The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 15, 2024

Tetradrachm: Owl, standing, r., crescent moon and olive branch above (reverse)

Tetradrachm: Owl, standing, r., crescent moon and olive branch above (reverse)

449–440 BCE
Diameter: 2.3 cm (7/8 in.)
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The images of Athena on the obverse and her owl here unmistakably identify this coin as Athenian.

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 three of these coins after the Persian Wars.
  • ?-1941
    Dr. Jacob Hirsch, New York, NY, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1941-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Stories From Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
  • {{cite web|title=Tetradrachm: Owl, standing, r., crescent moon and olive branch above (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=449–440 BCE|access-date=15 September 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1941.296.b