The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

214 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
a short time towards the close of the fifth century, but up
to the present this form has only been noticed in inscrip-
tions of Tanagra (P. Foucart, Bull, de Corr. Hell. iii. p.
136). Possibly the inscription 0E [ A on coins which I
would place between those with "(BE^ A ION and those
with OEBH may point to a similar transitional ortho-
graphy
at Thebes.
The staters of this period are of three types :
(i.) the
head of bearded Herakles in profile or facing, which pre-
serves much of the archaic treatment ; (ii.) the head of
bearded Dionysus ; and (iii.) an amphora. Of the two
last mentioned it is hard to say which is the more recent,
but probably it is the amphora, as this is the type which,
as we shall see, was ultimately adopted to the exclusion of
all others.
In these series the drachm is wanting ;
the half-drachm
is distinguished by the kantharos; and the obols, &c.,
by the club of Herakles or the bunch of grapes. 4
On all the coins of this period except the smallest the
ancient incuse square is still retained, but is less sharply
cut than on the more archaic series. In the next period
it gradually disappears altogether, at first on the staters
and afterwards on the hemi-drachms. 5
4 Dr. Imhoof-Blumer engraves in the Rum. Zeit. iii., PL X. 20,
a hemi-obol in the Munich cabinet, wt. 8 grs. Obv. E, head
of Dionysus r., bearded and with wreath, the whole in dotted
circle, an, E in monogram in dotted square within incuse
square.
This remarkable little coin, if it be Theban at all, would be-
long to this period.
8 A very sharply denned incuse square occurs, however, upon
a series of coins which I am compelled on other grounds to assign
to a later period (B.C. 887 374). See page 288.