Obolos 16

CORINTHIA. Corinth. Circa 375-300 BC. Stater (Silver, 20 mm, 8.24 g, 12 h). Ϙ below Pegasus with straight wing flying to left. Rev. Head of Aphrodite to left, wearing Corinthian helmet with a neck flap; below chin, E; behind neck, tall amphora with long, pointed base. BCD Corinth -. Calciati 375. Ravel 999. Well-centered and of fine style. Good very fine.

From the Vineyard Collection, privately offered by Fred Shore on 26 July 2001 .

The amphora was the all-purpose shipping container used by the Greeks and Romans. It was a narrow-bodied vase often with a pointed bottom and two handles, and was used for storing both liquid and dry materials during transport. They were mass produced in such quantities that it was not feasible to retain them after use, so they were often destroyed after reaching their destination. In fact, the nearly 150 meter high, one kilometer in circumference Mt. Testaccio on the banks of the Tiber in Rome is an artificial mountain made entirely from amphora fragments. Amphorae have been studied extensively and their typologies and chronologies are well-understood. Thus they are incredibly important for dating ancient shipwreck sites as well as determining the ship's point of origin.