Loading

Stater of Miletus Reverse

Museo Arqueológico Nacional

Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Madrid, Spain

Western currency was born in the region of Lydia (Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey) in the Greek cultural context of the late seventh century BC. This piece, minted in the city of Miletus, belongs to one of the oldest known coin issues. They were made of electrum, a naturally occurring gold and silver alloy found in Lydian territory, obtained from the mines of Mount Tmolus and especially the alluvial deposits of the River Pactolus.
The globular shape of these early coins bears a strong resemblance to ingots. The images, stamped with recessed punches, are also characteristic of these first coin series; in this case, we can make out an eastern-style lion on the obverse and three different motifs—a flower, a fox and a small stag head —on the reverse. Its weight (13.82 g) conforms to the metrological standard of the stater, which in this area was around 14 grams and which also gave the monetary unit its name (stater means “weigh” in Greek ). The stater has several fractional denominations, such as the hemistater (half stater) and tetarte (quarter stater).

Show lessRead more
  • Title: Stater of Miletus Reverse
  • Date Created: 600-575 BC
  • Provenance: Turkey
  • Type: Numismatics
  • Rights: Museo Arqueológico Nacional
  • External Link: CERES
  • Medium: Electrum
  • Emisor: Miletus
  • Cultural Context: Ancient Age
  • Ceca: Miletus
Museo Arqueológico Nacional

Additional Items

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Interested in Fashion?

Get updates with your personalized Culture Weekly

You are all set!

Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites