.

Annotazioni |r{umismatiche

Anno l2o Serie IV Giugno 2002

SOMMARIO

CONTRIBUTI
LLAZARENCo, In Which Towns Are Countermarked Coins of Lysimachus
with "Owl upon a Line, Turned to the I'efi" and "Owl, Turned to the Right" . . p.1066

DISCUSSIONI
R.MARTTNI, Ancora tre monete romane imperiali (sesterzi di Traianus)
con contromarche false di probabile provenienza dalla Sicilia ed un
falso sesterzio di Britannicus con contromarca della Moesia p.1073

AGGIOBNAMENTI
M.MANov, New Types of Bronze Coins of the Scythian Kings Charaspes
andAkrosas .... p.1078

ANNOTAZIONI BIBLIOGRAFICHE
365.A.SANCIU, Llnafanoria di etd romana nell'agro di Olbia . . . . . p.1083
366.M.CnnraIENTr, Monete ritrovate (...) Castel San Pietro (BO) . . . . p.1083
367.A.PoLosA, A.PARENTE, Monete dagli scavi di Sibari 1993-2000 . p.1084

PRESENTAZIONI
CXIV.R.MARCUCCI, L'incisore di monete. Mestiere d'ctrte . . p.1085

NOTIZIABIO
Circolo Numismatico Ticinese - Gabinetto Numismatico Locarno
XXVru. Una contromarca lessicale della cittd di Istros (Moesia) poco
nota di probabile epoca imperiale (a cura di Angelo Anzani) p.1086

O delle Edizioni ennerre S.r.l.

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AGGIORNAMENTI

New Types of Bronze Coins of the Scythian Kings Charaspes and Akrosas
Metodi MANov

During the Hellenistic epoch in the lands of today Dobroudga (part of North-Eastern
Bulgaria and South-Eastern Romania) - the ancient Scythia Minor - had circulated
the most interesting and enigmatic coins of six rulers with the titles of kings, defined
in the numismatic literature with a great reason as "Scythian rulers in Dobroudga".
The six Scythian rulers are: Kanites, Tanousas for Tanousakes ?](t), Aelis, Cha-
raspes, Akrosas [or Akrosakes ?]('z) and Sariakes. None of them is mentioned in the
-
works of the ancient authors. About two of them about Kanites and Sariakes, two
-
epigraphical monuments are available from Odessos(3) and from cape Kaliakra(a).
But these inscriptions are not so informative as for the political activity of these both
rulers, because their names are only mentioned in the epigraphical monuments - without
any details.
That is why the coins of all the six Scythian rulers indicated remain for us the sole
monuments, which are silent witnesses of their political activity. Through the interpre-
tation of these coins today we can make our hypotheses concerning the character, the
territorial range and the chronology of ruling of the upper mentioned Scythian kings
in Dobroudga. For five of them up to know are known only bronze coins and merely
from Sariakes are known both few types of bronze and one type of silver coins(s.;.
It must be pointed out, that the coins of the six Scythian rulers as iconography and
style are amongst the most beautiful Greek coins, struck during the Hellenistic epoch.
Their variety as typology and denominations is a real challenge for the contemporary
numismatists.

( l) L. TARASvuK, The names of the kings of Scythia Minor on the coins from Dobroudga (in Russian:
Imena tsarey Maloy Skifii na monetah iz Dobroudgi), in: Kratkie soobshteniya instituta istorii materialnoy
kultury 63 (Moscow 1956), pp.22-30.
(2) TARASYUK, op. cit., pp.22-30.
(3) G. MIHAILoY,lnscriptiones Graecae in Bulgaria repertae,12, Sofia 1970, No.4l.
(4) M. LAZARov , A recently discovered inscription of Antigonos for the king Sariak, in: VDI 3 ( I 985),
pp.47-50 (in Russian with summary in English); G. Mtuellov, Inscriptiones Graecae in Bulgaria repertae,
V, Sofia 1997, No.5003.
(5) V. CANARACHE, Monetele scililor din Dobrogec, in: Studii gi cercetdri de istorie veche I (1950), pp.213-
257.

