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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;zumbly, post: 4539676, member: 57495&quot;]Lovely bronze! I&#039;d like one of those some day.&nbsp; The text regarding the use of bronze coins instead of silver fractions is interesting too.&nbsp; Here&#039;s an example of one of the staters that would have made up the stipulated five stater (ouch!) fine. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1123907[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>CRETE, Gortyna</b></p><p>AR Stater. 11.68g, 27mm x 24.5mm. CRETE, Gortyna, circa 330-270 BC. BMC Crete pg. 38, 9, pl. IX. 8 (same rev die); SNG Cop 442; Svoronos 59. O: Europa, wearing chiton with short sleeves and peplos over lower limbs, seated right in platanus tree; right hand on tree, heading resting pensively on left arm which is bent and supported by her knee. R: Bull standing right, head reverted, right hind leg lifted. </p><p><i>Ex Matthew Curtis Collection; ex Classical Numismatic Group 100 (7 October 2015), lot 1398</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>A later bronze of Gortyn, struck in alliance with Knossos, from the time the two rivals came together in an attempt to dominate the island.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1123913[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>CRETE, Knossos</b></p><p>AE19. 5.83g, 19.4mm. Knossos-Gortyna alliance issue, struck circa 220 BC. Svoronos 122; SNG Copenhagen 378; Lindgren II 1721. O: Europa, holding veil, seated left on bull leaping left; radiating lines in periphery, two dolphins below. R: [Κ-Ν-Ω-ΣΙ-ΩΝ], Labyrinth; star above.</p><p>From BMC Crete : “It is recorded by Polybius (iv. 53-55; cp. Vii. 12,9) that in the year 220 BC, a league was constituted between Cnossus and Gortyna, the object of which was to bring the other cities of Crete under their supreme control; and in this object, we are told, they succeeded, though the important town of Lyttus at first held out against them.”</p><p><br /></p><p>I managed to pick up this neat little bronze of Lyttos yesterday:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1123918[/ATTACH]<b>CRETE, Lyttos</b> </p><p>AE13. 2.52g, 13mm. CRETE, Lyttos, 3rd century BC. Svoronos, Crete, 70. O:</p><p>Eagle standing right with wings spread. R:&nbsp; ΛYTI Hear of a boar to right.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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