Greece, Ancient Illyria 1 Drachm 55 BC

History

Obverse. Photo © Sergei Novikov

Description

Illyria is a historical geographical term referring to a not well defined territory on the east coast of the Adriatic where different Illyrian tribes lived in ancient times. Many parts of this area were colonized by the Greeks who founded prospering city states with Greek cultural predominance.

Apollonia (ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΑ) was founded by Corcyra, in 588 B.C. It was a smaller port further to the south. Pilgrims from all regions of Hellas travelled there to worship Apollo in the Nymphaeum, the famous sanctuary with an ever burning fire. This town didn't survive the downfall of the Roman Εmpire.

Apollonia came under Roman protectorate in 229 B.C. and were officially incorporated in the Roman Empire at the end of the 1st c BC.

The coin legends (name forms, spelling, and grammar) reveal that the Northwest Greek (related to Doric) dialect was used in this region. The best known silver coins of Apollonia show devices from their Corcyrean prototypes.

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Cow Depicts a cow with suckling calf, a fertility symbol of Euboean origin. Border of dots. ΑΡΙΣΤΩΝ (ARISTON) ΑΡΙΣΤΩΝ
Reverse	Depicts a double, symmetrical geometrical pattern. Drumstick rays inside. Solid border. This is most probably a schematic representation of the two stars of the Dioscuri. Other explanations include backgammon (for the resemblance of the pattern to the board of the popular game "tavli"), or doors, flowers - including a romantic 19th century guesswork that the pattern would represent the gardens of Alkinoos from the Odyssey. Believers of the star origin call it "double stellate pattern"; in contrast to the flower origin, "floral pattern". AΠOΛ (APOL, abbreviated from Apolloniatan) The ethnic attribute is followed by a name in three parts in the other segments; in the genitive case. This must be the person responsible for the drachma emission for that particular year. He could be the ephoros eponymos (the yearly elected magistrate whose name denotes his term). AΠOΛ ΛΥ ΣΗ ΝΟΣ
Edge	-