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Since the first finding of their coins up to now many scholars had tried to order
in the right chronological row the six Scythian kings and besides many attempts were
made for more precise framing of the period of their ruling as a whole. In this direction
the opinions are varying from the beginning of III century BC(6); through III-II century
BC(7); the end of III-the middle of I century BC(8); to the end of Il-the beginning of
I century nc(e).
According to me the period of ruling of the six Scythian kings in Dobroudga must
be put between the second half of III century BC and the first quarter of II c. BC, i.e.
between ca.250 sc and 16115sc. This dating is the nearestto the dating suggested
by K. Regling and by W. Knechtel(r0). It will be defended by me and in my future
studies on the problem. The chronological order of ruling of all the six kings could
be as indicated above. I want to present to the attention of those interested in three bronze
coins of new types, two of which are kept in a private collection in Bulgaria. After refe-
rences in all accessible to me editions, in which are published coins of the six Scythian
kings mentioned, I ascertained the fact, that such types of coins are not included(rr).

1. Here is the description of the first coin kept in a private collection in Bulgaria, which
belongs to the coinage of the Scythian king Charaspes:
Obv. Beardless head of Heracles in lion skin r.
Rev. Corn ear, quiver and bow.
Legend: BAUIAEQ, XAPA>IIOY. Monogram ME.
E; A 21x22 mm; weight: 7,20 g. (Fig. 1)

Another coin of absolutely the same type and denomination appeared recently illu-
strated in the catalogue for auction No. 97 of Dieter Gorny(l2). Its metrological data
are the following: A 2l mm weight: 8,48 g. (Fig. 2 after D. Gorny). -

(6) Caxe,necue, op. cit., p.218.

(7) K. REcLTNG, Charaspes, in: Corolla numismatica in honor of B. Head, Oxford 1906, pp.259-265;
W. KNECHTEL, O noud moneta a regelui scit Kanites, in: Buletinul societl;ii numismatice romlne l4 (1919),
pp.25-34.
(8) T. GERASSIMov, Monnaies de Canites, Tanousa, Charaspes, Acrosas et Sarias, in: Bulletin de la societe
archeologique a Varna IX ( 1953), pp.53-58 (in Bulgarian with summary in French); S. ANDRUH, The Lower-
Danube Scythia in VI - the beginning of I c. ec,Zaporozhie 1995, p.140 andp.l47 (in Russian: Nizhnedu-
nayskaya Skifiya v VI - nachale I v. do n.e.).
(9) J. Younourova, Nouvelles donndes sur la chronologie des rois scythes en Dobrudi"a, in: Thracia
lY (1977), pp. 105- 121; Y. YouRouKov a, The Coins of the Thracian Tribes and Ralers, Sofia 1992, p.160
(in Bulgarian: Monetite na trakiyskite plemena i vladeteli).
(10) See note no. 7.
(11) Such types are missing in the following editions: CANARACHE, op. cit.;M. ALRAM, Nomina propria
Iranica in nummis. Iranisches Personennamenbuch, Band IV, Wien 1986; SNG Great BritainXl,The William
Stancomb Collection of Coins of the Black Sea Region, Oxford (The British Academy) 2000.
(12) Giessener Mtnzhandlung Dieter Gorny GmbH, Miinchen, auction No. 97 from October 11,1999,
p.27, No. 149.

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46

But this coin from the auction is from different dies for the obverse and for the
reverse, too. It can be supposed the dies for both coins had been made by one and the
same engraver.
Only one sole type of bronze coins of Charaspes was known up to now - "Heads
of the Dioscuri r./eagle on thunderbolt r."1r3;.

2. In the same auction(ra) appeared and a new, unpublished up to now type and deno-
mination of a bronze coin of the Scythian king Akrosas (or Akrosakes ?) with the follo-
wing description:
Obv. Youthful head of Dionysus with ivy wreath r.
Rev. Thyrsus.
Legend: BAIIAE AKPO>A. Monogram AN.
,E; AD mm; weight: 5,15 g. (Fig. 3 - after Dieter Gorny).
Here it can be seen the obvious iconographical connection with coins of similar
type of Callatis(15). That is why it can be supposed, that the coin of Akrosas here
discussed was struck namely in Callatis.

3. In a private collection in Bulgaria is kept yet another bronze coin of Akrosas of

comparatively small denomination, which is not published up to now. Its description
is as follows:
Obv. Beardless head of Heracles in lion skin r.
Rev. The club of Heracles vertically disposed with the handle up.
Legend: BA>I AKPO. Monogram MH (?) or MN (?).
E: A l6xl5 mm; weight:2,45 g. (Fig. ).

