|
HOME :
Greek Coins :
Greek City States : Ionian Silver Didrachm of Magnesia
|
 |
|
|
|
Ionian Silver Didrachm of Magnesia - C.2048
Origin: City of Magnesia
Circa: 350
BC
to 320
BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
$4,500.00
Location: United States
|
|
|
| Photo Gallery |
|
|
| Description |
Obverse: An Armed Horseman Advancing to the
Right
Reverse: A Humped Bull Butting to the Left,
Legend "MAGN" above and Magistrate's Name
"LUKOMHD" Below, Encircled by Maeander
Pattern
Magnesia-on-Maeander was an old Ionian city
once located on the river Maeander, which is now
silted up. The city was founded in the eighth
century B.C. by Greek colonists from Magnesia in
Thessaly. They sought a new life in Ionia away
from the overpopulation and poverty that ran
rampant in mainland Greece at this time. In the
seventh century the city was refounded as a
trading colony of Miletos. The city, which
commanded the resources of a rich river valley,
was normally under the domination of foreign
powers from the late seventh century on. The
Magnesians were subject to Lydian and Persian
kings during the seventh and sixth centuries BC.
In antiquity, Magnesia was famous for its
sanctuary of Artemis Leukophryene. This large
religious structure was redesigned in the third
century B.C. by the Greek architect, Hermogenes.
The temple was highly praised in the ancient
world and had a profound impact on Roman
architecture. It provided some of the laws of
proportion for Ionic buildings that Vitruvius
outlines in his architectural manual.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or your purse? What eras and lands have
the coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who touched the coin before us, or where the
coin will venture to after us. More than money,
coins are a symbol of the state that struck them,
of a specific time and place, whether
contemporary currencies or artifacts of long
forgotten empires. This stunning hand-struck
coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and
intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies. This
coin is a memorial to an ancient city passed from
the hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation that still appears as
vibrant today as the day it was struck.
- (C.2048)
|
| |
|
