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Tetradrachm (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Athena

A work made of silver.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of silver.

Date:

about 163 BCE

Artist:

Greek

About this artwork

The front of this coin depicts the goddess Athena Parthenos wearing a triple crested Athenian helmet, the decorative scheme of which includes a flying Pegasus, palmettes and scrolls; the cheek piece of the helmet is raised, revealing loose curls of hair on the goddess’s neck and a pendant earring. A decorative border of dots is partially preserved.

On the back an Owl, another symbol of Athena, stands atop a vessel on its side. A diminutive eagle is shown perched at left. The scene is encircled by an olive wreath.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Tetradrachm (Coin) Depicting the Goddess Athena

Place

Athens (Minted in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

163 BCE

Medium

Silver

Inscriptions

Reverse: Α Θ Ε ΕΥ ΜΗ ΕΠΙ ΣΩΣΑΝ ΑΠΟΣ

Dimensions

Diam.: 3 cm (1 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. William Nelson Pelouze

Reference Number

1923.1131

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/9655/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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