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TROAS, BIRYTIS - AE 18, circa 300 BC
weight 5,71gr. ; bronze 18mm.
obv. Beardless head of Kabeiros left, wearing pilos
rev. Club between BI - PY, within wreath
The two most common hats worn in Greece from 1200 to 146 BC were the pilos and the petasos. Felt, a smooth cloth, was the most common material used to make the hats, but other materials were also used, including leather and straw. Evidence of many different felt hats formed into a cone shape with a small rolled brim has been discovered in many regions of Greece. These hats were worn by working men. In each region, the hats were usually named after the geographic area in which they were worn. Scholars, however, have not been able to distinguish differences among these many different regional hats and have come to call all these felt hats with little brims pilos. The Greek god of fire and metalworking, Hephaestus, is often depicted wearing a pilos.
BMC 1 ; SNG.von Aulock 1502 ; SNG.Copenhagen 247 ;
Weber collection 5333 ; McClean 7801 ; SNG.München 168
Attractive dark patina.
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TROAS, BIRYTIS - AE 11, circa 300 BC
weight 1,50gr. ; bronze 11mm.
obv. Bearded head of Kabeiros left, wearing pilos
rev. Club between P - I / B - Y within wreath
Birytis (also called Berytis or Berythis) was an ancient Greek town located in the region of Troad in northwestern Anatolia. It was established around 670 BC as a Greek city by settlers from Miletus. Berysioi, appear in Athenian tribute lists dating from 454 to 445 BC and 425/424 BC, indicating membership in the Delian League. The city became a notable local center for tuna export due to the abundance of fish in the surrounding waters. Birytis minted its own bronze coins, often featuring representations of Kabeiros or club motifs, reflecting local religious practices. Modern scholars and archaeological surveys (such as J.M. Cook′s topographical studies) tentatively associate the site of Birytis with the modern location of Mersinoba in Turkey, though absolute certainty regarding its precise civic remains is still debated.
Nature of the Kabeiros Cult in Birytis
In the context of the Troad and the wider Aegean, the Kabeiroi
worshipped at Birytis possessed three main characteristics:
• The Kabeiroi were mythologically viewed as the dwarfish sons or descendants of Hephaestus, the god of the forge. Their worship in the Troad, a region rich in mining and metallurgical traditions, likely focused heavily on their role as master craftsmen, smiths, and subterranean (chthonic) deities.
• Despite Birytis being situated slightly inland in the Troad, the pilos cap on the coins underscores the Kabeiroi′s primary cross-regional role as guardians of sailors. Initiates of their mystery cults believed the gods would grant them protection from deadly shipwrecks and storms.
• Interestingly, some ancient traditions recorded by historians (such as those mentioned by Strabo) suggested that the Kabeiros mysteries actually originated in the Phrygian or Troad region before spreading to the Aegean islands, rather than the other way around. The prominent minting of Kabeiros coins in Birytis strongly reinforces this deep, ancestral Anatolian connection.
The two most common hats worn in Greece from 1200 to 146 BC were the pilos and the petasos. Felt, a smooth cloth, was the most common material used to make the hats, but other materials were also used, including leather and straw. Evidence of many different felt hats formed into a cone shape with a small rolled brim has been discovered in many regions of Greece. These hats were worn by working men. In each region, the hats were usually named after the geographic area in which they were worn. Scholars, however, have not been able to distinguish differences among these many different regional hats and have come to call all these felt hats with little brims pilos. The Greek god of fire and metalworking, Hephaestus, is often depicted wearing a pilos. Also the Kabeiroi, descendants of Hephaestus, are usually depicted wearing a pilos.
Normally, the reverse side shows us the text B - I / P - Y. However,
on this example the order is reversed and the spelling is also different,
which is very unusual. As such, it is extremely rare.
BMC 6var. ; SNG.von Aulock- ; SNG.Copenhagen 2450var. ;
Weber collection 5336var. ; Sear 4058var. RRR
dark patina
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