The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

CHKONOLOGY OF THE COINS OF CHIOS. 377
British Museum specimen. This weighs 237-7 grains
(15-40 grammes), which represents a didrachm of
118-8 grains (7-70 grammes), whereas it has already
been pointed out that didrachms of Period V are known
weighing as much as 121-5 grains (7-87 grammes).
Besides, since we cannot separate didrachm No. 26
from tetrobol No. 30, nor tetradrachm No. 32 from
drachm No. 33, one would have to suppose that two
distinct systems of division were being carried on
concurrently
if all these coins are to be taken as con-
temporaries. What system do we know, even amid the
splendid confusion of Greek monetary standards, that
would combine a didrachm weighing 121-5 grains
(7-87 grammes) maximum and a tetrobol or third in
perfect agreement with it, with a tetradrachm and
drachm representing a didrachm of 118-8 grains (7-70
grammes) maximum?
Miss Baldwin records a tetradrachm with the
astragalus symbol (No.
; ; $
the Ashburnham Sale Cat., Sotheby's, 1895, weighing
54 a, fig. 6, of her paper) from
-
ii A 1,1 i - c_i_ n~i. ci_.i.i i '-. i orktr
.1
239-97 grains (15-55 grammes). If this weight could
be relied upon it would somewhat weaken the above
argument, as the resulting
didrachm would be 119-98
grains (7-775 grammes). But since the four other
known tetradrachms with symbols are all of consider-
ably less weight, there seems to be some justification f
for doubting the accuracy of the catalogue.
Whether the coinage after the change was less
plentiful
or not than before cannot be stated with
certainty, but there are signs that it was, at any rate
for a time. We have no jtetradrachms, for instance,
with a single letter or monogram, and even those
with symbols are excessively rare, while if the drachms
NUMISM. CHRON., VOL. XV, SERIES IV. C C