Content and Context: The Curious Case of a Clipped Coin at Corinth

Abstract

A stray surface find in excavations at Corinth of an Abbasid coin, clipped into the shape of an
octagon, presents a puzzle, both methodologically and historically. The possible date and manner
of its arrival in the city are studied and the reasons and context of its clipping are considered.
A link with octagonal specimens from Trebizond and Antioch-on-the-Orontes is suggested.
Another stray find, this time a Chinese coin, also from Corinth, is studied here for comparison.