Paying the Ferryman: An Old Hoard from a Burial Monument of Samos

Authors

  • Atalanti Betsiou

Abstract

The aim of this article is the presentation of a neglected hoard containing 15 small-denomination bronze coins from the East necropolis of Samos. The hoard was deposited inside a refined bronze vessel (inkwell) with a simple bronze-sheet cover, which was meticulously laid in cist grave 2.2 It is noteworthy that the burial hoard contained a variety of bronze denominations from different mints of Asia Minor and Greece. In light of the content, it will be argued that its deposition followed a turbulent period in the history of Samos.

References

Apostolou, E. 2003. Hellenistic Rhodes. Its economic history deduced from the study of the coinage. Obolos 6. The Coinage of Hellenistic Rhodes. Athens: Friends of the Numismatic Museum.

Apostolou, E. 2016. Les plinthophores rhodiennes, les Romains et la première guerre mithridatique. Revue Numismatique 173: 123-138.

Arslan, M. 2006. The Erythrae Hoard From Germiyan Village, Çeşme-İzmir. Belleten: 47-62.

Ashton, R.H. 1988. Pseudo-Rhodian Drachms from Samothrace. Numismatic Chronicle 148: 129-134.

Ashton, R.H.J. 1999. The Late Classical/Early Hellenistic Drachms of Knidos. Revue Numismatique 154: 63-94.

Ashton, R.H.J. 2001. Rhodian Bronze Coinage and the Siege of Mithridates VI. Numismatic Chronicle 161: 53-66.

Ashton, R.H.J. 2006. The Beginning of Bronze Coinage in Karia and Lykia. Numismatic Chronicle 166: 1-14.

Ashton, R.H.J. 2009. The Only Recorded Name on Rhodian Plinthophoric Chalkoi. Numismatic Chronicle 169: 39-43.

Ashton, R.H.J. and A. Meadows. 2008. The Letoon deposit; Lycian Coinage, Rhodian plinthophori, and Pseudo Rhodian drachms from Haliartos (yet again) and Asia Minor. Numismatic Chronicle 168: 111-134.

Barron, J.P. 1966. Silver Coins of Samos. London: Athlone.

Betancourt, P.P. 1971. A Hoard of Bronze Coins from Erythrae. Museum Notes (American Numismatic Society) 17: 23-39.

Head B.V. (ed.). 1897. Catalogue of Greek Coins of the British Museum: Caria, Cos, Rhodes. London: The Trustees of the British Museum.

Head B.V. (ed.). 1892. Catalogue of Greek Coins of the British Museum: Ionia. London: Quaritch.

Callataÿ, F. de. 2018. Overstrikes in the Greek World: an Overview on the Full Landscape and an Explanation for Punctual Occurrences with Silver Coinage. Revue Belge Numismatique 164: 26–48.

Carbone, L. 2021. The Standardization of Asian Bronze Denominations in the First Century BC, in A. Meadows, and U. Wartenberg (eds) Presbeus, Studies in Ancient Coinage Presented to Richard Ashton: 365-432. New York: The American Numismatic Society.

Chameroy, J. 2016, Manipulating Late Hellenistic Coinage. Chiron 46: 85-118.

Chryssanthaki-Nagle, K. 2006. La monnaie funéraire dans les nécropoles de Macédoine, in M. Guimier-Sorbets, M.B. Hatzopoulos and Y. Morizt (eds) Rois, cités, nécropoles: institutions, rites et monuments en Macédoine: Actes de colloques de Nanterre (Decémbre 2002) et d’ Athènes (Janvier 2004) : 89- 103. Μeletemata 45. Athens: National Hellenic Research Foundation.

Daubner, F. 2006. Bellum Asiaticum, Der Krieg der Römer gegen Aristonikos von Pergamon und die Einrichtung der Provinz Asia. München: Tuduv.

Deppert-Lippitz, B. 1984. Die Münzprägung Milets, vom vierten bis ersten Jahrhundert v. Chr., Typos. Aarau: Sauerländer.

Ellis-Evans, A. 2020. The Late Hellenistic Tetradrachms of Parion and Lampsakos. American Journal of Numismatics 32: 93-125.

Erlich, A. 2017. Happily Ever After? A Hellenistic Hoard from Tel Kedesh in Israel. American Journal of Archaeology 121 (1): 39-59.

Ersoy, A., M. Önder and H. Turan. 2014. Coins from Ancient Smyrna Excavations (2008- 2012). İzmir: İzmir Ticaret Odasi.

Evgenidou, D. 2010. Νομίσματα από τη Σάμο στο Νομισματικό Μουσείο Αθηνών, in P. Tselekas (ed.) Obolos 9: Coins in the Aegean Islands, Mints, Circulation, Iconography, History, Proceedings of the Fifth Scientific Meeting, Mytilene 16-19 September 2006, Vol. II Middle Ages –Modern Times:119-123. Athens: Friends of the Numismatic Museum.

