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The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal ... - IndianCoins.org

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TWO HOAKDS OF COINS OF KOS. 17probably immediately, <strong>and</strong> that Philinos preceded Hieron<strong>and</strong> Kallippidas.<strong>The</strong> fact that both <strong>the</strong> last-named magistrates used <strong>the</strong>old obverse dies <strong>of</strong> Philinos raises a difficulty as to <strong>the</strong>irorder <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice. Unless <strong>the</strong>re were two eponymous magistratesfor monetary purposes at <strong>the</strong> same time which isscarcely probable at this period in so small a state asKos it would appear that an obverse die <strong>of</strong> Philinoswas not worn out during <strong>the</strong> magistracy <strong>of</strong> his successor,<strong>and</strong> was brought into use again in <strong>the</strong> next term.<strong>The</strong>remight be various reasons to explain this : <strong>the</strong> old diemay have been put away or lost <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n discoveredagain : <strong>the</strong> immediate successor <strong>of</strong> Philinos may haveheld <strong>of</strong>fice for a very brief time, or his issue <strong>of</strong> coins mayhave been so small, even during a year, as not to wear outfor <strong>the</strong> last-all <strong>the</strong> old dies. Perhaps some groundmentioned hypo<strong>the</strong>sis may be found in <strong>the</strong> fact that<strong>the</strong>re are only three coins <strong>of</strong> Hieron in <strong>the</strong> hoard, <strong>and</strong>only one <strong>of</strong> Kallippidas, against nine <strong>of</strong> Philinos <strong>and</strong> five<strong>of</strong> Nikagoras. <strong>The</strong>se comparative numbers may <strong>of</strong> coursebe due to chance ; but, to judge from published examples,<strong>the</strong> coins <strong>of</strong> Philinos are about <strong>the</strong> commonest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>series, while I have not found any previous record <strong>of</strong> thoseei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Hieron or Kallippidas.<strong>The</strong>re is a minor point <strong>of</strong> interest in <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>only coin <strong>of</strong> Philinos struck with <strong>the</strong> dies in <strong>the</strong> position^ \l/ is from <strong>the</strong> obverse die which was afterwards used byHieron, <strong>and</strong> that Hieron's coin from this die, <strong>and</strong> one <strong>of</strong>his o<strong>the</strong>r two, were struck with <strong>the</strong> dies similarly placed,while his third (which has a slight variation in <strong>the</strong> reverselegend, as noted above) has <strong>the</strong> dies at an obtuse angle.All <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r coins in <strong>the</strong> hoard, except that <strong>of</strong> [Archi]-damo[s?], have <strong>the</strong> dies arranged 4^-VOL. XII., SERIES IV.C

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