Artwork Page for Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)

Details / Information for Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)

Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)

480–449 BCE

Greek, minted at Athens

(Attica)
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Medium
silver
Measurements
Overall: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
Weight: 17.237 g (0.61 oz)
Credit Line
Gift of Harold W. Parsons 1920.267
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The three letters on the reverse—ΑΘΕ—mark this as an Athenian coin.

Description

Incorporating the first three letters of the city name—ΑΘΕ—with then-iconic images of the patron goddess Athena and her owl, the Athenian tetradrachm was among the most widely traded and most recognizable coins of the ancient world. The olive leaves on Athena’s helmet and the small crescent moon behind the owl date this coin after the Persian Wars.
Two sides of a silver coin feature irregular, worn edges and a dark gray patina. On the left, is a profile of Athena facing right, wearing a crested helmet decorated with olive leaves. On the right, a standing owl faces forward inside a recessed square. To the owl's left is an olive sprig; to its right, the Greek letters "A," "Theta," and "E" are stacked vertically.

Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)

480–449 BCE

Greek, minted at Athens (Attica)

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