‹Panegyris Coinages› – Eine moderne Geisterprägung

Abstract

The author of this paper discusses the meaning of those Greek coins whose legends make reference to gods as minting authorities. Starting point of his considerations is a paper by Selene Psoma which labeled such coins as ‹Panegyris coinage›, used exclusively for periodical (festival) markets. The small coins bearing the legend ΕΛΕΥΣΙ or similar, however, do not mention a festival of Eleusis, but are minted in the name either of (Demeter) Eleusinia or the Eleusinian goddesses. By taking the legends of such coins seriously, the author of this article shows that such money was minted by sanctuaries in the name of their gods. The issues of such coins could not serve as ‹Panegyris coinage› in the sense of Psoma’s definition of this term. Whereas the silver and bronze coinage of Perge is too substantial to have been only a periodical market’s money, the quantity of the very rare silver tetradrachms of Klazomenai and Pergamon, minted in the name of Zeus Soter rsp. Athena Nikephoros, was too low to have been capable of performing such a function. These coins served commemorative purposes, evoking these gods’ assistance in a critical situation by means of an epiphany. The minting of small change by Pergamenian sanctuaries after 133 B.C. cannot be interpreted as the production of exclusive means of payment for the fairs of Pergamon, because larger commercial transactions could not be carried out with such small denominations. When asking for the reasons for the mintage of these coins, we have to recognise that the phenomenon cannot be explained by only one reason, but can have several, often locally defined whys and wherefores.