Summary
Coin issued by Neapolis, Campania, Italy, Ancient Greek States, circa 250 BC
Minted by Neapolis
Obverse Description
Head of Apollo facing left, laureate
Reverse Description
Ompalos and lyre, in exergue the Greek letters for POLITON (the letters NEO are off the flan to the left)
Edge Description
Plain
Significance
Dated to or just before the First Punic War (264-241 BC). Crawford reports that six different types of copper coins were in simulatneous production at Neapolis, this was the highest denomination. The type of Apollo on the obverse is closely linked to the lyre and omphalos on the reverse. The centre of the world was considered to be marked by the omphalos at the temple of Apollo at Delphi.
More Information
-
Collection Names
-
Collecting Areas
-
Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 15 Mar 1976
-
Date Issued
circa 220 BC
-
Issued By
Neapolis, Campania, Italy, Ancient Greek States, circa 250 BC
-
Previous Collection
Eugene von Guerard, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, pre 1880
Purchased from Mr Sanders of Geelong pre 1880. -
Material
Copper
-
Axis
12
-
Classification
-
Category
-
Discipline
-
Type of item
-
Dimensions
19 mm (Outside Diameter), 4.93 g (Weight)
-
Shape
Oval
-
References
BMC. Italy p. 116 cf No. 235 ff.
[Book] Poole, Reginald S. 1873. A Catalogue of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Italy., 116-117 Pages
[Book] Crawford, Michael H. 1985. Coinage & Money under the Roman Republic., 34-35 Pages
[Catalogue] Pullin, Ruth. 2011. Nature Revealed: Eugene von Guerard.
-
Keywords
Lyres, Musical Instruments, Omphalos Stones, Stringed Instruments
