Phil Anthos Posted July 6 · Member Share Posted July 6 (edited) From 480-470 BC Taras produced coins of nearly all denominations (sans diobols) with a four spoked wheel on the reverse, and then never again. This very simple device was not uncommon, with other regions also using the wheel motif, including Mesembria and Athens among others. What did this mean symbolically? The best answer seems to be a depiction of a chariot wheel which in turn represents a full sized chariot. This may have symbolized the chariot races which often occurred during games, especially those celebrating a river god, which Taras may originally have been. So why such a short emission? During this period Taras was in almost continual conflict with the local tribes, the Lucanians, Messapians, et al, generally with positive results. However by the end of this decade the situation was reversing and Taras, along with their recent allies from Rhegion, were soundly defeated. Most of the Tarentine aristocracy were killed, allowing the democratic factions to gain power and altering Taras' political and social structure. This major upheaval dictated a change in coinage, and we see the wheel motif give way to the so-called oekist types, allegedly representing a personification of Demos. Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR Didrachm (18mm, 7.64g) O: Taras with outstretched arms riding dolphin left; scallop shell below, [TAP] to right. R: Wheel of four spokes; dolphin left in first quadrant. DeAndrea IV, 68; Vlasto 86; Fischer-Bossert 85 or 87 (R58) Very Scarce ex Eternity Coin Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR Litra (8mm, 0.84g) O: Scallop shell with seven teeth, within dotted border. R: Four spoked wheel. D'Andrea IV, 77; Vlasto 1110-14; Cote 7-9; McGill II, 140; SNG France 1613-14; SNG ANS 1328; Sear 228; BMC 1, 56 Scarce ex Alex Malloy Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR 1/4 Litra (8mm, 0.22g) O: Scallop shell with nine teeth. R: Four spoked wheel. D'Andrea IV, 78e (this coin); Vlasto 1117; SNG France 1617-19; Cote --- Scarce From the Colin E. Pitchfork Collection. ex CNG; ex Roman Lode D'Andrea plate coin, Series IV, 78. Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR Hexas (5mm, 0.08g) O: Scallop shell with 7 teeth, within linear border. R: Wheel with four spokes. D'Andrea IV, 78; Vlasto 1118; SNG France 1617; HN Italy 836 Very scarce From the E.E. Clain-Stephanelli collection. ex Naville Numismatics Taras, Calabria 480-470 BC AR Hexas (5mm, 0,11g) O: Wheel of four spokes. R: Wheel of four spokes. D'Andrea IV, 79; Vlasto 1123; SNG France 1620; HN Italy 978 Very rare ex Goduto The recent addition of the above didrachm fills a gap in my pre-equestrian didrachms, while also completing my wheel reverse type set. So where are your wheels? Roll up! Edited July 6 by Phil Anthos 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted July 6 · Member Share Posted July 6 I have a Mesembria example. 13 mm, 2,16 g. Thrace, Mesembria. Ӕ. Circa 420-320 BC. Crested Corinthian helmet facing / META between four spokes of wheel. SNG BM 272-274; SNG Stancomb 225; Serdica CCCH IX, 14-18; Karayotov II, 47-54; SNG Cop. 653. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deinomenid Posted July 6 · Supporter Share Posted July 6 @Phil Anthos those didrachms are so tactile too. Congratulations on the acquisition. Here’s mine , quite similar. Nomos circa 480-70BC, AR 7.80 g. TARAS retrograde Dolphin rider r., raising l. hand and resting r. on dolphin's back; below, pecten. Rev. Four-spoked wheel. Vlasto 74 (these dies). SNG Ashmolean 204 (these dies). Boston, MFA 47 (these dies). Jameson 82 (these dies). Fischer-Bossert 81. Historia Numorum Italy 833 10 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted July 6 · Supporter Share Posted July 6 Here's an obol from Massalia: GAUL, MASSALIA AR Obol (11.04mm, 0.73g, 2h) Struck circa 300 BC Obverse: Youthful male bust left Reverse: Four-spoked wheel, MA in two quadrants References: De La Tour 689 Good flan quality. Lightly toned. Massalia was a Greek colony founded around 600 BC on the southern coast of modern-day France. Notable natives of Massalia include the great explorer Pytheas the Greek (fl. c. 320 BC), who travelled up the British Isles and as far north as Iceland, and later described his travels in a book entitled On the Ocean. