The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

262 E. S. G. KOBINSOX.
179, wt. 1143) is also distinguished from every other
coin of the group by the absence of any monogram.
of coins were
Undoubtedly at this time the weights
carelessly regulated, 167 and due allowance must be
made for under- and over-weight coins if the striking
was by tale. But it seems difficult to resist the conclu-
sion that we have here three different units, the lowest
and highest (80-90 grs. and 116-122 grs.) with the same
types, the intermediate one (101-107 grs.) with a different
type. There is sufficient difference in weight
between the highest and the lowest of these units not
to deceive a Levantine, used to the miscellaneous cur-
rency of the Greek world. Where there might have
been a difficulty, the question was decided by a different
type. In the same way the Egyptian mint produced
simultaneously tetradrachms of Rhodian and of Phoeni-
cian standard, 108 the weight of which fluctuates con-
siderably. It may be suggested that the two heaviest
of these sets of didrachms were struck after their
model.
The question of the pieces of 80-90 grs. is more
difficult. Miiller apparently regards them as later
than the others and as didrachms of what he calls the
"Asiatic" (i.e. Samian) system, 169 reduced through
lapse of time. But surely the reduction involved (the
usual weight of the Samian tetradrachm is 203-8) is
too great. Side by side with these pieces of 80-90 grs.
we may put another coin (M. i. 182), wt. 43 grs., their
107
Cp. the weights of the Rhodian tetradrachms, Nos. 89, 90,
above, 222-237 grs., and of the contemporary regal and satrapal
money of Egypt.
168
Svoronos, pp. 104 seqq. and 183 seqq.
for the tetradrachms of the fourth
169 i. e. that employed
century.