The following monograms on the coins of Akrosas were known up to now - EY,
AN and ANAPE. Probably AN and ANAPE are the initial letters of one and the same
coin magistrate. On the small coin here discussed we are standing before an unknown
up to this moment monogram on the coins of that king, if the question is not to any
mistake of the die engraver?! Even at the other new type of bronze coin of Akrosas
- the specimen from D. Gorny upper - the known already monogram AN also can be
seen.

(13) CANARACUa, op. cit., Tab. VI, No. 25; YouRouKovA, op. cit. (Monetite ...), cat. No. 127.
(14) Giessener Miinzhandlung Dieter Gorny GmbH, Miinchen, auction No. 97 from October ll, 1999,
p.27, No. 150.
(15) SNG Xl,The W. Stancomb Collection (...), Pl. IV, Nos.74-84.

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The coin is of a comparatively small denomination and as a type is matching to

an autonomous city emission of Macedonian bronze coins, struck at the time of Philip
Y (221-179 nc) in Thessalonike after 187 BC('u). The images of the beardless Heracles
for the obverse and of the club for the reverse are well known and from the autonomous
coins of the region Amphaxitis, also struck after 187 nc(r7). Whether this facts could
not direct us to a more precise dating of the ruling of the Scythian king Akrosas - about
200-187/185 BC ?(rlt). So, if Charaspes was a predecessor of Akrosas, his time of
ruling probably was between about 205 and 200 eC. In fact as iconography and subjects
can be seen very close connection between the coinage of some of the Scythian kings
in Dobroudga and the coinage of the last two Macedonian kings - Philip Y (221-179
nc) and Perseus (179-168 sc).
The beardless head of Heracles in lion skin was known only from the coinage of
Kanites('e). Recently we saw its appearance and in the coinage of Sariakes(20). It
was found, that this image is characteristic and is traditional for the coinages of four
of all the six Scythian kings in Dobroudga - Kanites, Charaspes, Akrosas and Sariakes.
The three new types of bronze coins presented here - one of Charaspes and two
of Akrosas [or Akrosakes ?], once again demonstrate the unexpected typological variety
and the intensity of the coinage of the upper mentioned six Scythian kings in Dobroudga
in the Hellenistic epoch.

( von Makedonia und Paionia,Zweite Abteilung, Berlin I 93-5, Taf.

l6) H. GAEBLEI., Die Antiken Milnzen
XXll,26: Y. TouRArsocrou, The Coin Circukttion in Ancient Macedonia (ca. 200 B.C, - 268-286 A.D.).
The Hoard Eviclence, Athens 1993, Pl. IX, 12.

(17) CAEBLER, op. cit.,Yll,22; TouRArsoGLou, op. cit., Pl. VI, l0; D. DRAGANoV, The Coins of the
Macedonian Kings.Partll'. From Philip Arrhidaeus to Perseus, Jambol 2001, Nos. 802, 803 (in Bulgarian).
(18) See my dating of the ruling of the last Scythian king in Dobroudga - Sariakes - between 187/185
and 1671165 BC, M. MANov, A Decree oJ Calhtis (IGBulg. II, No.780ler), in: Arheologia 3-4 (Sofia 2001),
pp.63-68 (in Bulgarian with summary in Engiish).
(19) CeNanacnn, op. cit., Tab. V, Nos. 20-23; SNG Xl, The W. Stancomb Collection (...), Pl. XV, Nos.
315 and 316.
(20) M. MANov ,Two New Types oJ Bronze Coins of the Scythian Ruler Sariakes,tn. Annotazioni Numisma-
tiche 41 (2001), pp.956-959, Fig. l.

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46

WW Fig. 1.
New type of bronze coin of Charaspes (from private collection in Bulgaria)

Wffi Fig.2.
Another specimen of the same type - from different obv. and rev. dies (from auction
No. 97 of Giessener Miinzhandlung Dieter Gorny, Mtinchen, October 11,1999, No. 149)

WW Fig. 3.
New type of bronze coin of Akrosas (from auction No. 97
of Dieter Gorny, October 11,1999, No. 150.)

Fig 4.
Another new type of bronze coin of Akrosas (from private collection in Bulgaria)

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