As I stated in the other thread, I received two coins in the mail yesterday. The first was the Roman Republic I've already shown. The second is Greek with another very interesting reverse (at least to me). It hales from a city I know little about so here is a wiki extract: "The ancient city lay on a plateau in the hills of the central part of the region. Successor to pre-Thessalian Ephyra, it was important only in the 6th and 5th c. B.C., after which time it was absorbed by Larissa to the E. As one of the eight principal Thessalian cities, it was already issuing coins in 480 B.C. Literary references mention cults of Helios, and Sarapis and Isis, while the state archives were said to be kept in the Temples of Athena and Asklepios." The map below shows the location of Krannon (spelled Crannon on the map and located near center) The reverse depicts a large hydria on a cart. As one might suspect from it's name, a hydria (plural hydriai) is a type of Greek pottery used for carrying water. The hydria has three handles. Two horizontal handles on either side of the body of the pot were used for lifting and carrying the pot. The third handle, a vertical one, located in the center of the other two handles, was used when pouring water. It was customary in times of drought to take a sacred chariot with hydria in a procession through the city to supplicate Apollo for rain, and if two crows (ravens) settled on the wheels, that was a sign that Apollo would grant the prayers of the faithful. THESSALY, KRANNON AE Dichalkon OBVERSE: Thessalian horseman galloping right, wearing petasos and chlamys REVERSE: K-[P] / AN (retrograde), hydria on cart with long handle to left; to right, two large crows perched left on wheels Struck at Krannon 350-300 BC 4.72 gg, 15mm BCD Thessaly 119.3 (same dies); HGC 4, 385 Ex BCD Ex Agora Auction 63
Learn something new every time I'm here. Thanks for the lesson, Bing, and congratulations on the neat new coin!
Nice, mine doesn't have the crow. Krannon, Thessaly, Greece, (350 - 300 B.C.) AE dichalkon O: Horseman galloping right, wearing petasos and chlamys. R: “KR-AN/NO”, hydria (water carrying vessel) mounted on cart. Krannon mint 4.605 17.4 Rogers Thessaly 197, SNG Cop 43, SGCV I 2073
They say: "As the crow flies". That is in a straight line with the minimum distance to target. In this respect they're all equal LOL.
VERY nice way to end the year! Very nice Dichalkon... cool write up on the Jug Handles... I always thought the hydria / craters / jugs had such an ODD tapered shape...
I like it... I'm always meaning to get one of these. Coincidentally, the last package of coins I received a few days ago included one with a hydria. This little guy from Larissa has a charming reverse with the nymph seated on a hydria. THESSALY, Larissa Circa 420-400 BC AR Obol. 0.87g, 12mm. BCD Thessaly II 165 var. (rev. legend; same obv. die). O: Horse walking right; retrograde three-barred S above, O[Σ?] below. R: Nymph Larissa seated left on hydria, tossing a ball; SΙΡ-Α-[Λ] (all retrograde) clockwise from lower left. Ex BCD Collection, with his tag noting "M-G Sept. 95, SFr. 75"
