Catalog
| Issuer | Parion |
|---|---|
| Year | 350 BC - 300 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Facing gorgoneion (Medusa head) rendered in fine archaic-transitional style, occupying the full field of the flan. The apotropaic visage displays large staring eyes, a broad flat nose, and an open mouth with protruding tongue and prominent fangs. Serpentine locks of hair radiate around the face and curl along the periphery of the coin, framing the grotesque but powerfully modelled effigy. The high-relief workmanship is characteristic of Mysian mint production of the mid-to-late fourth century BC. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | A |
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| Additional information |
Parion, a Mysian Greek colony on the Propontis (modern Sea of Marmara), maintained unusual monetary independence well into the Hellenistic period despite persistent pressure from neighboring Pergamon. The hemidrachm series attributed to this mint — consistently referenced against the SNG France holdings — shows remarkable die consistency across what must have been a compressed production window, suggesting centralized oversight rather than episodic striking.
The Propontic trade corridor gave Parion's silver genuine regional reach, with examples turning up in hoards from Thrace to the Troad.