your magistrate. Last, Hoover's HGC Vol. 3 (Part II) had something potentially useful: the list of magistrates, just where @kirispupis started us out! Look at Hoover #1254b, which has c-n #6607's reference to C-N #115. So close! Perhaps C-N 137? What do you think?