Archaeological Museum of Bologna

There are approximately 10,000 Greek coins; this series, classified by region and mint, assembles pieces representing the main monetary phases of the Greek world, from the first issues of the 7th century BC to the coinage of the classical period, the extraordinary examples from the Greek era and those of the Greek city under Roman rule. There are numerous examples pertaining to the mints of Magna Graecia and Sicily (Sibari, Tarentum, Syracuse, Agrigentum, Gela, Zancle and other cities), alongside the more famous issues of Athens, Thebes and Corinth. The collection is enriched by several extremely rare specimens and numerous coins testifying to the high artistic level of Greek engravers in the art of coinage.

More info

Athens was one of the first cities of Greece to issue currency and the second half of the sixth century. B.C. adopted a type of coins that represented on the obverse the head of Athena, the patron of the city, and on the reverse the owl, her sacred animal, the symbol of wisdom and reason.

In this example the goddess appears with Attic helmet, adorned with three olive leaves, while the reverse image of the owl is accompanied by an olive branch, a crescent moon and the legend AThE, in Greek letters, abbreviation the name of the city of Athens. These coins, known throughout the ancient world and calls for the kind of the reverse, "owls" were always good metal alloy, regular weight and they were recognized and accepted outside of the greek world.

Provenance: University Collection
Datation: c. 460 - 420 BC
Material: Silver
Dimensions: dia mm 22; gr 16,70
Inventory #: 47932