Obverse: A Lion-Skin Mask
Reverse: The Forepart of an Ox Facing Right
The island of Samos sits in the Eastern Aegean
Sea, not far from the coasts of Asia Minor
(modern Turkey), where the ancient Greek
culture of Ionia flourished. The development of
the island was aided by its strategic location at
the maritime crossroads that linked mainland
Greece to the wealthy merchants of the East. The
name, Samos, probably derives from the
Phoenician words meaning, “a place somewhere
high.” Historically, the island has been known by
several other names including Parthenia,
Imvrasia, Anthemis, Dryousa, Doryssa, and
Phyllas. The earliest settlers belonged to the
Pelasgic tribes that spread the worship of the
goddess Hera. Hera was believed to be the
protector of the island where, according to
mythology, she was born on the banks of the
river Imbrasus under a very old willow tree.
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. This ancient coin is a memorial
to the glory both of the island of Samos and the
greater Ionian region passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation that still appears as vibrant today as
the day they were struck.
- (C.2050)
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