2021-09-01 Wed

Ancient coins of Greece and Rome vary greatly in design, quality, and importance. The Athens Decadrachm is an important ancient coin that was minted against the backdrop of war.

The Greeks had spent the last 40 or so years fighting off invading Persian armies. Decisive battles included the famous Battle of Thermopylae, the Battle of Marathon, and the Battle of Plataea. Athens joined an alliance of free Greeks who strove to free any Greek cities still under Persian rule. They achieved this victory sometime between 469 and 465 BC.

The Athenian Decadrachm was struck in commemoration of this victory over the Persians. The front depicts Athena, the city god of Athens. The back depicts an owl, the symbol of Athena. The silver for this coin likely came from the silver mines outside the city of Athens.

The coin was so valuable that it mainly circulated among the wealthy. Most Athenians never came into contact with the coin and it was taken out of circulation during the time of Pericles.

Image Courtesy: thecollector.com