c. 320–317 BC
Part of a set. See all set records
Gold
Diameter: 1.9 cm (3/4 in.)
Weight: 8.618 g (0.3 oz.)
Die axis: 12
Gift of J. H. Wade 1916.979
Athena appears off-center on this coin’s obverse due to an error in the minting process.
As the forces of Alexander III [the Great] advanced into Asia, the city-state of Salamis, on the island of Cyprus, voluntarily surrendered itself and its mint. Salamis began producing Macedonian-style coinage, adopting a helmeted Athena on the obverse and a winged Nike offering a laurel wreath on the reverse. The rudder in the left field is the distinguishing symbol of Salamis, a nod to the city’s longstanding maritime prominence.
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