Gardner, P. 1882. Samos and Samian Coins. London: Macmillan.

Gitler H. and Y. Kahanov. 2002. The Ascalon 1988 Hoard (CH 9.548) A Periplus to Ascalon in the Late Hellenistic Period?, in A. Meadows and U. Wartenberg (eds) Coin Hoards IX: Greek Hoards: 259- 268. London: Royal Numismatic Society.

Giannikouri, Α. and V. Stefanaki. 2010. “Θησαυρός” χάλκινων νομισμάτων ελληνιστικής περιόδου από την Κω. Νομισματικό σύστημα και υποδιαιρέσεις των χάλκινων κωακών νομισμάτων, in P. Tselekas (ed.) Obolos 9: Coins in the Aegean Islands: mints, circulation, iconography, history: Proceedings of the Fifth Scientific Meeting, Mytilene, 16-19 September 2006. Volume I: 447-480. Athens: Friends of the Numismatic Museum.

Graham, A. J. 2002. The Colonization of Samothrace. Hesperia 71: 231-260.

Gregoriadou, N. 2006. Νομίσματα προερχόμενα από κλειστά σύνολα, in Obolos 8: To νόμισμα στα Δωδεκάνησα και τη Mικρασιατική Περαία. Πρακτικά Συνεδρίου της Δ΄ Eπιστημονικής Συνάντησης, Κως, 30 Μαϊου-2 Ιουνίου 2003: 125-141. Athens: Friends of the Numismatic Museum.

Grinder-Hansen, K. 1991. Charon’s fee in Ancient Greece? – Some remarks on a well-known death rite. Acta Hyperborea 3: 207-218.

Thompson, M., O. Morkholm and C.M. Kraay. 1973. An Inventory of Greek Coin Hoards. New York: American Numismatic Society.

Ignatiadou, D. 2017. Bronze Medical and Writing Cases in Classical and Hellenistic Macedonia, in J.M. Daehner, K. Lapatin and A. Spinelli (eds) Artistry in Bronze. The Greeks and their legacy, XIXth International Congress on Ancient Bronzes: 260-267. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum.

Jenkins, G.K. 1987. Hellenistic Gold Coins of Ephesos. Anadolu 21: 183-188.

Jenkins, G.K. 1989. Rhodian Plinthophoroi – A Sketch, in G, Le Rider, C.M Kraay and O. Mørkholm (eds) Kraay-Mørkholm essays: Numismatic studies in memory of C.M. Kraay and O. Mørkholm: 101-119. Louvain-la-Neuve: Institut Supérieur d’Archéologie et d’Histoire de l’Art.

Kallintzi, K. and K. Chatziprokopiou. 2019. The burial coin in Abdera. Journal of Archaeological Numismatics 9: 423-443.

Karwiese, S. 2016. Die Munzpragung von Ephesos, 5.2: Corpus und Aufbau der romerzeitlichen Stadtpragung: Statistiken, Metrologie und Kommentare. Vienna.

Kinns, P. 1980. Studies in the Coinage of Erythrae, Teos, Lebedus, Colophon 400-30 BC. Unpublished PhD dissertation. University of Cambridge.

Kinns, P. 1987. Asia Minor, in A.H. Burnett and M.H. Crawford (eds) Coinage of the World in the Late Republic: 105-119. BAR International Series 326: 105-119. Oxford: BAR.

Kinns, P. 1998. Coin Hoard 8, 474: Milesian silver coinage in the second century BC, in R. Ashton and S. Hurter (eds) Studies in Greek Numismatics in Memory of Martin Jessop Price: 175–195. London: Spink.

Kinns, P. 2021. Understanding the Later Civic Coinage of Miletus, in A. Meadows and U. Wartenberg (eds) Presbeus, Studies in Ancient Coinage Presented to Richard Ashton: 79-91. New York: The American Numismatic Society.

Klein, D. 1999. Sammlung von griechischen Kleinsilbermunzen und Bronzen. Milan.

Kleiner, F.S. 1976. The Agora Excavations and Athenian Bronze Coinage, 200-86 BC. Hesperia 45 (1): 1-40.

Lenger, D.S. 2015. Monete dal Castello di Ballicaoluk sul Monte Nif (Olympos). Annali dell’ Istituto Italiano di Numismatica 61: 293-301.

Lilimpake-Akamate, M. 1994. Λαξευτοί θαλαμωτοί τάφοι της Πέλλας/Rock-Cut Chamber Tombs of Pella, Athens: Έκδοση του Ταμείου Αρχαιολογικών Πόρων και Απαλλοτριώσεων.

Lilimpake-Akamate, M. 2008. O πολυθάλαμος τάφος της Πέλλας, Thessaloniki.

