THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY MUSEUM NOTES l7 J ' NUMISMATIC Jää/My / V SOCIETY OfflļFg / THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY NEW YORK 1971 This content downloaded from 83.85.149.119 on Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:09:28 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE ALEXANDER TETRADRACHMS OF PERGAMŮM AND RHODES1 (Plates XXI-XXXIV) Fred S. Kleiner Nearly a century ago, Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer published his comprehensive study of the coinage of Pergamům.2 For almost as long, his system of classification remained unquestioned. Recently, however, Dorothy H. Cox fundamentally challenged his ordering of the Philetaerus tetradrachms when the monogram V, formerly ascribed to Eumenes II (197-159 b.c.), turned up on a coin in a hoard buried at Gordion in the last decade of the third century b.c.3 In i960 the whole regnal series was thoroughly reexamined by Ulla Westermark, who proposed a new chronology to replace that of Imhoof-Blumer.4 The autonomous issues of Rhodes have never been the subject of a monograph,5 and the Alexander issues of that mint have only been 1 I am grateful to Margaret Thompson for introducing me to the study of numismatics and for supervising this paper at every stage of its composition. I also wish to thank O. Morkholm, M. Price, H. Seyrig, and N. Waggoner, who read preliminary drafts of the manuscript and made many helpful sug- gestions. The Rhodian section of this paper is heavily in debt to an unpublished seminar report on file at the American Numismatic Society by Peter Way of Columbia University. Dr. Seyrig put his extensive file of photographs at my disposal, as well as his notes on the Ayaz In and Adramyteum hoards. Casts or photographs were kindly supplied by the following: M. Price (London), G. Le Rider and M. Mainjonet (Paris), M. Maaskant-Kleibrink (Hague), Dr. and Frau H. -D. Schultz (Berlin), and M. Comstock (Boston). After this article went to press, Miss N. Olçay, curator of coins at the Archaeological Museum of Instanbul, kindly sent casts of those Pergamene Alexanders not illustrated in the publication of the Mektepini hoard (below, note 6). These new specimens revealed no new obverse dies or links between issues. 2 F. Imhoof-Blumer, Die Münzen der Dynastie von Per gamón (Berlin, 1884). 3 D. H. Cox, A Third Century Hoard of Tetradrachms from Gordion (Philadel- phia, 1953), no. 75. 4 U. Westermark, Das Bildnis des Philetairos von Pergamon, University of Stockholm Studies in Classical Archaeology 1 (i960). 5 Such a study is currently being prepared by Ř. Ashton of Brasenose College, Oxford. 95 This content downloaded from 83.85.149.119 on Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:09:53 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 96 FRED S. KLEINER treated briefly in more general studies.6 A comprehensive reexami- nation of the Pergamene and Rhodian Alexanders has been long overdue. A large hoard found at Mektepini in Phrygia in 19567 has made such a proposal feasible, but much of the evidence has been available for some time. Approximately 280 specimens have been included in the present study. Every one of the coins may be placed in sequence on the basis of die linkage, stylistic criteria, or the character and placement of the symbols and monograms. All indications point to quite firm conclusions: first, that the Alexanders of both states were of short duration; second, that they were contemporary with Rhodian auto- nomous issues, and Pergamene regnal types of similar denomination, and were earmarked for a specific purpose; third, that their issuance was intimately associated with the political alliances of the time. PERGAMŮM Obv : Head of Heracles in lion's skin, r. Rev: AAEEANAPOY Zeus enthroned, eagle in r., scepter in 1. No borders. All marks in left field of reverse. Letters indicate obverse die numbers; Arabic numerals indicate reverse die numbers; x in- dicates that die was unavailable for study; hoard provenances are in parentheses; examples preceded by an asterisk are illustrated. Group I : Symbols Series I: No mark A-i. *ANS-ETN (Asia Minor 1929) 16.92 f; Seyrig Coll. A-2. ANS-ETN 16.82 t; Hague. A-3. Seyrig Coll. B-4. *Hague 16.95 f . 6 BMCCaria, p. cix. L. Müller, Numismatique ď Alexandre le Grand (Copen- hagen, 1855) I, p. 260; II, nos. 1154-1167. C. Babington, "On an Unpublished Tetradrachm of Alexander III, Struck at Rhodes; with some Observations on the Rhodian Symbol and Other Matters Connected with Rhodes," NC 1864, pp. i fi. A. R. Bellinger, Essays on the Coinage of Alexander the Great , AN SN S ii (New York, 1963), p. 92. 