© Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG
© Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG
Gold Didrachm - Gold Stater 407 BC - 404 BC
| Gold | 8.6 g |
| Issuer | Athens (Attica) |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 407 BC - 404 BC |
| Value | Gold Didrachm (20) |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Gold |
| Weight | 8.6 g |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered, Incuse |
| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-09 |
| Numista | N#352653 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Owl standing right with closed wings, head facing; before, branch upwards and behind, olive sprig with one berry. All within incuse square.
Script: Greek
Lettering: AΘE
Translation: Athens
Comment
Based upon the coins that have survived, we can be sure that five denominations of ‘emergency’ gold coins were struck, the largest being the didrachm (stater) of about 8.6 grams and the smallest being the obol of about 0.72 grams. An account of the treasurers of Athens entered sometime after 385/4 B.C. (Inscriptiones Graecae II, 1414, lines 6-7) records the receipt of two gold hemiobols, suggesting that a sixth denomination was issued, though no hemiobols survive. These coins, presumably, would have been 1/24th staters weighing about 0.36 grams. Another Athenian treasurer’s report (IG II, 1408, lines 11-13) provides an even more fascinating detail, namely that when the record was made, sometime after 385/4 B.C., “the dies and the little anvils on which they used to strike the gold coins” were still contained in a wooden box with the public seal.from: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1390166
Interesting fact
The Gold Didrachm - Gold Stater was used as a means of payment for merchants and traders, and it was also used to pay soldiers and civil servants. It was an important symbol of the wealth and power of the Athenian Empire during the 5th century BC.
