The Hellenistic Erythrai Bronze Coin Hoard from Çeşme-Germiyan Village

Abstract

The hoard was found in May of 2002 at Germiyan village of the county of Çeşme in the province of Izmir. The hoard was found in the village during the construction of the foundations of a house. The hoard bought by the Directorate of the Çeşme Museum contains 228 coins. The coins of the hoard consist of one silver hemidrachm and 227 small bronze coins. The obverse of the silver coin has a young Herakles portrait wearing a lion's head. The reverse has an oak wreath with the letters EPY inside it and underneath the monogram of a magistrate. The reverse of this coin is a new type that was not known before. For this reason it is a unique coin. The 227 bronze coins of the hoard can be examined in two groups as a Herakles group and a Dionysian group. The Herakles group has on the obverse a young Herakles portrait wearing a lion's head in right profile, and on the reverse the shortened form of the name of the city, EPY and the names of the magistrates responsible for minting the coins. The Dionysian group has on the obverse the head of a young Dionysos wearing an ivy wreath in right profile, and on the reverse, the letters EPY, grape cluster and various magistrate names. The Herakles group consists of 200 coins, which have 12 different magistrate names. The average weight of the coins from this group is 3.26 grams. The Dionysian group consists of 27 coins, which have 11 different magistrate names. The average weight of these coins is 3.16 grams. The hoard can be dated to 240-230 BC. It is the largest bronze Erythrai hoard that has ever been found.