Thasos, an island at the south of Thrace. It had rich gold mines and attracted the Phoenicians to its shores at a very early date. Later on it was colonized by Ionians from Paros. The Thasian possessions in the mining districts on the mainland, the so called 'Thasian Epeiros', were a source of enormous wealth, yielding as much as 200 to 300 talents annually shortly before the Persian invasion. The Thasians yielded the silver in the form of their extensively struck stater (and it's fractions). The main type mostly features a 'satyr' and the stater a 'satyr carrying a nymph'. This type is most likely both a pun on the island and Greek city-state, and a reference to the Dionysiac worship rooted in the region. It is most likely a representation of a thiasos, a Dionysiac dance in progress, a type chosen appropriately for a city named Thasos. Islands off Thrace, Thasos. AR Stater. Circa 500-480 BC. Obverse: Ithyphallic satyr advancing to right, carrying nymph. Reverse: Quadripartite incuse square. Reference: Le Rider, Thasiennes 2. SNG Copenhagen 1009. 9.90g The stater I obtained is a nice example of the Archaic art of the time. The test cut is luckily not done on the scene itself. The pro of this example as well is that the hoof of the satyr is nicely visible. Please share your coins from Thasos, your satyrs and nymphs!
That's a very nice example with a very strike and centering. A nice writeup as well. I was unaware of the pun that the obverse represents. Here is my more worn stater of Thasos, 500-480 BCE, weighing 8.44 grams. Ex Roma.
Nice coin, @Pavlos! Here's mine, a recent acquisition and of slightly later date. The lower part is a bit messy (looks like a die break), but I like the top half. Here's a thing I never quite understood: the gold mines of Thasos were famous in antiquity. The yearly 200-300 talents yield you mention, just before the Persian invasion, was in gold, I believe. Yet as far as I can see all their coinage, even the archaic, which started around that time, is in silver. And here is a satyr being very happy with himself:
If you look at the smile on that gal's face, I don't think she's raising her hand in protest !! Think of the gals who fan themselves with their hands to cool off, when looking at "hot guys". I guess a well-built Satyr might qualify as a "hot guy" to those Nymphs ?
Here is a close-up of Mr. Satyr: THRACE, Thasos, 411 - 404 BC. AR tritartemorion. 8mm, 0.42 g Obv: Head of horned, bald, bearded satyr right Rev: Θ/Α/Σ. Two dolphins swimming left and right, one above the other. It's small!
Fantastic piece! Love the artistry, the hair, the cloven hoofs and toning as well! Huge coingrats I've got one with his date and one playing by himself: Another archaic fav from Thasos:
Satyrh ehm... running Av.: Ityphallic satyr on his knee to the right. Rev .: Quadripartite incuse square Le Rider 4, SNG Cop 191-194 (Lete), HGC 6, 333.
Congrats on a wonderful coin! You have a very full scene, and IMO the test cut does very little to distract, the hoof being on-flan however is a very cool addition. Here's my example, which I believe is also from the earlier style minted ca. 500 BC.
I believe they represent hooves. I have never seen Pan or a satyr with hooves on a Greek vase, though.
Thank you! Very nice and centered stater as well. Very nice examples, your stater is from the later, more realistic and classical style, those are great and really artistic. The Thasian Epeiros had not only gold, but also a lot of silver, from there they got most of the silver for their staters. But indeed, there was a huge amount of gold as well and I really do not understand why Thasos did not mint any gold or EL coins at all. Perhaps it was all exported to Asia Minor, atleast that is what I think. The mines at the Thasian Epeiros are called the 'Scapté Hylé' mines by the way. Later on it was conquared by Philip II and renamed to Phillippoi. Philip did use the gold for his own wallet and minted these amazing and beautiful staters: Great, I love the dolphin designs on the Thasian coins Thank you and you have beautiful pieces yourself! You have litteratly coins of everything, it is great Nice fraction Thanks for your compliments, yours is also archaic and a really nice piece
