Emissioni di Ermione nell’Argolide

[apollonia]

Salve

Non sapevo che Ermione, il nome della figlia di Menelao e di Elena della mitologia greca e della figura femminile che accompagna il poeta Gabriele D’Annunzio nella poesia "La pioggia nel pineto", fosse anche quello di un’antica città dell’Argolide.

La moneta principale emessa dalla zecca di Ermione è un triobolo e questo esemplare della Nomos 2 è il migliore di quelli mai visti.

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. Triobol (Silver, 2.85 g 7). Head of Demeter Chthonia to left wearing grain wreath, pendant earring and pearl necklace. Rev.Monogram of ΕΡ within wreath of grain. BCD Peloponnesos 1287 (this coin). BMC 1. Grandjean, Monnayage I, 1A (D1/R2, but cited by Grandjean as being R7, this coin). Very rare. Very attractively toned, probably the finest existing triobol of Hermione. Good extremely fine.

From the BCD Collection, LHS 96, 8 May 2006, 1287 and ex Sotheby, 22 April 1970, 173.

 

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Obolo (CNG 81).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. AR Obol (0.82 g, 5h). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia left / Torch flanked by E-P; all within wreath of grain ears. Grandjean, Monnayage, group I, em. 1B, dies D1/R1; BCD Peloponnesos 1294. VF, toned, rough surfaces. Extremely rare.

Ex BCD Collection (not in LHS sale).

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Æ Trichalkon (CNG 81).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 300-250 BC. Æ Trichalkon (3.06 g, 3h). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia facing slightly right / EP monogram within wreath of grain ears. Grandjean, Monnayage, group II, em. 7, unlisted dies; BCD Peloponnesos 1304.1. Fine, green and red-brown patina. Extremely rare, only six examples recorded by Grandjean.

Ex BCD Collection (not in LHS sale).
Although worn, the P of the monogram is barely visible on the left side of the E, placing this coin within Grandjean’s emission 7, rather than 6.

 

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Æ Dichalkon (CNG 81).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 210 BC. Æ Dichalkon (2.18 g, 9h). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia left / EP flanked by torches; all within wreath. Grandjean, Monnayage, group IV, em. 14A, dies D120/R129 (this coin referenced, illustrated); BCD Peloponnesos 1305.3. Good Fine, dark green patina. Rare.

Ex BCD Collection (not in LHS sale).

 

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Æ Dichalkon (CNG 81).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. Æ Dichalkon (1.79 g, 6h). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia right / Torch flanked by E-P; all within wreath of grain ears. Grandjean, Monnayage, group II, em. 3B, dies D40/R38; BCD Peloponnesos 1298.4 (same dies). VF, dark green patina. Well centered and struck.

Ex BCD Collection (not in LHS sale), purchased from Atlantis, Spring 2005.

 

[VALTERI]

Così Ermione nel vecchio manuale di Sear .

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Æ Chalkous (CNG 81).

Ex Pozzi Collection

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. Æ Chalkous (2.48 g, 12h). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia left / Torch flanked by E-P; all within wreath of grain ears. Grandjean, Monnayage, group I, em. 2B, dies D33/R30 = Pozzi (Boutin) 4276 (this coin); BCD Peloponnesos 1297. Good VF, attractive red-brown patina.

Ex BCD Collection (not in LHS sale), purchased from Leu, January 1979; S. Pozzi Collection, 4276 (Boutin).

 

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Æ 10 mm (CNG 173).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. Æ 10mm (1.60 g). Helmeted head of Athena right / Legend within wreath. BCD Peloponnesos 1582 (Orchomenos); BMC -. Near VF, brown patina. Provisionally attributed to Hermione, this type is now placed at Orchomenos based on site finds.

173, Lot: 236. Estimate $75. Sold for $218. 

From the Christopher Morcom Collection.

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Æ 12mm (CNG 173).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. Æ 12mm (1.63 g). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia right / Torch within wreath. BCD Peloponnesos 1298.4; BMC p. 161, 10. Near VF, green patina.

From the Christopher Morcom Collection.

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Æ Chalkous (CNG Shop).

ARGOLIS, Hermione. Circa 360-320/10 BC. Æ Chalkous (12mm, 2.06 g, 12h). Wreathed head of Demeter Chthonia left / Torch; E-P across field; all within wreath of grain ears. Grandjean, Monnayage, group I, em. 2b; BCD Peloponnesos 1297. Good VF, warm brown patina.

Ex BCD Collection (not in previous BCD sales), purchased from Leu, January 1979; from the old stock of Jacob Hirsch, with his ticket.
 

A territory mainly triangular in shape, Argolis was the location of the Bronze Age fortresses of Mycenae and Tiryns, as well as Agamemnon’s Mycenaean kingdom in the Iliad. Occasionally, the name of one of its most famous cities, Argos (the plain), is applied to the whole of the Peloponnese or even the whole of Greece itself. Epidauros, another of Argolis’ famous cities, is reputed to be the birthplace of Asklepios, the god of healing, where the Asklepieion was dedicated to him. These large cities, along with numerous others in Argolis, were active in the production of coinage during the 4th through 2nd centuries BC. As with other Greek territories brought under the control of the Romans, autonomous coinage decreased and was later replaced by provincial issues mostly after the 1st century AD.