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Hemiobol
| Issuer | Methymna |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 379 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.40 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A tortoise depicted in profile view, rendered schematically with a domed shell and splayed limbs, set within a plain linear circle, which is in turn enclosed within a broad incuse circle. The tortoise motif, a symbol associated with Aegean maritime trade coinage, is presented with minimal detail at this small module. The entire design is sunk into a shallow incuse square depression, consistent with early hammered coinage technique of the eastern Aegean region. |
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| Mint | Methymna, Lesbos |
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| Additional information |
Methymna was one of the five major poleis of Lesbos and maintained a degree of political independence even as its neighbor Mytilene dominated island affairs. This tiny fractional silver piece circulated during a period when Methymna made the consequential decision to side with Athens against the Mytilenean revolt of 428–427 BC — a choice that earned the city exemption from the punitive measures Cleon nearly inflicted on the entire island.
At 0.40g, attrition loss in circulation was inevitable, and surviving examples are frequently found well below full weight.