





Attic, Athens Silver Obol (about 2535-2565 years ago)
This tiny silver coin from ancient Athens represents one of the earliest forms of Greek coinage. Produced during the Archaic period before the rise of Classical Athens, this small denomination would have been used for everyday transactions in the developing Athenian economy.
Coin Description:
Front side: Four-spoked wheel design
Back side: Irregular incuse (punched impression) pattern
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Obol denomination (small silver coin, worth 1/6 of a drachm)
Weight: 0.60 grams
References: Seltman pl. 4, SNG Cop-8
Provenance: Ex Salton Collection with original collector's ticket
Date: Circa 545-515 BCE
Historical Significance:
This coin was minted during Athens' early development as a city-state (polis), shortly after the reforms of Solon but before the establishment of democracy. The simple wheel design predates the famous "owl" coinage that would later symbolize Athens throughout the ancient world. During this period, Athens (in the region of Attica, Greece) was transitioning from aristocratic rule toward the democratic system that would help make it the cultural and intellectual center of ancient Greece.
This tiny silver coin from ancient Athens represents one of the earliest forms of Greek coinage. Produced during the Archaic period before the rise of Classical Athens, this small denomination would have been used for everyday transactions in the developing Athenian economy.
Coin Description:
Front side: Four-spoked wheel design
Back side: Irregular incuse (punched impression) pattern
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Obol denomination (small silver coin, worth 1/6 of a drachm)
Weight: 0.60 grams
References: Seltman pl. 4, SNG Cop-8
Provenance: Ex Salton Collection with original collector's ticket
Date: Circa 545-515 BCE
Historical Significance:
This coin was minted during Athens' early development as a city-state (polis), shortly after the reforms of Solon but before the establishment of democracy. The simple wheel design predates the famous "owl" coinage that would later symbolize Athens throughout the ancient world. During this period, Athens (in the region of Attica, Greece) was transitioning from aristocratic rule toward the democratic system that would help make it the cultural and intellectual center of ancient Greece.
This tiny silver coin from ancient Athens represents one of the earliest forms of Greek coinage. Produced during the Archaic period before the rise of Classical Athens, this small denomination would have been used for everyday transactions in the developing Athenian economy.
Coin Description:
Front side: Four-spoked wheel design
Back side: Irregular incuse (punched impression) pattern
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Obol denomination (small silver coin, worth 1/6 of a drachm)
Weight: 0.60 grams
References: Seltman pl. 4, SNG Cop-8
Provenance: Ex Salton Collection with original collector's ticket
Date: Circa 545-515 BCE
Historical Significance:
This coin was minted during Athens' early development as a city-state (polis), shortly after the reforms of Solon but before the establishment of democracy. The simple wheel design predates the famous "owl" coinage that would later symbolize Athens throughout the ancient world. During this period, Athens (in the region of Attica, Greece) was transitioning from aristocratic rule toward the democratic system that would help make it the cultural and intellectual center of ancient Greece.
Athens is one of the oldest named cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for perhaps 5,000 years. Situated in southern Europe, Athens became the leading city of ancient Greece in the first millennium BC, and its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of Western civilization.
During the early Middle Ages, the city experienced a decline, then recovered under the later Byzantine Empire and was relatively prosperous during the period of the Crusades (12th and 13th centuries), benefiting from Italian trade. Following a period of sharp decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens re-emerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent and self-governing Greek state.
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