Obolos 6

PAMPHYLIA, Side. Circa 205-100 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 31mm, 16.47 g 12), Chry..., circa 205-180. Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet; three countermarks: 1. Bow in bowcase; to left, AΠA. 2. Tripod with A-Π. 3. Bee. Rev. Nike advancing left, holding wreath; to left, pomegranate above XPY. SNG Paris 702. Very rare with three countermarks. Good fine.

This is a rather curious coin: It was countermarked no less than three times! The largest countermark, a bow in a bowcase, was applied by the city of Apameia; it belongs to a group of similar countermarks from different cities, possibly connected to the introduction of the cistophoric coinage in circa 180 BC. The second countermark, also from Apameia, but this time with a tripod, is rarer, and also harder to interpret: there must have been a specific reason that we don’t know of for the mint to apply a second countermark bearing the polis’ ethnic. The third and, judging but the lack of wear, probably latest countermark is a very nicely rendered bee, this time pointing towards Ephesus as the countermarking authority.