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Tenedos, hemidrachm — Double axe within square border of dots (CN type 13118)

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

c. 490–470 BC

Issuing entity

Troas

Hemidrachm in silver struck at Tenedos in Troas, dated c. 490–470 BC. Corpus Nummorum, the online type corpus of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, records it as CN type 13118 (period: Classical Period; issuing authority type: city).

Obverse: Janiform head (bearded male head left, female head right). Reverse: Double axe within square border of dots; all within incuse square. Legend: ΤΕΝΕ/ΔΙΟΝ. Measured specimens give a mean weight of 1.9 g (mean of 7 recorded specimens) and a diameter of 12–16 mm (from 6 recorded specimens). The corpus assigns the type to the Chian weight standard. Published references cited by the corpus: Ashton et al., Sylloge nummorum Graecorum: England. Vol. 5 Pt. 9: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Bosporus - Aeolis, New York 2007, nr. 1233, pl. XLVII, pic. 1233; Wroth, A catalogue of the Greek coins in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Greek coins of Troas, Aeolis and Lesbos, Bologna 1964, p. 91, nr. 4, pl. XVII, pic. 3.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
5
Photograph views
3
Catalogue references
2

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Historical context

Tenedos is an island situated in the northeastern Aegean Sea at the strategic entrance of the Dardanelles. Known in classical antiquity and referenced in ancient epic traditions including the Iliad and the Aeneid, the island held enduring maritime importance despite its modest size. Struck during the Classical Period between circa 490 and 470 BC, this civic silver issue was produced in an era when the island navigated the shifting dominance of regional powers in the Aegean.

Physical characteristics

Material
silver
Denomination
hemidrachm
Recorded diameter
12–16 mm (from 6 recorded specimens)
Recorded mean weight
1.9 g (mean of 7 recorded specimens)

Technical characteristics

Mint
Tenedos
Region
Troas
Authority type
City
Weight standard
Chian

Design

Obverse type
Janiform head (bearded male head left, female head right).
Reverse type
Double axe within square border of dots; all within incuse square.
Reverse legend
ΤΕΝΕ/ΔΙΟΝ

Identification

Period
Classical Period
How to identify
Check the mint name or ethnic, the reverse type and the legend together, then compare weight and module; types from the same mint often differ only in legend arrangement, magistrate names or control marks. 2 closely related CN types with the same mint, denomination and design are consolidated into this entry and listed under varieties.
Type corpus record
https://www.corpus-nummorum.eu/types/13118
Type corpus identifier
CN type 13118

Documentation checklist

Denomination
Recorded
Issue or mint date
Recorded
Material
Recorded
Weight
Recorded
Mint or printer
Recorded
Mint or printer mark
Research required
Catalogue reference
Recorded
Attached photograph (check rights)
Recorded

Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.

Catalogue references

Varieties

  • CN type 13119

    Same mint, denomination and design (reverse legend ΤΕ–ΝΕ/ΔΙ–ΟΝ); dated c. 490–470 BC. Consolidated into this entry

  • CN type 13162

    Same mint, denomination and design (reverse legend ΤΕ/ΝΕ); dated c. 470–450 BC. Consolidated into this entry

Research required

  • Photograph reuse terms to be confirmed with the holding institution
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