National Currency Collection
Ancient Greece, tetradrachm : 413 BC
Story
Deities inspire monetary confidence
If you are a powerful ruler wanting to inspire confidence in your currency, you put your head on it, right? Not necessarily. For one thing, famous as you think you are, the folks in the countryside are unlikely to know what you look like. So why not go straight to the top and put the head of a goddess on the your coin? Athena was the goddess of wisdom, courage, strength and justice - pretty sound credentials for a currency’s patroness in ancient Greece.
Item Details
Categorization
Collection
Coin
Class
Ancient
Name
Precious metal
Form
Circulating
Locations
Country
Ancient Greece
Province
Attica
City
Athens
Denominations
Tetradrachm
Dates
Period of issue
449 BC - 413 BC
Period Events
Period
Classical
Designs
Subject Obverse
Deity - religion
Subject Reverse
Owl - bird - animal
Motif Obverse
Head of Athena
Motif Reverse
Owl with olive-spray and crescent
Text Reverse
AΘE
Specifications
Preparation Method
Hand struck
Measurements
Object
Diameter
25.80mm
Materials
Object
Silver