7 N. Olçay and H. Seyrig, Le Tresor de Mektepini en Phrygie (Beirut, Institut Français d'Archéologie, 1965). This content downloaded from 83.85.149.119 on Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:09:53 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ALEXANDERS OF PERGAMŮM AND RHODES 97 Series II: Owl C-5. ""Istanbul (Gordion 1951, 13-C176) 15.59 t* Series III : Loutrophoros D-6. »ANS-ETN (Asia Minor 1929) 16.96 f; ANS-ETN 16.67 t; Boston (Asia Minor 1929, Brett 701) 16.95 t; Hague 17.20 f. D-7. M. Chiha Coll.; Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 273) 16.93. Series IV : Bee E-8. ANS-ETN 16.85 f. E-9. Naville I, April 1921, 931, 16.96. E-io. Berlin 16.28 f; Hague 17.00 f E-11. »Berlin 16.95 f. F-12. *ANS-Gautier 16.87 t; London 16.52 f; American University, Beirut. G-13. »ANS-ETN (Rumania 1937) 16.92 f; P. Saroglos Coll.; Princeton (pierced). G-14. Sofia. H-15. »Hague 17.00 f. H-16. Berlin 16.88 f. Series V : Bee + Cornucopia H-17. »Berlin 16.91 f. Series VI: Wreath + Star H-18. »ANS-ETN (Rumania 1937) 16.93 f; London 17.00 f. Group II : Symbols + Letters or Monograms Series VII : Bee + E H-19. »ANS-ETN (Asia Minor 1929) 17.06 f ; ANS 16.92 f. Series VIII: A + Thyrsos I-20. ANS-ETN 16.93 t I-21. »Berlin 16.89 t- This content downloaded from 83.85.149.119 on Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:09:53 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 98 FRED S. KLEINER Series IX: A -ļ- Bee J-22. Paris (Adramyteum 1954) 17.00 f; American University, Beirut. J-23. »Hague 17.05 f. J-24. Glasgow ( Hunterian 79) 17.07 f. K-24. Six Coll. (= Imhoof-Blumer pl. III, 22). K-25. »ANS-ETN (= Egger 40, May 1912, 654) 16.27 t- K-26. M. Chiha Coll. x-x. Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 275) 16.92. Series X: A -f Bee, 1. field; o behind throne. J-27. ANS 16.83 f; ANS-ETN 16.91 f; London 16.93 f; »Hague 17.10 f. Series XI : AI + Bee K-28. M. Chiha Coll.; Munich. K-29. Hague 17.00 f. K-30. »ANS-ETN 17.03 f. K-31. ANS 15.94 t- L-32. London 16.93 f. L-33. »Hague 17.00 f. M-34. Glasgow (Hunterian 78) 17.01 f. M-35. »Paris. N-30. »London 16.94 f. N-#. Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 277) 16.80. Series XII : AI + Star K-36. »Hague 16.95 f. K-37. London 16.87 t- O-37. »Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 276) 16.70. P-38. »Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 286) 16.72. Series XIII : AI + Palm Branch P-39. »London 16.76 |- Q-40. »ANS-ETN (= Egger 41, November 1912, 390) 16.08 f- Series XIV: U» + Bee L-41. »ANS-BYB ( SNG 311) 16.83 t- This content downloaded from 83.85.149.119 on Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:09:53 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ALEXANDERS OF PERGAMŮM AND RHODES 99 Series XV : tf + Ivy Leaf N-42. Hague. N-43. Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 278) 17.00. N-44. ""Berlin 16.88 f Series XVI: H + Club R-45. ""London 16.33 Paris (Ayaz In) 16.96 f. Series XVII : Al + Star S-46. "Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 279) 16.85. S-x. Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 280-283) 16.63, 16.90, 16.90, 16.94. Series XVIII : KP + Serpent S-47. ""Istanbul (Mektepini 1956, 284) 16.87. T-48. ""Paris. x-x. Commerce (Mektepini 1956, 285) 17.02. Sequence of Issues Group I : Symbols No Mark Owl Loutrophoros Bee - Bee + Cornucopia - Wreath + Star - Group II : Symbols + Bee -1- E - Letters or A + Thyrsos Monograms A + Bee -1 -1 A + Bee + 0 -I AI -I- Bee ~ 1 - 1 - Al + Star - I -1 AI + Palm Branch - ' tf + Bee J tf + Ivy Leaf - H + Club Al + Star - i KP -f Serpent J This content downloaded from 83.85.149.119 on Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:09:53 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 100 FRED S. KLEINER The Pergamene Alexander issues present a special problem to the numismatist for they bear no common distinguishing marks which indicate the mint of origin. In Imhoof-Blumer's treatment of the series, fifteen types were collected and identified as Pergamene on the basis of the marks which appear in the left field of the reverses, many of which may also be seen on the Philetaerus types.8 This method is useful - but only to a degree - for many of the Pergamene marks, especially the bee, the star, and AI, are used by other mints. The attribution of Alexanders to Pergamům must rest ultimately upon considerations of style and provenance, in con- junction with a comparison of the Philetaerus marks.