Crete, Æ Unit, ca. 200 BC
Knossos - Bronze - VF(20-25) - SNG-Cop:378
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Europe seated to the right on a bull running to the left, surrounded by a draped circle behind her, two dolphins facing each other below.
Labyrinth pattern.
This small bronze unit is a coin with a centered strike revealing the entire design. Every element of both sides is visible, including the border of small lines on the obverse and dots on the reverse (grenetis). The iconography of this coin is directly inspired by Greek mythology and myths associated with Crete. Europa, a Phoenician princess, is the mother of Minos, the famous king of Crete. She was kidnapped by Zeus, transformed into a bull, and taken to the island of Crete. This scene is depicted on the obverse. As for the reverse, it represents both the plan of the palace of Knossos and Daedalus' famous labyrinth. Built by the legendary architect on Minos' orders, it was intended to imprison the Minotaur, a monstrous creature with the body of a man and the head of an bull, whom he fed with Athenian tributes. The two dolphins recall the maritime world and may be associated with Cretan maritime power or Poseidon, the god behind the temporary madness of Pasiphae, mother of the Minotaur. This strongly iconographed coin is full of symbols and has a pleasing appearance thanks to its state of preservation and centering. A must-have! SNG Copenhagen 378 and Svoronos, Numismatique de la Crète Ancienne, Cnosos 122 (p.81), Pl. VII, 12. Faune d'Argent Collection.
Κ Ν-Ω-ΣΙ-ΩΝ
4.11 gr
Bronze
Bronze (not to be confused with brass, although usage of the two terms varied in times of yore) is an extremely ancient alloy with origins going back to the period around 2,000 BC. Also known...wait for it...as the Bronze Age (who would have guessed?). Back in ancient times, a proportion of 10% tin was added to copper. It was used in particular for luxurious objects such as swords, helmets, hairpins, and even chariot ornaments.
That is by no means insignificant though, as when putting on a bronze helmet you would already find yourself with an extra 3 kilos or so on your head. Add to that your sword and armor…let’s see you advance quickly now!
The heavyweight of alloys one might say*.
The first Western bronze coins probably date back to the end of the 4th century BC and Greece.
Although the coins may be ancient, it is more difficult to date the appearance of a specific word for this alloy. The earliest record is a Venetian manuscript in Greek dating from the 11th century, but it is not impossible that it was in use earlier.
Nowadays, the bronze used in coinage is an alloy of copper (majority) and tin (minority) along with other metals such as zinc, for example, which improves the castability, or nickel, which produces a harder alloy. Its main qualities are undeniably its great resistance to corrosion and mechanical wear as well as...its aesthetic aspect.
The patina of bronze can vary, ranging from verdigris to brown through to black.
*Actually, puns aside, copper and cupronickel have a greater density, for example.
