Didrachm from Korkyra (Illyria)

The Greek god Dionysus is depicted on the obverse of this silver coin from the island of Korkyra, now Corfu, as a young beardless man whose features, finely executed by the die cutter, have an almost dreamy expression. Only the wreath of ivy, believed to mitigate the effects of inebriation, in his long hair betrays his true nature as a god of wine and ecstasy. The minting of the coin is dated between 229 and 48 BC, in the late Hellenistic period, when the youthful depiction of Dionysus was in keeping with the style of the time. Rome already had great influence in the Eastern Mediterranean but left the Greek poleis largely a free hand regarding their coinage. The visual motifs are traditional, so the Pegasus on the reverse of this coin refers to the connection with the mother city Corinth, whose mythical heraldic animal had been adopted over a hundred years previously. Unfortunately, in this example, the die did not strike the silver blank precisely.

Obverse: Head of Dionysos with ivy wreath to right. Reverse: Pegasos to right (out of center), monogram MPK below.