About this artwork
Coins of Aegina depicted images of sea turtles on their coins when the island of Aegina was the supreme sea power among the Greek city-states. The sea turtle represented its naval strength and resiliency. After its defeat by Athens in 458 BCE, Aegina ceased using the sea turtle and substituted the land tortoise, seen here, to symbolize its lost sea power. On the back (reverse) of this coin is a geometric design of a square divided into 5 triangles.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 151
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Department
- Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
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Culture
- Ancient Greek
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Title
- Stater (Coin) Depicting a Land Tortoise
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Place
- Greece (Minted in)
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Date
- 404 BCE–350 BCE
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Medium
- Silver
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Dimensions
- Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze
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Reference Number
- 1923.1128
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/9648/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
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