The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Tetradrachm: Owl, Crescent Moon, Olive Branch (reverse)

Tetradrachm: Owl, Crescent Moon, Olive Branch (reverse)

480–449 BCE
Diameter: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The three letters—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.
  • Stories From Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
  • {{cite web|title=Tetradrachm: Owl, Crescent Moon, Olive Branch (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=480–449 BCE|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1920.267.b