RHODOS DIDRACHM, February 2017
250-230 BCECHINA, Qing Dynasty – Guang-Xu (Emperor De Zong, reigned 1875-1908) milled brass one cash of Zhejiang (Chekiang) Province.
The Island of Rhodes, off the coast of Asia Minor, was a very prosperous port city. So rich that by the third century BC they were able to build the famous Colossus of Rhodes. This bronze statue was completed in 280 BC, but was destroyed in a earthquake in 226 BC. The statue, and obverse coin face, is that of Helios the ancient sun god of the Greeks. The reverse depicts a rose flower with a rose branch and bud on the right. Above is the Greek name for Artemis who is seen running with a torch. This didrachm is silver and weighs 6.65 grams. This is a first in a series of descriptions of the coins appearing on the new NI Web site banner which reflects the broad diversity of interest in the NI membership.