Attica Athens 454-404 BC Silver Tetradrachm

Attica Athens 454-404 BC Silver Tetradrachm

Head of Athena right / Owl

25mm, 17.23g

Obverse description: Head of Athena (goddess of wisdom) right, wearing earring, necklace and crested Attic helmet decorated with olive leaves.
Reverse description: Owl standing right, head facing, closed tail feathers; olive sprig and crescent to left, AOE to right; all within incuse square.

Attica is a historical region of Greece that encompasses the city of Athens. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean Sea, bordering on Boeotia to the north and Megaris to the west.

The Athenian ‘owl’ silver tetradrachm is one of the most influential coins of all time. During the 5th Century BC, when Athens emerged as the greatest of all Greek cities ‘owls’ were the most widely used international coin and helped spread Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean world. The peak of Athens success, between 510-400 BC, witnessed the birth of democracy, construction of the Parthenon, pinnacle of Classical art and the origins of Western literature. Never before or since has one city contributed so much to human progress.

Boldly struck with excellent detail, a fine example of Classical art at its best.