Item number: A200

Year: 173-88 BC

Material: Silver

Size: 17.3 x 16.2 x 2.7 mm

Weight: 2.9 g

Provenance:

This is a drachm silver coin minted around the 1st century BC in Rhodes, one of the most important cities along the coast of Asia Minor. The obverse of the coin features a left-facing portrait of Helios, the guardian deity of the island, wearing a radiate crown. On the reverse side is a rose within a square frame, with the rose being a significant symbol of Rhodes, commonly appearing on coins and other reliefs. The ancient Greek letters “P/O” on either side of the rose represent mint marks, while “ΜΝΗΜΩΝ” above denotes the name of the magistrate.

Rhodes is one of the oldest human settlements in the Aegean Sea. In 408 BC, after discussions among the island’s three city-states, it was decided to establish a new city at the northern end of the island. The renowned architect of the ancient Greek world, Hippodamus, was commissioned for the city’s planning. The new city quickly became a significant commercial port, and Rhodian coins became important international currency in regional trade. In 280 BC, Rhodes decided to commemorate the successful defence against a siege by Demetrius I of the Antigonid dynasty, one of Alexander the Great’s successors, 25 years earlier. They erected a colossal bronze statue of Helios, standing 30 metres tall. This statue was acclaimed as one of the “Seven Wonders” and stood until it collapsed due to a severe earthquake in 226 BC.

物件編號: A200

年代: 公元前 173-88 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 17.3 x 16.2 x 2.7 mm

重量: 2.9 g

來源: 錢幣工藝 2016

這是一枚公元前1世紀左右，小亞細亞地區沿岸最重要的城市羅德島鑄造的打蘭銀幣。硬幣正面是島嶼的守護神，頭戴放射狀王冠的太陽神海利歐斯右側臉肖像。硬幣背面是一個方形框架內的玫瑰，玫瑰亦是羅德島的重要象徵，經常出現在硬幣或是其他的浮雕上。玫瑰兩側的古希臘字「P/O」是鑄造廠標記，上方「ΜΝΗΜΩΝ」則是執政官的名字。

羅德島是愛琴海最古老的人類定居點之一，公元前408年，島上的三個城邦經過討論後，決定在島嶼的北端建立新城市，並且找來古希臘世界家喻戶曉的希波達莫斯做城市規劃。新城市很快就成為重要的商港，且羅德島錢幣成為區域貿易的重要國際貨幣。公元前280年，羅德島為紀念25年前成功抵擋亞歷山大大帝繼承人之一：安提柯王朝的德米特里一世（攻城者）的圍攻，決定建造一尊高達30公尺的海利歐斯銅像，銅像完工後被盛讚為「七大奇蹟」之一，直到公元前226年遇到大地震傾頹為止。