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#CLST6 Here’s a sneak peak of my #Project4, in I which will explore the diachronic progression & historical/cultural/economic implications of marine #zoological motifs on ancient coins. My #LookCloser8 will overview two Greek coins depicting an octopus & tuna. #seacreatures /1
Let’s first discuss this silver litra (c. 460BCE) from the #Corinthian colony of Syracuse. It features the head of Arethusa--which is somewhat similar to contemporary/older #korai statues--& “ΣΩΡΑ” (Syracuse) on its obverse. Its reverse shows an anatomically correct octopus! 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐙" title="Oktopus" aria-label="Emoji: Oktopus">/2
/2" title="Let’s first discuss this silver litra (c. 460BCE) from the #Corinthian colony of Syracuse. It features the head of Arethusa--which is somewhat similar to contemporary/older #korai statues--& “ΣΩΡΑ” (Syracuse) on its obverse. Its reverse shows an anatomically correct octopus! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐙" title="Oktopus" aria-label="Emoji: Oktopus">/2">
/2" title="Let’s first discuss this silver litra (c. 460BCE) from the #Corinthian colony of Syracuse. It features the head of Arethusa--which is somewhat similar to contemporary/older #korai statues--& “ΣΩΡΑ” (Syracuse) on its obverse. Its reverse shows an anatomically correct octopus! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐙" title="Oktopus" aria-label="Emoji: Oktopus">/2">
/2" title="Let’s first discuss this silver litra (c. 460BCE) from the #Corinthian colony of Syracuse. It features the head of Arethusa--which is somewhat similar to contemporary/older #korai statues--& “ΣΩΡΑ” (Syracuse) on its obverse. Its reverse shows an anatomically correct octopus! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐙" title="Oktopus" aria-label="Emoji: Oktopus">/2">
Octopi have always been a staple of the coastal Greek diet & were an important commodity in commerce. Here’s a photo of my uncle w/ two which he caught in the traditional method of free-diving+spearing. Check out this #Archaic twelfth-slater w/ another marine creature-a tuna
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐟" title="Fisch" aria-label="Emoji: Fisch">/3
/3" title="Octopi have always been a staple of the coastal Greek diet & were an important commodity in commerce. Here’s a photo of my uncle w/ two which he caught in the traditional method of free-diving+spearing. Check out this #Archaic twelfth-slater w/ another marine creature-a tunahttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐟" title="Fisch" aria-label="Emoji: Fisch">/3">
/3" title="Octopi have always been a staple of the coastal Greek diet & were an important commodity in commerce. Here’s a photo of my uncle w/ two which he caught in the traditional method of free-diving+spearing. Check out this #Archaic twelfth-slater w/ another marine creature-a tunahttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐟" title="Fisch" aria-label="Emoji: Fisch">/3">
/3" title="Octopi have always been a staple of the coastal Greek diet & were an important commodity in commerce. Here’s a photo of my uncle w/ two which he caught in the traditional method of free-diving+spearing. Check out this #Archaic twelfth-slater w/ another marine creature-a tunahttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐟" title="Fisch" aria-label="Emoji: Fisch">/3">
Dated to c. 600-550BC, the coin https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🪙" title="Coin" aria-label="Emoji: Coin"> is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4
is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4" title="Dated to c. 600-550BC, the coin https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🪙" title="Coin" aria-label="Emoji: Coin"> is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4">
is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4" title="Dated to c. 600-550BC, the coin https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🪙" title="Coin" aria-label="Emoji: Coin"> is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4">
is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4" title="Dated to c. 600-550BC, the coin https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🪙" title="Coin" aria-label="Emoji: Coin"> is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4">
is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4" title="Dated to c. 600-550BC, the coin https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🪙" title="Coin" aria-label="Emoji: Coin"> is made of electrum--an alloy of gold & silver--& depicts a tuna fish+a separated head/tail on its obverse. It originates from Cyzicus, situated on the waterway that links the Aegean/Black Seas. It features a quadripartite incuse square (Rev.)/4">
The coin reminded me of the findings @ Franchthi Cave. In the #Neolithic, the first Aegean farmers possessed a complex understanding of fish migration patterns & seafaring, as evidenced by large numbers of #lithic tools of non-local obsidian from over 200km away+fish vertebrae /5
Both coins have been evaluated by @NGCcoin; the former is noted for its superb strike, centering, & surface quality. I& #39;m looking forward to taking a deeper dive into these coins+more, & want interview several numismatic professionals about #maritime motifs on ancient coinage. /6
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyzicus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyzi... href=" https://www.nautilus.hr/tuna_coins.htm
https://www.nautilus.hr/tuna_coin... href="
https://www.youtube.com/watch... href=" https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/6033/ancient-coins/
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A">https://www.ngccoin.com/news/arti... reference photo of Cyzicus:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyzicus
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A">https://www.ngccoin.com/news/arti... reference photo of Cyzicus:
