Ancient Greece - 351-341/23 or 281-196/88 BCE Thrace, Mesembria Æ17 NGC XF

From the Faces in Time Collection of Ancient coinage (05).

THRACE. Mesambria. Ae
Obv: Facing helmet.
Rev: M - E - Σ - A. Four-spoked wheel.
SNG BM Black Sea 275; HGC 3.2, 1577.
Weight: 3.76 g.
Diameter: 18 mm.

The site of ancient Mesambria (modern day Nessebar), courtesy of visitnessebar.org.

Mesembria was a significant Greek city in ancient Thrace. Located on the coast of the Euxine and in the foothills of Mount Haemus, therefore it was within the boundaries of Moesia, where it is placed by Ptolemy. Strabo writes that it was a colony composed of Dorians from Megara, and that its original name was Menebria (Μενεβρία) after its founder Menas. Stephanus of Byzantium writes that its original name was Melsembria (Μελσημβρία) after its founder Melsas. Both authors say that the suffix "-bria" was the Thracian word for town. However, according to another source, the anonymous Periplus of the Euxine Sea, Mesembria was begun by Chalcedonians around the period of the expedition of Darius against Scythia. But according to Herodotus, it was founded a bit later, after the suppression of the Ionic Revolt by fugitives from Byzantium and Chalcedon.