Messene, founded in the Bronze Age as Ithome, was later destroyed by the Spartans and abandoned for some time. Thebans and Epaminondas built the new city of Messene in 369 BC. Much of the old city has been excavated and is a major tourist attraction.
Browse the Messene page with thumbnail images.
| BCD Pelop. 739-1 | Messena, Messenia. AE Trichalkon, 16mm. 3.94 gr. Late 2nd-early 1st Century BC. Wreathed head of Demeter right / M-E, Zeus standing right, brandishing thunderbolt and holding eagle on outstretched arm; Θ above star to left; tripod to right. Grandjean 583a; BCD Peloponnesos 739.1. | Text | Image |
| BCD Pelop. 762 | Messene, Messenia. AE18, Pseudo-autonomous AE Hemiobol or Hexichalkon. 5.74 g, time of Nero (?). MECCHNIΩN, turreted, draped and veiled bust of Messene right / Zeus Soter standing facing, head right, holding sceptre and eagle; to right, wreath. Grandjean 687; BCD Peloponnesos 762 (this coin). | Text | Image |
| BMC 4 var | Messene, Messenia, AE18. 370-280 BC. 4.16 g. Head of Demeter right, wreathed with corn / M-E, tripod. BMC 4 var (head left). | Text | Image |
| BMC 6 Sear SG 2851 | Messene, Messenia, AE20 Chalkous. 370-330 BC. 3.81 g. Head of Demeter left, wreathed with corn / Large ME. BMC 6; Grandjean 31; Mionnet Supp. IV, 8; BCD Peloponnesos 703.1. | Text | Image |
| BMC 17v | Messenia, Messene, AR Triobol. Mid 2nd - mid 1st century BC. Polykles, magistrate. Diademed head of Zeus right / ME-Σ (ME ligate), tripod; ΠO-ΛY KΛ-HΣ in two lines across field; all within laurel wreath. SNGCop 507. | Text | Image |
| BMC 24 | Messene, Messenia, AE21, ca 191-183 BC. 7.66 g. Wreathed head of Demeter right. / ME monogram to left of Zeus striding right, wielding thunderbolt and holding eagle on outstretched left arm. ΞE in lower left field, tripod to right. BMC 24-25; Grandjean 228; BCD Pelop. 708. | Text | Image |
| BMC 28 | Messene, Messenia, AE17 trichalkon. 180-150 BC. 3.28 g. Head of Demeter right, wreathed with corn / M-E to left and right of Zeus striding right, brandishing thunderbolt, holding eagle on left hand, tripod in right field, O over star in left field. BMC 28; Grandjean 584a (this coin); BCD 739.1. | Text | Image |
| BMC 32 | Messene, Messenia, AE20 trichalkous. 180-150 BC. 7.14 g. Magistrate Dexias. Head of Demeter right, wreathed with corn / ME and ΔEXIAΣ to left of Zeus striding right, brandishing thunderbolt, holding eagle on left hand, tripod in right field. BMC 32; Mionnet II, 18; BCD Peloponnesos 717. | Text | Image |
| BMC 33 | Messene, Messenia, AE21, ca 191-183 BC. 6.04 g. Wreathed head of Demeter right. / ME monogram to left of Zeus striding right, wielding thunderbolt and holding eagle on outstretched left arm. ΔEΞIAΣ downwards in lower left field, tripod to right. BMC 33; Weber 4127 (this coin) BCD Pelop. 719 (this coin). | Text | Image |
| BMC 37 | Messene, Messenia, AE20 Trichalkon. 40-30 BC. 3.84 g. Magistrate Nikarchos. Head of Demeter right, wreathed with corn / NIKAΡXOΣ to left, ME monogram to right of Zeus standing right, holding upright sceptre, eagle on outstretched left arm, tripod and wreath in right field. BMC 37; BCD Peloponnesos 748; Mionnet Supp. IV, 10; Hoover HGC, 579. | Text | Image |
