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Greek Coins
Greek Coins
Ancient Greek Coins are often rare and difficult to find. They are often the rarest of the old coins and often sell to collectors for high prices. Most historians class ancient Greek coins as any coin minted from between 550 B.C. and 300 A.D.
Ancient Greek coins are eye-catching and feature intricate designs. They're often considered the most beautiful of the old coins, with the Athenian Owl Tetradrachm being a fantastic example.
History of the Greek Coins
The Ancient Greeks well a well-developed civilization in early times. They’ve had a significant impact on many aspects of today’s modern life. The Greeks have influenced everything from the architecture and government of America. Their coinage also inspired Theodore Roosevelt, who has become famous for revitalizing American coins.
The first coins were produced in Greece in Aegina in around 600 BC. These coins were manufactured using silver and had a turtle on their face to symbolize the city’s maritime trade. Cities such as Athens and Corinth soon started producing their own coins using images that depicted their towns. Coins were manufactured across the country as they were considered a necessity and allowed people to trade and the government to pay mercenary soldiers.
For the first time, soldiers were able to carry their wages conveniently. The government had found a payment method that they could apply to everyone. Coins were used for bartering and maritime trade with other countries in the ancient world. People were impressed with this new portable wealth and used it to trade with each other. Poor Greeks would carry money in their mouths, while more affluent people would often store and hide their wealth.
Ancient Greek coin denominations
There were several denominations in ancient Greece, and the coin's weight would vary slightly depending on which city it was produced. Ancient Greece’s main denominations were the Starter, struck in both Gold and Silver, the Tetradrachm, Dekadrachm, and Drachma.
The Drachma was also sometimes called the Drachm, had different denominations, including the Obol or the Triobol.
Greek gold coins
Greek coins were generally produced using silver, copper, or bronze as this was more readily available and affordable. Some coins were also made from Gold or electrum, an alloy of silver and gold.
Gold was melted to help standardize each coin’s size and weight; it was then poured into molds that had previously been engraved with the coin's design. Gold coins were a symbol of status as not everyone could afford a gold coin.
The Gold stater from Magnesia and Maeandrum is an example of a Greek gold coin. This design was dedicated to a magistrate called Euphemos. The coin's obverse has the Greek goddess Artemis, who is facing to the right. On the reverse is the winged goddess, Nike, riding a chariot. There’s also a Greek inscription, which means ‘of the Magnesians’ and ‘Euphemos son of Pausanias.’ The Gold Starter coin has been produced in approximately 145 BC.
Greek owl coin
The Athenian Owl Tetradrachm is one of the most widely collected and most famous ancient coins. It was produced in Athena and was made with silver. The coin's obverse depicted Athena, who was the patron of the city. On the reverse is the owl, which was taken from Athens coat-of-arms. It’s thought that this coin is one of the first-ever to be produced in the world. It’s over 2,400 years old and is highly sought after, selling for between $800 and $1200 and sometimes even more in higher grade.
The Athenian owl has been voted as one of the top ten ancient coins ever produced. Owls were essential animals in Ancient Greece, especially in Athens, where they were used for hunting small game and delivering messages to other cities. Like all ancient coins, the owl coin has been struck by hand, and each one is unique. The Athenian owl Tetradrachm is a large coin that has exquisite detail.
Ancient Greek coins for sale
Ancient Greek coins generally sell for high prices, especially at auction, due to their scarcity. They are also highly sought after by coin collections and dealers as they are unique and beautifully designed. Greek coins were struck by hand, which means that no two are the same, and it’s often hard to put a value on ancient coins. Many coin enthusiasts are interested in the rich history of ancient Greece.
Bullion Shark’s inventory includes an extensive range of ancient coinage. We have a variety of certified ancient Greek coins.