Magie, D. 1950. Roman Rule in Asia Minor: to the end of the third century after Christ. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Marcellesi, M.-C. 2004. Milet des Hécatomnides à la domination romaine: Pratiques monétaires et histoire de la cité du IVe au IIe siècle av. J.-C. Mainz am Rhein: Philipp von Zabern.

Meadows, A.R. 2002. Stratonikeia in Caria: The Hellenistic City and its Coinage. Numismatic Chronicle 162: 79-134.

Meadows, A.R. 2018. The Great Transformation. Civic Coin Design in the Second Century BC, in P.P. Iossif, F. De Callataÿ and R. Veymiers (eds) ΤΥΠΟΙ: Greek and Roman Coins Seen Through Their Images Noble Issuers, Humble Users: 297-318. Liège: Presses Universitaires de Liège.

Milne, J.G. 1914. The Silver Coinage of Smyrna. Numismatic Chronicle 14: 273-298.

Milne, J.G. 1916. A hoard of bronze coins of Smyrna. Numismatic Chronicle 16: 246-50.

Milne, J.G. 1923. The Autonomous Coinage of Smyrna. Numismatic Chronicle 3: 1-30.

Milne, J.G. 1927. The Autonomous Coinage of Smyrna, Section II. Numismatic Chronicle 7: 1–107.

Nikolakopoulou, A.G. 2019. The custom of “Charon’s obol” in the Peloponnese, in J.-M. Doyen, J.-P. Duchemin and P.P. Iossif (eds), Proceedings of the International Conference “A coin for the dead. Coins for the living. Charon’s obol: the end of a Myth?”. Journal of Archaeological Numismatics 9: 337- 348.

Rhomiopoulou, K. and T. Vogeikoff-Brogan. 2013. Ελληνιστικό Νεκροταφείο Αμφιπόλεως, Aρχαιολογική Εφημερίδα 152, Athens.

Rhomiopoulou, K. and T. Vogeikoff-Brogan. 2013. Ελληνιστικό νεκροταφείο Αμφιπόλεως. Βορειοανατολικός τομέας: Ανασκαφή 1956. Αρχαιολογική Εφημερίς 152: 103-253.

Shipley, G. 1987. A History of Samos 800-189 BC. Oxford: Clarendon.

Sideris, A. 2017. Splendor and Passion of the Hellenistic World in the Vassil Bojkov Collection. Sofia: The Thrace Foundation.

Stefanaki, V.E. 2012. KOS I. Coins and Coinage of the Aegean (A. Giannikouri (ed.). Athens.

Touloumtzidou, A. 2011. Mετάλλινα αγγεία του 4ου-2ου π.Χ. από τον ελλαδικό χώρο. Unpublished PhD dissertation. University of Thessaloniki.

Touratsoglou, I. and K. Tsakos. 2008. Economy and Trade Routes In the Aegean: The Case of Samos, in C. Papageorgiadou-Banis and A. Giannikouri (eds) Sailing in the Aegean. Readings on the Economy and the Trade Routes: 105-137. Melethmata 53. Athens: National Hellenic Research Foundation.

Τsakos, Κ. 1977. Ellenistikoi Laxeutoi tafoi sth Samo. Αrchaeologiko Deltion 32, Α΄ Μeletes: 344-420.

Tsakos, K. 1989. Τέσσερα κλειστά σύνολα από τη Σάμο, in A. Giannikouri and M. Filimonos (eds) Α΄ Συνάντηση για την Ελληνιστική Κεραμική, Πρακτικά 6 Δεκεμβρίου 1986: 118-119. Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων.

Tsakos, K. 2011. O κούρος του Κάβου Φωνιά: και όμως ένας Σαμιώτης, in A. Delivorias, G. Despines and A. Zarkadas (eds) ΕΠΑΙΝΟΣ: Luigi Beschi: 397- 408. Athens: Benaki Museum.

Tselekas, P. 1996. Grave hoards of Greek Coins from Greece, Numismatic Chronicle 156: 249- 259.

Aulock, H. von. 1967. Zur Silberprägung des karischen Stratonikeia. Jahrbuch für Numismatik und Geldgeschichte 17: 7-15.

Ingvaldsen, H. 2002. Cos – Coinage and Society. The Chronology and function of a city-state coinage in the Classical and Hellenistic period, c.390 – c.170 BC. Unpublished PhD dissertation. University of Oslo.

Zabel, B. and A.R. Meadows. 2002. The ‘Myndos’ hoard (CH 9.522), in A. Meadows and U. Wartenberg (eds) Coin Hoards IX: 244-252. London: Spink.

Published

17/12/2025

How to Cite

Betsiou, A. (2025). Paying the Ferryman: An Old Hoard from a Burial Monument of Samos. KOINON: The International Journal of Classical Numismatic Studies, 8, 130–144. Retrieved from https://archaeopresspublishing.com/ojs/index.php/koinon/article/view/3325

Issue

Section

Greek Coinage