CHALKIS

A remarkable curiosity. The description and commentary in Jameson is worth quoting in full: "Flan monétaire obtenu en cisaillant une tige d'argent pour la briser ensuite. Trouvé aux environs de Chalkis en 1913 avec 119 autres flans analogues, 10 didrachmes de Carystos au type du roi diadémé (voir no. 2068), un certain nombre de didrachmes au type du coq, et des drachmes et divisions d'Eubée à la tête de taureau". Indeed, the weight of this piece is close to the weight of the two previous lots, especially if the loss due to circulation is taken into account. Could it be that the melting down of the Karystos didrachms and the Euboian League drachms and fractions by the Chalkis mint to convert them into more blanks such as this was abruptly interrupted? And perhaps the individual who ran away with and later hid this hoard (see IGCH 194) was involved in the preparation to strike more QARSI tetrobols or even a third, new issue with a magistrate's name we shall never know. Thus ended the silver issues of Chalkis - (Picard, p. 114: "Chalkis n'a plus jamais frappé de monnaie d'argent...").