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<p>[QUOTE="Ed Snible, post: 3527240, member: 82322"]Stavri Topalov believes the gorgon/incuse examples of 3.2g and less are Thracian. He claims hoards are found in cities along the Maritza [=Maritsa] river at Plovdiv (ancient Philippopolis), Stara Zagora (ancient Augusta Trajana), Khaskovo, and Yambol (ancient Cabyle). Topalov believes multiple mints in the interior struck the type but his evidence is merely a lot of surviving coins. I got frustrated with his book because he argues that minting began circa 450 BC, and also that minting began circa 384 BC under king Kotys I.</p><p><br /></p><p>Topalov also claims no specimens with test cuts exist but one has been published (<i>SNG Ashmolean</i> part 9 #716 which was originally in <i>Numismatic Chronicle</i> 1961 by E. S. G. Robinson). I have a fourree of the type, establishing the need to test the coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>Numismatists call the facing head as a gorgoneion but Topalov believes it depicts the Thracian Great Mother Goddess. He argues that die cutters deliberately rendered her with unsharp features – perhaps imitating rock sculptures of this Goddess. The Thracian Great Mother was “Bendis”, the moon.</p><p><br /></p><p>I actually think Topolov might be onto something here. Olbia was a home to the Orphic religion, and Clement of Alexandria, writing circa 150 – 215 AD, wrote that Orphics called “the Moon ‘Gorgoneion’ on account of the face in it...” If Topalov’s theories are correct then tribes near Olbia, an Orphic center, were putting out coins depicting a moon goddess that look a great deal like a gorgoneion.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Ed Snible, post: 3527240, member: 82322"]Stavri Topalov believes the gorgon/incuse examples of 3.2g and less are Thracian. He claims hoards are found in cities along the Maritza [=Maritsa] river at Plovdiv (ancient Philippopolis), Stara Zagora (ancient Augusta Trajana), Khaskovo, and Yambol (ancient Cabyle). Topalov believes multiple mints in the interior struck the type but his evidence is merely a lot of surviving coins. I got frustrated with his book because he argues that minting began circa 450 BC, and also that minting began circa 384 BC under king Kotys I. Topalov also claims no specimens with test cuts exist but one has been published ([I]SNG Ashmolean[/I] part 9 #716 which was originally in [I]Numismatic Chronicle[/I] 1961 by E. S. G. Robinson). I have a fourree of the type, establishing the need to test the coinage. Numismatists call the facing head as a gorgoneion but Topalov believes it depicts the Thracian Great Mother Goddess. He argues that die cutters deliberately rendered her with unsharp features – perhaps imitating rock sculptures of this Goddess. The Thracian Great Mother was “Bendis”, the moon. I actually think Topolov might be onto something here. Olbia was a home to the Orphic religion, and Clement of Alexandria, writing circa 150 – 215 AD, wrote that Orphics called “the Moon ‘Gorgoneion’ on account of the face in it...” If Topalov’s theories are correct then tribes near Olbia, an Orphic center, were putting out coins depicting a moon goddess that look a great deal like a gorgoneion.[/QUOTE]
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