| BMC 39 | Messenia, Messene, after 281 BC. AE17mm. Head of Demeter right / Bunch of grapes on stalk with leaves; monogram and symbol to right. SNG Cop. 523-524; BMC 39-40. | Text | Image |
| BMC 40 | Messene, Messenia, AE16 trichalkon. 180-150 BC. 2.83 g. Head of Demeter right, wreathed with corn / ME monogram to right of bunch of grapes, ΔI above in wreath. BMC 39-40. Grandjean 574a (this coin). | Text | Image |
| BMC 41 | Messene, Messenia, AE12 Chalkous. ca 35 BC. 1.96 g. Laureate head of Zeus right / M-E to left and right of tripod. BMC 41; Mionnet II, 26; Grandjean 657b (this coin); BCD Peloponnesos 757. | Text | Image |
| BMC 118 | Messene AR Hemidrachm. 196-146 BC. Laureate head of Zeus right / AX monogram, O left, N right, OP above, M below; all within laurel-wreath. Agrinion 325d-e. | Text | Image |
| Clerk_106v | Achaean League, Messene AR Hemidrachm. 191-183 BC. Laureate head of Zeus right / AX monogram, M-E below, all in wreath. BCD 707.1. | Text | Image |
| SNG Cop 516 | Messene, Messenia, AE unit. 370-280 BC. 6.04 g. Head of Demeter left, wreathed with corn / ME to left of Zeus striding right, brandishing thunderbolt, holding eagle on left hand, tripod in left field. Magistrate's name ..IΩN downwards in right field. SNG Cop 516. | Text | Image |
| SNG Cop 522 | Messene, Messenia, AE Trichalkon. 40-30 BC. 4.85 g. Magistrate Nikarchos. Laureate head of Asklepios right / NIKAΡ-XOΣ to left, ME monogram to right of serpent-entwined staff. SNG Cop 522; Popken 7418. | Text | Image |
| Sear SG 2847 | Messene, Messenia. AR Obol, 0.78 g. ca. 369-330 BC. Head of Demeter left, wearing wreath of corn and pendant earring. / ME-Σ (ME ligate), Tripod. BMC 2; Grandjean 5b (this coin); SNG Cop 496; Philipsen 1324; Sear SG 2847. | Text | Image |
| Sear SG 2848 | Messenia, Messene AR Tetradrachm. ca 183-182 BC. Sosikrates, magistrate. Wreathed head of Demeter right / MEΣΣANIΩN, Zeus Ithomatas striding right, brandishing thunderbolt in right hand, left arm outstretched over tall tripod; ΣΩΣIKΡA between arm & tripod. BMC 11, McClean 6712. | Text | Image |
| Sear SG 2849 | Messene, Messenia, AR Tetrobol. 3rd century BC. Head of Zeus right / ME-Σ, tripod within wreath. BMC 13-14. | Text | Image |
| Sear SG 2853 | Messene, Messenia, ca 280-146 BC. AE20, 5 g. Magistrate Damion. Head of Demeter right. / ΔAMIΩN, Zeus Ithomates standing right, wielding thunderbolt with right hand, eagle on left arm, tripod before, ME (ligate) in right field, (wreath in outer left field, off flan). BMC 29; SNG Cop 512; BMC 29; Laffaille 327; Sear SG 2853. | Text | Image |
| Sear SG 2854 BMC 39 | Messene, Messenia, ca 280-146 BC. AE16, 2.83 g. Head of Demeter right. / ME and ΔI in wreath to right of bunch of grapes on a stem. BMC 39-40; Grandjean 574a (this coin); Sear SG 2854. | Text | Image |
| Nomos 21, 671 | Julia Domna, AE21 of Messene, Messenia. AD 193-217. 3.46 g. IOYΛIA .. ΔOMNA C, draped bust right. / MECCHNIΩN, Athena standing right, wielding spear with right hand and holding shield in her left. MΔω monogram in right field. Var of BCD 765.3 and Pausanias 6b (monogram in left field). Nomos 21, 671. | Text | Image |
| See also: | Entry for Messenia, Messene on the Digital Historia Numorum | ||
