Circa 398-346 BCE
Æ 16mm, 3.92 gm, 6h
Obv: Horse prancing right; below, monogram.
Rev: ΜΑΡ – ΩΝΙ – ΤΩΝ. Legend around grape arbor within linear square border; below, monogram.
Evelpidis 962-3; SNG Copenhagen 632; Schönert-Geiss, Maroneia 721-923; BMC__
Per legend, Maroneia was founded by Maron, who was a priest of Apollo, who offered gifts and hospitality to Odysseus when he visited the land of Kikones. Archeological evidence and ancient writers, however, attribute it to colonists from Chios in the 7th century BCE.
During ancient times, the area was famous for its wine, hence the depiction of grapes on the usual bronze coin. Other coins depicted Dionysos, who was worshipped in the city and in much of Thrace.
During Hellenistic times, it was controlled for some time by Lysimachos, who renamed it Agathokleia in honor of his son Agathokles. It was one of two cities (the other being Adramytteion) renamed for him, and presumably both took back their original names after Agathokles was executed by his father in 284 BCE.
398-348 BCE
Æ 15 mm, 3,28 g
Obv: Jumping horse
Rev: MAR-WNI-TWN around a vine in a square
SNG Cop 632