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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,751 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Here is coin with a wry sense of humor. This drachm was minted in Byzantion, on the Bosporus connecting Asia Minor (now Turkey) to Europe. The Greek word Bosporos literally means "ox crossing", and here is an ox walking on a dolphin's back--a clever visual pun on Bosporus.  Thrace, Byzantion. Ca. 340-320 B.C. AR hemidrachm (13 mm, 2.51 g). VΠY (V-Π ligate),
heifer standing left on dolphin, right foreleg raised / Quadripartite stippled incuse punch(Not my coin, but I wish it was  ) |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
The ancients had a strange sense of humor. Very nice coin.
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Moderator
United States
14463 Posts |
I am not into ancients, but what does the dolphin represent?
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10045 Posts |
I must have a strange sense of humor too, because I thought it witty.  In this context, I think the dolphin represents the water crossing of the Bosporus; the ox is the "Bos". On Istros coins, the eagle on the back of a dolphin may relate to the colony situated on the Black Sea.  |
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Valued Member
United States
318 Posts |
Those are some nice coins! Wish they were mine.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
The Dolphin represents the straits at Bosporus.
The Cow (Ox) may represent Io.
Zues changed Io into a cow to hide his infidelity. She wandered the world like this and crossed from Europe to Asia at the straits of Bosporus.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Doucet, that's interesting details--thanks! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
 Hare leaping right over the straits? ? ? |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1610 Posts |
Nice coins! People sure did hate dolphins back then, mostly the oxen.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Quote:
Hare leaping right over the straits? Honestly...I wouldn't take my interpretation too literally. You're absolutely right about the name Bosporus taken after mythology*. That said, Messana is another coastal Greek city bordering a narrow straight--coincidence? Certainly, it was a location where trade would probably "leap" from the Italian peninsula to Sicily via ship.  I just enjoy wondering about this stuff, but who knows really? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1315 Posts |
I don't know the real story behind the Hare and Dolphin. I was just trying to be humorous.
They were asking $4000.00 for that coin.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Doucet, same here--I'm just guessing about this stuff for fun.  Yeah, nice coin--wish it were mine! Btw, there is an alternate explanation for the Bosporus, put forth by geologists. The Black Sea was once a landlocked lake, filled with glacial meltwater. It broke through and created the straight around 5600 BC. Prior to then, herds of animals probably migrated across the Bosporus, and perhaps that remained a distant memory as mythology? Edited by DVCollector
02/11/2012 9:52 pm
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,751 |
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Posted 02/11/2012 1:43 pm
