THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

GREEK COINS
that of Homer seated, which conferred on these pieces
the name of Omereia. The griffin on the coins of Teos
is figurative of the Dionysiac cult ; the temple of the
god at Teos was considered one of the finest specimens
of Ionic architecture in Greece. A Phocaic gold stater
bearing a griffin's head, and the reading Teem, has been
ascribed to this place, and there are some small electrum
pieces with the rare symbol which may belong here.
There is an important series of archaic silver money,
sixth to fourth century B.C., and bronze and Roman
imperial brass of Dionysiac types ; in one Anacreon
appears seated, playing on a lyre.
There is also a short-lived satrapal currency in the
fourth century, while Ionia and the neighbouring states
were once more under Persian rule. These coins are of
Persian type and in silver. The exact circumstances
connected with their origin and legends do not seem
to be known.
Of the Ionian group of islands, the only members
which have transmitted numismatic records are Samos,
Icaria, and Chios. The archaic Samian coinage, which
probably attained the height of its importance under
Polycrates (b.c. 532-522), consisted of electrum staters
and their fractions ; these were followed, while the
island was in alliance with Athens, by silver money
and we find that the island successively, as it obeyed
political exigencies, employed Athenian, federal, and
Roman imperial types, becoming part of the Roman
province of Asia. On some of the later coins we meet
with a head of Hera on obverse, and on reverse the
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