Catalog
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| Issuer | Samothrace |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 465 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Trihemiobol (1/4) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A large square incuse punch divided into four quadrants by a raised cruciform ridge, characteristic of early Greek coinage struck with the incuse technique. Each of the four compartments exhibits a roughly textured, recessed surface. The incuse square occupies nearly the full flan, with no legend or additional devices present, consistent with archaic Samothracian coinage of the early fifth century BC. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Samothrace occupied an unusual position in the ancient Aegean — a small island with outsized religious influence, home to the Sanctuary of the Great Gods whose mystery cult attracted initiates from across the Greek world long before Macedonian royalty made it fashionable. The island's coinage, produced in the late Archaic period, likely served the sanctuary economy as much as any civic or mercantile function.
The trihemiobol denomination — worth one and a half obols — is rarely attested in island mints of this period, suggesting a deliberate local tariff structure rather than alignment with mainland weight standards.