Eurymenai (Eurymenae). Lot of 3 coins.

Triton XV, Lot: 68. Estimate $125. Sold for $5000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Eurymenai (Eurymenae) (IACP 447)

Ancient Eurymenai was located in Magnesia at the entrance to the Vale of Tempe near the site traditionally identified with Homolion (Ap. Rhod. Argon. 1.594-595). Remains include walls and some temple foundations on the acropolis.

The city produced rare 4th century BC bronze coins: they were first struck in the 370s BC and ended in the 340s BC.

Lot of 3 coins.

(68.1) THESSALY, Eurymenai. Circa 352-344 BC. Æ Trichalkon (19.5mm, 7.55 g, 11h). Head of young Dionysos to r. wearing vine wreath with two grape bunches and a tendril at the top / ΕΥΡΥΜΕΝΑ[ΙΩ]-И, the И below l., vine tree with leaves and six bunches of grapes; to r., dolphin downwards; to l., conical shaped vessel with two small handles on either side at its top. Rogers 212, fig. 90 [the Rogers photograph shows an Λ to the l. of the vine tree trunk that is not mentioned in the text]. See also Nomos 4, 1039. Good VF, green patina, surface is rough; extremely rare.

Both Rogers and ASW did not notice that the decoration of the wreath on the obverse included grape bunches and therefore Dionysos is wreathed with vine (which was to be expected for a mint with coin subjects always involving vine and grape themes). ASW’s note on the vessel depicted on the reverse of this coin is worth copying here: What is particularly interesting about this coin is the vessel on the reverse, usually termed a krater in most publications (Imhoof-Blumer cautiously terms it merely “a vessel”). Its shape is very unusual for a krater, since it has a high round belly on a long, thin stem, unlike almost all Classical krater-shapes. It does, however, look curiously like wine vessels that existed in Mycenaean times (!) and it would be interesting if this was a local survival that continued in use for ritual purposes.

(68.2) THESSALY, Eurymenai. Circa 352-344 BC. Æ Trichalkon (20.5mm, 7.75 g, 3h). Head of young Dionysos to r. wearing vine wreath / ΕΥΡΥΜΕ above circular, vine tree with leaves and six bunches of grapes; to r., dolphin downwards and Λ; to l., conical shaped vessel with two small handles on either side at the top. Rogers 212, fig. 90 [for the photograph only, as the text omits the Λ on the r. that shows clearly in fig. 90]. VF, dark olive green and red patina but the obverse shows corrosion and mineralization on the l. side of the coin and the reverse has been tooled during cleaning; extremely rare.


(68.3) THESSALY, Eurymenai. 2nd quarter of the 4th century BC. Æ Dichalkon (17mm, 4.95 g, 2h). Bearded male head to r. / ΕΥ[ΡΥ] l. down, ΜΗИ[ΕΩΝ] retrograde r. down, bunch of grapes on stalk between two vine leaves. Unpublished and second known, see Nomos 4, 1038 for the other. Near VF, smooth dark greenish brown patina.

Even if the legend on the reverse is completed differently (ΕΥΡΥ - ΜΗΝΑΙΩΝ), we still have a new, more archaizing ethnic for Eurymenai.