LE SYMPOSIUM INTERNATIONAL LE LIVRE. LA ROUMANIE. L ...

444 ELPIDA KOSMIDOU
I simply note that the diagnostic features of the Illyrian helmet, i.e. the
rectangular opening for the face and the plastic ridges at the base of the
“track” for the crest, do appear on all pieces of the h-series apart from those
on raymond’s 96 and 107. 24 If the h-series was Macedonian, the exchange
of lettering between coins of Alexander and the tribes requires a different
approach. the horse/helmet series of raymond’s group II have slightly
reduced weight, but this does not necessarily prove that Alexander’s access
to the mines was restricted, as has been recently proposed. 25 reductions
of weight standards do not necessarily reflect inadequate metal supply or
financial distress, especially when an acceleration of coin production or
intentional conformity to other currencies are apparent. A bullion shortage
for Alexander is incompatible with the rise in the number of dies of Group
II as can be seen from raymond’s corpus and new additions. 26
the Athenian defeat at the hands of the thracians, edones included, at
Drabeskos in 465/4 could have encouraged their claim to the mines. the
anti-Athenian attitude of the edones is attested by their later pro-Spartan
actions and in this case was in tune with the anti-Athenian Macedonian
policy. thucydides notes that all thracians together opposed the Athenian
penetration into edonian land and it is more than likely that Alexander
participated in the campaign. 27 If this was the case, Macedonians and
edones were at that time equally entitled to claim access to the mines.
24 rAyMonD’s 96 can be classified under the second phase of the Corinthian type,
while 107 shows features of the Attic and Chalcidian types. raymond placed no.107 at the
end of the h-series and was not able to establish any die links with the rest of the group
(rAyMonD 1953, 106-14). She recorded 2 pieces struck from the same obverse and
reverse dies, to which 5 more can now be added (SnG Ashmolean 2414; hersh 1991, 21,
22; chrYsosToMou 1993,3θ; cNG 131,lot 25). Even though all the known pieces are
struck from the same reverse die, 2 are struck from anepigraphic obverse dies (herSh
1991,no. 22, Pl.2; chrYsosToMou 1993, 624-5, 635, fig. 3, no. θ (the h on the
obverse is assumed, not observed, by the excavator, but the die is clearly anepigraphic))
and a die link with similar obverses from the group now seems possible. the style of
the head and helmet on raymond’s 107 point to southern paradigms (cf. ohly 2002,
89, fig. 50; SMIth 1999, fig. 10b; neIlS 1995, figs.1, 3a, 7, 8, 10, 15; Aruz et al
1994, 12; SteIner 2007, figs. 6.3, 6.17-8,8.18-9; BA 202485, 202725, 203224, 202641,
13140, 18655, 201658, 203742, 204358, 205109) and not to thracian input as hammond
noted. the work of a southern engraver, which raymond (1953,111-4) and KreMIDI-
SISIlIAnou (1999,644-5) assumed based on the style of dies from Group II, could also
account for the odd occurrence of the Corinthian helmet on rAyMonD’s 96.
25 lyKIArDopoulou and pSÔMA 2000. See also prICe 1987, 47 (on
diminishing ore levels).
26 rAyMonD 1953, 63; ChrySoStoMou 1993, 623-5; herSh 1991.
27 on Drabeskos and edonian policy: recently zAnnI et al 2007, 747-8.