Hello
I would like to request the addition of a new issuer for Roman provincial coins.
Thank you in advance
- the name of the issuer in English (and if possible also in French and Spanish)
En: Zacynthus, Island of
Fr: Zacynthus, Île de
Es: Zacynthus, Isla de
It should be under Roman Provinces > Achaea, Province of > Zacynthus, Island of
a.k.a. Zakynthos; Zante
- its Wikidata code (for example, Q854 for Sri Lanka)
Q144880
- the link of one or more Numista records that you want to classify under this issuer
- if necessary, the list of other issuers to be linked by “see also” links
Zakynthos (Ancient Greece)
- if possible, a brief introduction presenting the history of this issuer with any numismatic considerations useful to the reader
Zacynthus, or Zakynthos, is the third largest island in the Ionian Sea in modern-day Greece. Its name is pre-Mycenaean or Pelasgian in origin. According to Greek mythology, the island, previously called Hyrie, was first reached and settled by Zakynthos, the son of the Arcadian chief Dardanus and Bateia, daughter of Teucer. Zakynthos was conquered by King Arkesios of Kefalonia and then by Odysseus from Ithaca. Zakynthos participated in the Trojan War, supporting Odysseus with twelve ships. Philip V of Macedon seized Zakynthos in the early 3rd century BC, when it was a member of the Aetolian League. In 211 BC, the Roman praetor Marcus Valerius Laevinus took the Island of Zakynthos, except the citadel. It was afterwards restored to Philip V of Macedon. The Roman general Marcus Fulvius Nobilior finally conquered the entire island in 191 BC for Rome. In the Mithridatic War (87–86 BC), Archelaus, the general of Mithridates, unsuccessfully attacked Zakynthos.
The island had a long tradition of Greek silver coinage, which came to an end in 191 BC when the island was conquered by the Romans. Its coinage was resumed after Mark Antony seized the eastern part of the Roman world in 42 BC. The only coinage series of this time, featuring Antony's General Gaius Sosius, is attributed to Zacynthus based on the inscription “ZA”. The minting of the coins was probably related to the fleet base established by Mark Antony in Zacynthus after the Treaty of Misenum in 39 BC. According to the treaty, Sextus Pompey was awarded the Peloponnese, but Mark Antony did not intend to turn this territory to him. The coins of this period are frequently countermarked with a star, probably before all the coins were put into circulation. There were four denominations minted during the time of Mark Antony: Æ19–21 (5.75 g); Æ19 (4.69 g); Æ17 (3.6 g); and Æ15–16 (2.22 g). After 31 BC, no coinage was issued until the time of Antoninus Pius.
