This charming coin reflects the civic pride of
Histiaea and tells us much about a particular
moment of history: on one side is the nymph
Histiaea—from whom the city takes its name—
standing astride the stern of a galley; on the
other is the head of a maenad, a follower f the
wine God Dionysos. We know the city derived its
political power from the sea and its economic
riches from wine; its coinage pays homage to
both. To wear this splendid ring is to travel back
to a forgotten world which comes alive once
more only in the imagination and the dreams of
modern men.
- (FJ.0469)