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Greek Coins :
Greek City States : Paphlagonian Silver Drachm of Sinope
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Paphlagonian Silver Drachm of Sinope - C.2240
Origin: City of Sinope
Circa: 415
BC
to 365
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$4,200.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: Head of the Nymph Sinope Facing Left
Reverse: Sea-eagle with Wing Spread Standing
Upon the Back of a Dolphin
Paphlagonia was an ancient country in Northern
Asia Minor (modern Turkey), between Bithynia
and Pontus on the Black Sea coast. A
mountainous district with the Halys as its chief
river, Paphlagonia had a string of Greek colonies
along its coast, the most important being Sinope.
The seaport city of Sinope, strategically located
in the center of the Southern border of the Black
Sea shores, was the dominant commercial force
of the region. Sinope thrived as the terminus for
all the valuable Eastern trade routes of goods
headed westward, bound for the Greek Empire.
As the gateway to Greece, the destiny of Sinope
was interlinked with the fate of Athens. When
Rome became the dominant force in the west,
trade routes were diverted through the Roman
ports of Ephasus and Antioch, signaling the
immanent decline of Sinope.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This magnificent coin is a
memorial to the ancient glories of Sinope passed
down from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.2240)
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