Silver Didrachm of Ancient Taras — The Legendary Dolphin Rider

Own One of the Most Iconic Coins of Ancient Greece

A real Greek silver didrachm struck at the ancient city of Taras, featuring one of the most celebrated and recognizable designs in all of Greek coinage.

Grade: About Uncirculated (AU)
NGC Strike: 4/5
NGC Surface: 4/5

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🏛 Struck in southern Italy over 2,200 years ago
🐬 Features the legendary founder Taras riding a dolphin
🐎 Displays the famous horseman design that made Tarentine coinage renowned throughout the Greek world

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

This remarkable silver didrachm was struck at Taras, one of the wealthiest and most influential Greek cities of Magna Graecia in southern Italy. Founded by Spartan colonists during the 8th century BC, Taras became a thriving center of trade, culture, and military power whose influence extended across the Mediterranean.

The obverse features the city's legendary founder, Taras, riding a dolphin across the sea. According to Greek tradition, Taras survived a shipwreck when a dolphin sent by Poseidon, god of the sea, carried him safely to shore. The miraculous rescue became the defining legend of the city and appeared on its coinage for centuries.

The reverse depicts a mounted horseman, another hallmark of Tarentine coinage. Taras was famous throughout the Greek world for its skilled cavalry, and its silver coins celebrated the city's aristocratic traditions, military excellence, and horsemanship through an extraordinary variety of horseman designs.

This coin was struck during the Hellenistic Period, when Greek cities across the Mediterranean navigated a changing world shaped by the legacy of Alexander the Great and the growing power of Rome in Italy.

Few ancient coins are as admired for their artistry as the silver issues of Taras. Their elegant engraving, dynamic compositions, and enduring mythological imagery have made them favorites of collectors for centuries.

Perfect For

• Ancient Greek coin collectors
• Collectors of Magna Graecia coinage
• Fans of Greek mythology
• Equestrian and cavalry history enthusiasts
• Anyone seeking a premium ancient silver coin

Coin Details

• The exact silver didrachm pictured
• Civilization: Ancient Greece (Magna Graecia)
• City: Taras (Modern Taranto, Italy)
• Century: 3rd Century BC
• Date: c. 280–240 BC
• Denomination: Silver Didrachm
• Obverse: Taras riding a dolphin
• Reverse: Horseman
• Grade: About Uncirculated (AU)
• NGC Strike: 4/5
• NGC Surface: 4/5
• Guaranteed authentic

Continue the Story

Taras was one of the greatest Greek cities of southern Italy, where mythology, commerce, and military tradition came together on some of antiquity's finest coinage.

Explore our other Greek silver coins to discover the remarkable cities, heroes, and gods that shaped the ancient Greek world.

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• Guaranteed authentic ancient coin
• Professionally authenticated and graded
• 30-day return policy
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