A guide to the principal gold and silver coins of the ancients ...

112 PERIOD VII. B.
VII. B.
Plates 64-66.
Plate 64. 1. Thrace. CoSOll. B.C. 42. M. Obv. KOZnN. Brutus
(Consul, B.C. 509), between two lictors. In field, monogram of
Brutus, Bev. Eagle, holding wreath and sceptre. Wt. 130 grs.
Shortly before the "battle of Philippi, B.C. 42, Brutus
granted to Coson, prince of Thrace, the right of coining
gold. It is worthy of note that the standard in use in
Thrace is still that of the coins of Philip and Alexander.
2-4. Thrace. M. Barbarous copies of tetradrachms of
Alexander (wt. 250 grs.) and Lysimachus (wt. 250 grs.),
bearing mint-marks of Odessus and Byzantium.
No. 4, Lysimachus (wt. 224 grs.), has the countermark,
CL .
CAES, which shows the coin to have been still
in circulation in the time of the emperor Claudius.
5, 6. Maronea and Thasos. Similar to YI. B. 5 and 6, but
more barbarous. That Maronea and Thasos continued
to coin silver during the earlier half of the
first century is proved by the fact that one of the
Thasian pieces bears the signature of Bruttius Sura,
who was legate of Sentius Saturninus, proconsul of
Macedonia, B.C. 88. Wts. 242-6 grs. and 262-1 grs.
Plate 65. 7-10. Macedonia. M. Obv. MAKEAONHN. Head of Alexander
the Great, with flowing hair and Ammon's horn ; behind, 0.
Eev. of 7, 8, and 9, AESILLAS Q(u3estor), and of 10,
SVVRA LEG(atus) PRO Q(ucestore). Club, downwards, between
money-chest {fiscus) and subsellium ; the whole within an
olive-wreath. Nos. 7 (wt. 243-8 grs.), 8 (wt. 254 grs.), and
10 (wt. 248 grs.) are tetradrachms ; No. 9, a drachm
(wt. 57-5 grs.).
As the date of Sura, B.C. 88, is known, it is probable
that this issue of silver coins from the mint at Thessalonica
was intended by the Romans to supersede that of
the Athenian tetradrachms, when Athens deserted the side
of the Romans for that of Mithradates (see YII. B. 14).
11, 12. Illyria. ApoUonia. Dyrrhachium. M. ApoUonia.
Obv. Cow, suckling calf; above, APIZTHN, magistrate;
symbols, crescent with star, and caduceus. Hev. AflOA—
APIZTHNOZ. Stellate or floral pattern. Wt. 52 grs.
(12) Dyrrhachium. AY P. Same types. Magistrates,
APIZTON andAAMHNOZ. Symbols on o6u. ear of corn and
bunch of grapes. Wt. 54 grs.