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Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)
480–449 BC
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
Incorporating the first three letters of the city name—ΑΘΕ—with then-iconic images of the patron goddess Athena and her owl, the Athenian tetradrachm was among the most widely traded and most recognizable coins of the ancient world. The olive leaves on Athena’s helmet and the small crescent moon behind the owl date this coin after the Persian Wars.
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Details
- Title: Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)
- Date Created: 480–449 BC
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
- Type: Coins
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1920.267
- Medium: silver
- Inscriptions: ΑΘΕ
- Fun Fact: The three letters on the reverse—ΑΘΕ—mark this as an Athenian coin.
- Department: Greek and Roman Art
- Culture: Greek, minted at Athens (Attica)
- Credit Line: Gift of Harold W. Parsons
- Collection: GR - Greek
- Accession Number: 1920.267
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