The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

CHRONOLOGY OF THE COINS OF CHIOS. 403
In the larger pieces the bunch of grapes is not seen
at all, but its place is taken by a vine-wreath sur-
rounding the reverse type, which is clearly a development
of that seen on the silver coins of this, period.
These coins are divisible into two classes distinguished
by
the cross on the reverse. In the earlier one it is
narrow and raised, somewhat like that on the tetradrachm
[PL XIX. 7], but in the later it is wider and
flush with the rest of the design as on the majority of
the tetradrachms belonging to class y.
I have not yet
seen a specimen of these later issues in sufficiently
good condition to say whether the obverse type was
also modified or not. It looks as if these large bronze
pieces were introduced after the mint had ceased
coining silver, the issue of the small ones being continued
concurrently so as to provide a lower denomi-
nation. Although the weights are not more carefully
regulated than in any other contemporary Greek mint,
these two bronze types appear to have been struck
with the object of maintaining the same relation
between them as existed between the tetradrachms
and drachms. The large coins weigh about 61-73
grains (4*00 grammes), and the small ones evidently
following the standard established for types Nos. 46-7
from 15-43 to 23-15 grains (1 to 1-50 grammes). This
practice of striking two sizes of bronze coins evidently
found favour at Chios, as will appear from the subse-
quent issues.
We may conclude that the pieces of larger module
were first issued between 350 and 340 B.C. None of
the names so far found upon them coincides with those
known from either tetradrachms or drachms, although
the style of the Sphinx in the earlier class at least