2nd-1st CENTURIES BC SILVER THRACE ISL THASOS DIONYSUS TETRADRACHM NGC VERY FINE

  

ANCIENT GREECE - HELLENISTIC THRACE. ISLAND OF THASOS / CITY STATE OF THASOS. SILVER TETRADRACHM CERTIFIED BY NGC VERY FINE.

HEAD OF DIONYSUS RIGHT WREATHED WITH GRAPE LEAVES AND BUNCHES. FULL STANDING FIGURE OF HERACLES LEFT, NUDE AND CLOAKED IN THE SKIN OF THE NEMEAN LION AND HAND RESTING ON A RUSTIC CLUB. CONTAINS 16.55 GRAMS OF SILVER.

(THASSOS) IS A GREEK ISLAND IN THE NORTHERN AEGEAN SEA OFF THE COAST OF THRACE. COLONIZED BY THE PHOENICIANS FOR ITS GOLD MINES, THEY ESTABLISHED A RELIGIOUS CULT ON THE ISLAND TO THEIR GOD MELKART WHO BECAME IDENTIFIED WITH THE GREEK GOD HERAKLES AFTER THE ISLAND WAS HELLENIZED. AFTER 650 BC, A COLONY WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE GREEK CITYSTATE OF PAROS, AND THASIAN GOLD MINING WAS EXTENDED TO THE MAINLAND. FROM EARLY ON, THE DEPICTION OF THE THRACIAN WINE GOD DIONYSUS (ADOPTED BY THE GREEKS AS DIONYSIUS) WAS MINTED ON THASIAN COINAGE. THASOS JOINED THE DELIAN LEAGUE BUT REVOLTED AGAINST ATHENIAN HEGEMONY.

THEY WERE DEFEATED BY ATHENS IN 463 BC AND FORCED TO PAY HUGE SUMS OF TRIBUTE. ATHENS AND PHILIP II OF MACEDON, FATHER OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, QUARELLED OVER THASSOS, AND THASSOS SUBMITTED TO THE WILL OF PHILIP V OF MACEDON, ONLY TO BE FREED BY THE ROMANS. ROME DEFEATED PHILIP V AT THE BATTLE OF CYNOSCEPHALAE IN 197 BC.

PLINY THE ELDER DESCRIBED THASOS AS STILL BEING A "FREE" CITY STATE IN THE FIRST CENTURY AD. PLEASE BE PATIENT AS THIS IS A HARD TIME FOR EVERYONE AND PACKAGES ARE GETTING DELIVERED, JUST NOT IN THE NORMAL TIMEFRAME. We cannot declare any package as a "gift", sampleetc. The item "2nd-1st CENTURIES BC SILVER THRACE ISL THASOS DIONYSUS TETRADRACHM NGC VERY FINE" is in sale since Friday, December 15, 2017. This item is in the category "Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ Ancient\Greek (450 BC-100 AD)".

The seller is "rarecoincollector" and is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This item can be shipped worldwide.

1. Certification: NGC
2. Certification Number: 4167431-010
3. Denomination: Tetradrachm
4. Grade: VF 5/2
5. Composition: Silver