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Anthos Posted July 6 · Member Author Share Posted July 6 8 minutes ago, Deinomenid said: @Phil Anthos those didrachms are so tactile too. Congratulations on the acquisition. Here’s mine , quite similar. Nomos circa 480-70BC, AR 7.80 g. TARAS retrograde Dolphin rider r., raising l. hand and resting r. on dolphin's back; below, pecten. Rev. Four-spoked wheel. Vlasto 74 (these dies). SNG Ashmolean 204 (these dies). Boston, MFA 47 (these dies). Jameson 82 (these dies). Fischer-Bossert 81. Historia Numorum Italy 833 They are substantial. I admit to being a bit surprised when I first handled it... quite a chunk of silver! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryro Posted July 6 · Supporter Share Posted July 6 Nice coins! 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted July 6 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted July 6 Interesting information and I must admit I haven't thought much of wheels. Macedon Akanthos circa 400-358 BCE AE 14.23mm 3.31g Obverse: Head of Pallas left, in crested helmet Reverse: Wheel of four spokes, A-K-A-N, each letter in a quarter of the wheel BMC 47 Caria, Kamiros circa 400-300 BCE Æ 9 mm, 1,10 g Fig Leaf / Wheel, K A in opposite spokes HNO 780 (temporary); SNG Ashmolean 511; SNG Keckman 351; HGC 6, 1395 Mysia, Artake 4th century BCE AE 8 mm, 0.65 g, 12 h Head of Artemis to right, wearing stephane and with bow and quiver over her shoulder. Rev. A-P-T-A within the four spokes of a wheel. Plankenhorn, Mysien, p. 26, 1 (this coin). Apparently unique. Ex collection of G. Plankenhorn Kyrenaica. Kyrene. Ptolemaic Governor Ophellas First Reign 322-313 BCE 18.58mm 7.26 grams Obverse: Youth on horseback right Reverse: Wheel with four spokes and hub, silphium plant between left spokes SNG Copenhagen 1221 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanxi Posted July 6 · Supporter Share Posted July 6 Nemesis/Dikaiosyne and wheel Elagabal Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis Obv.: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNEINOC, Laur. bust right Rev.: VΠ ΝΟΒΙΟV ΡΟΥΦΟΥ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙTΩΝ Exergue: POC ICT PΩ, Nemesis/Dikaiosyne standing left, holding scales and cornucopia, wheel at feet AE, 12.12g, 25.8mm Ref.: Varbanov 3945 (picture not text) Syracuse Sicily, Syracuse AR Obol. Deinomenid Tyranny. Time of Hieron I, circa 478/5-475/0 BCE. Obv.: Head of Arethusa to right, wearing pearl tainia Rev.: Wheel with four spokes. Ref.: HGC 2, 1371 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Kowsky Posted July 6 · Member Share Posted July 6 Abstracted Celtic coin designs would often use a single wheel to represent a chariot, as on the coin below ☺️. One of my favorite folk songs recorded by Buffy Sainte-Marie is "Little Wheel Spin & Spin". Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkDJdokmNgM 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Anthos Posted July 6 · Member Author Share Posted July 6 Here's my Syracuse wheel... Syracuse, Reign of Dionysius I 405-367 BC AE Hemilitron (18mm, 4.12g) O: Head of Arethusa left, hair in sphendone and wearing earring and necklace; dolphin behind. R: Wheel of four spokes; ΣΥ-ΡΑ in upper quadrants, two dolphins in lower quadrants. HGC 2, 1479; Calciati 20; SNG ANS 404-10; Sear 1186 ex Jack H. Beymer “The Island of Ortygia... has the fountain of Arethusa, which sends forth a river that empties immediately into the sea. People tell the mythical story that the river Arethusa is the Alpheus, which latter, they say, rises in the Peloponnesus, flows underground through the sea as far as Arethusa, and then empties thence once more into the sea.” ~ Strabo 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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