Obverse: Pegasus Flying towards the Left
Reverse: Helmeted Head of Athena, Goddess of
Wisdom
Corinth, located on the narrow isthmus between
northern Greece and the southern peninsula
(Peloponnese), was one of the great cities of the
ancient world. The site seems to have been
occupied in Neolithic and Mycenaean times, but
truly came into its own in the eighth century
B.C., when eight small villages united to form the
city. Corinth quickly became rich and famous for
the export of its beautiful geometric and animal
pottery. By the mid-eighth century it had
became populous enough to establish colonies
in Ithica and Korkyra on the Aegean islands, and
Syracuse in Sicily. Controlling land and sea
communications between central and southern
Greece, it remained a major power until it began
to be eclipsed by Athens in the sixth century B.C.
It remained a key player in the Classical and
Hellenistic eras, though usually in alliance with
more militarily powerful city-states, until its final
destruction by the Romans in 146 BC.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or 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 might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. The Corinthian stater was the
primary trade coin of central to Northern Greece
and the Eastern Adriatic coast. This Corinthian
stater features Pegasus on the obverse and the
head of Athena clad in a Corinthian soldier’s
helmet on the reverse. Variations of this type
were struck both by Corinth and its many
colonies, including, for a time, mighty Syracuse.
Termed "colts" or "Pegasi," the coins were as
popular as the widely used "owls" of Athens.
This magnificent coin is a memorial to the
ancient glories of Corinth passed down from the
hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation.
- (C.2245a)
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