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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Pavlos, post: 7803596, member: 96635&quot;]A new addition to my Greek island collection: A bronze coin from Mytilene on Lesbos island. However, this is not just a coin, but an interesting one.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1340176[/ATTACH]</p><p><b><b>Lesbos, Mytilene. 3rd-2nd centuries BC.</b> AE Tetrachalkon.</b></p><p><b>Obverse:</b> Head of Zeus-Ammon to right.</p><p><b>Reverse:</b> M-Y/T-I Terminal figure of Dionysos facing on prow; grapes to left.</p><p><b>Reference:</b> BMC 134. HGC 6, 1048.</p><p>7.8g; 18mm</p><p><i>Very rare.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>On the reverse we see a cult figure of Dionysos, but this is actually a mask of Dionysos mounted on a crude triangular block representing his &#039;body&#039;.</p><p>What is this mask? Pausanias relates a story of Methymnaean fishermen dragging up in their nets a <i>xoanon</i> (Archaic wooden cult image) of olive wood which was pronounced by the Delphic oracle to be Dionysos <i>Κεφαλλήν</i> (head). The people of Methymna started to offer sacrifices to it and sent a bronze copy to Delphi. This led to a cult on the island and Dionysos was worshipped as an important deity on the island. The cult figure is standing on a prow because obviously the xoanon has been found by a ship.</p><p><br /></p><p>This cult figure is also seen on the amazing and very rare tetradrachms from the Island struck in the Hellenistic period (unfortunately not mine):</p><p><img src="https://www.sixbid-coin-archive.com/images/view/3602/2977323l.jpg?md5=IBFesG9AD0SOYASKG7nVzQ&amp;expires=1627942646" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I am very glad having this bronze coins, not only is this issue very rare from Mytilene, it is also one of the best, if not the best example out there. The head of Zeus Ammon has been engraved by a real artist.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please share your coins of Mytilene, Dionysos and cult figures!</p><p><br /></p><p>I also just noticed I got 1000 messages, quite the achievement![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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