Probably most of you who think about silver coins from Thasos island think about the Satyr diobol/stater or the beautiful tetradrachms with Dionysos on the obverse and Herakles on the reverse. But this is another kind of silver coin, it is a hemidrachm that is minted before those beautiful tetradrachms came into circulation. Islands off Thrace, Thasos. AR Hemidrachm (Early 2nd century B.C) Obverse: Head of bearded Dionysos to right, wearing ivy wreath. Reverse: ΘΑΣΙ ΩΝ Club and legend within laurel wreath. Reference: Le Rider, Thasiennes 48. SNG Copenhagen 1036. SNG Lockett 1232. 1.69g; 15mm The coinage of Thasos was of great importance, especially in the late 6th and 5th centuries when it was used as a vehicle to exploit the wealth of silver produced by the mines the island controlled. Thasian coins were not only used in Thrace and Macedon, but were also exported to Asia and have been found as far away as Afghanistan and Egypt. The present coin was intended for purely local use and has been variously dated, ranging from the early 3rd to the early 2nd century BC: the latest research places it in the first quarter of the 2nd century. Post your Thasos coins!
Great capture, @Pavlos ! Very nice! THASOS ISLANDS ISLAND OFF THRACE THASOS AR Trihemiobol OBVERSE: Satyr running left in three-quarter view, holding kylix REVERSE: ΘΑΣ − ΙΩΝ Amphora Struck at Thasos, 411-350BC 0.69g, 12 mm SNGCop 1030 EX: The Great @Bing Thasos, Thrace, BC 168-148 AR, tetradrachm, 16.12g, 31mm; 11h Obv.: Portrait of Dionysos Rev.: ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ to left, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΟΥΣ to right, ΘΑΣΙΩΝ below; Hercules with lion pelt in arm resting on club. M monogram left EX: Teacher of the Eastern and Uralic Altaic, @Ancientnoob
Stater of Thasos 480-463 B.C. Obv. Satyr carrying of nymph Rv. Quadripartite square 8.88 grms 22 mm Thasos Ar Tetradrachm 168/7-148 B.C. Obv Head of Dionysios Rv Herakles stg l. HGC 358 Prokopov Group 1 A3/R14
Nice coins! I saw a Thasos tetradrachm on display at the Chicago Art Institute recently and had to have one to go with my stater:
Nice to see something different from Thasos. Here’s one of the satyr/nymph staters in the later, Classical style. THRACE, Thasos AR Stater. 8.52g, 21mm. Circa 412-404 BC. Le Rider, Thasiennes 6; HGC 6, 334. O: Satyr advancing right, carrying off protesting nymph; A to right. R: Quadripartite incuse square.
