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Hemiobol
| Issuer | Samos |
|---|---|
| Year | 499 BC - 495 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Facing lion's scalp rendered in archaic style, with stylized mane depicted by radiating incised lines above the broad forehead. The feline face is shown full frontal with prominent round eyes, a flat nose, and whisker dots flanking the muzzle on either side. The fur markings are rendered with careful engraved detailing, conveying a bold, heraldic quality characteristic of early Samian coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Head of an ox facing right, rendered in profile within a square incuse punch with a dotted or beaded inner border. The musculature of the ox's neck and snout is modeled with fine incised lines, and the horn curves upward prominently above the head. The incuse square format is characteristic of early Greek archaic coinage technique, providing a stark, sunken field that contrasts with the raised relief of the device. |
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| Additional information |
Samos in this period was navigating the immediate aftermath of its submission to Persia following the Ionian Revolt's failure at Lade in 494 BC, where the Samian fleet famously broke formation — an act that may have been treachery or pragmatic survival, depending on which ancient source you trust. Coinage continued under Persian suzerainty, making the precise dating of these fractional issues genuinely contested among specialists.
At 0.33g, these were the smallest practical unit in the Samian series, likely used for port transactions in one of the Aegean's busiest harbors.