Cistophorus
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The cistophorus was a coin of ancient Pergamum that began to be minted around 180 A.D. at that city and a number of others under its control. It continued to be minted and circulated for about 200 years after the kingdom was bequeathed to Rome. It owes its name to a figure, on the obverse, of the sacred chest (Latin: cista) of Dionysus. It was tariffed at four drachmas, but weighed only as much as three Attic drachmas (the most important weight standard of the time). In addition, the evidence of hoards suggests that it did not travel outside the area which Pergamum controlled. It is therefore suspected that it was overvalued in this area.
[edit] External links
- Cistophorus, article in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities
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