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Greek Coins :
Athenian Coins : Athenian Silver Tetradrachm in the New Style
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Athenian Silver Tetradrachm in the New Style - C.4222
Origin: City of Athens
Circa: 2
nd
Century BC
Collection: Numismatics
Medium: Silver
Additional Information: SOLD
$2,800.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
Obverse: Helmeted Head of Athena
Parthenos
Reverse: Owl Standing on an Amphora
Surrounded by an Olive Wreath
The glories of ancient Athens are well
known.
From the ubiquitous photographs of the
Parthenon high upon the Acropolis
overlooking
the city to the writings of Plato and
Socrates,
ancient Athens has permeated our modern
lives.
In fact, many foundations of our modern
world
have their roots in Athens, the
birthplace of
democracy and philosophy. Athens was a
city of
orators, whose convincing arguments
would
sway the voting populace, made up of
male
citizens, to change argument into
policy. Perhaps
Athens is so important because it gave a
voice to
the individual; that is, if you were
qualified to
speak. The transfer of power from the
elite to the
masses, a social phenomenon that first
flourished in Athens, would
revolutionize the
governing structures of the world for
the next
two thousand years. In a way, we are all
Athenians. Just looking at architecture
of our
nation’s capital proves the lasting
impact this
ancient city continues to have today.
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 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. The helmeted head of
Athena,
warrior Goddess of wisdom, graces the
obverse
of this coin. She was the mythic
protector of
Athens and the source of the city’s
name. Her
attribute was the owl, depicted on the
reverse of
the coin, an animal also associated with
wisdom,
perhaps through its relation with the
Goddess.
This magnificent coin is a memorial to
the
ancient glories of Athens passed down
from the
hands of civilization to civilization,
from
generation to generation.
- (C.4222)
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