From dies to punches: techniques for (counter) marking lycian coins and sigloi

Abstract

The article examines the modalities with which countermarks were strucked on Lycian coins and sigloi in the period between the end of the sixth century B C and 360 B C. Two main kinds of tools were used for applying countermarks: punches and dies. While punches bear a positive image of what is to be added to the coin in the negative, dies bear the negative of images, letters and shapes that will appear on the coin in positive. The author presents examples of each type, using cases from Lycian coins and sigloi. In the Lycian coinage, about a score of coins are countermarked. Five different examples (two Lycian coins and a siglos for countermarks done by punch, and two Lycian coins for countermarks done by dies) are illustred.

Keywords

• aramaic
• scratch
• symbol
• technique