The contorniati were copper pieces of the medallion form, so called because of the hollow circle which runs round their edges. These were all fabricated at Rome, in the latter times; but instead of the heads of the em perors, they have frequently the portraits of foreign kings, or other celebrated personages of antiquity. The re verses exhibit a variety of ineages ; most of them hav ing a reference to the chariot races and public games. We have given a specimen of one of them in Plate CCCCXX. Fig. 1'2. which, on the obverse, exhibits the portrait and name of Alexander the Great, and on the reverse, Sylla, in the act of seizing some of the compa nions of Ulysses by the hair of the head, and dragging them out of the ship, according to the narrative of Ho mer. Numismatologists are not agreed as to the use and intention of this species of coins. The more pro bable opinion, however, is, that they had a reference of some kind or another to the Circensian games.
The ancient coins contain figures and inscriptions on their obverse and reverse. It seldom happens that the reverse is left quite blank. There frequently, appears upon this side an irregular indentation, such as we formerly remarked in a coin of the Peloponnesus, Plate CCCCXX. Fig. 10.; and this is always a sign of high antiquity, before the art WaS kl1OWO Of communicating an implession to both sides of the coin ; just as, in the infancy of printing, an impression was made only upon one side of the leaf.
The obverse generally cxbibits the head, either of some divinity, or of an emperor, king, Sec. The re verses present the tnost agreeable diversity of objects, which distinguish them advantageously from the current coins of the middle ages, and of modern times, so tire some from their dry monotony. Yet several towns ancl sovereigns of antiquity were partial to some particular figure ; as Athens to its Pallas and owl ; Apallonia and Dyrrachium to their sucking calf; Sybaris to its ox look ing backward; Alexander to the standing figure of vic tory, or the sitting Jupiter ; Lysimachus, king of Thrace, to the sitting Pallas, scc. To these may be added cer
tain national symbols. Thus, the Sicilian towns fre quently exhibited their three human feet bound toge ther, to represent the three promontories of their island, Pelorum, Pachynum, and LilybiEum, Plate CCCCXX. Fig. 28.; the Bccotians their shield, Plate CCCCXXII. Fig. ; the Macedonians their oval shields, set reund itt the form of a garland, Plate CCCCXXII. Fig. 37. Other nations represented some of the most remarkable productions of' their country, e. g. Egypt, the crocodile; Pheenicia, the palm-tree ; Cyrene, the precious plata, lasernicium. Sometimes, too, the Greeks chose such figures as contained a play upon the names of their towns. Thus Cordia, in Thrace, had a heart ; Side, in Parnphylia, a pomegranate, Plate CCCCXX. Fig. 16.; the island of Rhodes, a rose, Stc. It frequently happens, in these cases, that the name of the town is oat even inscribed ; the figure being left to speak for itself. The Romans, too, adopted this playful figu rative language. Thus, Publicius Alalleolus had upon his coins a hammer ; Valetius Acisculus, a sor.t of pick ax, which was used for splitting stones ; Aquilius Flo rus, a flower Furius Purpureo, the sea-cockle, from which the purple dye was prepared, Ste. .The favourite objects among the Greeks, for representing upon their coins, as well as in their other works of art, were their diiinities, and every thing, indeed, ivhich was connected with their religion. Among their religious exercises, too, may be reckoned their solemn games, to which they were passionately attached. These are often represent ed upon coins by means of a vessel sill mounted by a branch of palm, as the pi ize of the victory. The species of games is always marked upon them, e. g. OATMIIIA,