How old is the Athenian coin?

Athens coin (circa 500/490–485 BC) discovered in the Shaikhan Dehri hoard in Pushkalavati, Ancient India. This coin is the earliest known example of its type to be found so far east.

When was the Athenian coin made?

The first Greek coins appeared in Aegina c. 600 BCE (or even earlier) which were silver and used a turtle as a symbol of the city’s prosperity based on maritime trade. Athens and Corinth soon followed Aegina’s lead.

What does the owl represent in Greece?

In Greece, the owl is a symbol of wisdom and prudence. According to Greek mythology, when goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, saw the creature for the first time, she was impressed by her big eyes and her solemn appearance, swiftly becoming her favorite bird and later an emblem of her.

What kind of coin was the Athenian owl?

Athenian Owls, thick, heavy, high-relief silver coins minted more than 2,000 years ago, were arguably the most influential of all coins, and the Classical Owl tetradrachm, pictured above, is the most widely recognized ancient coin among the general public today. Owls were the first widely used international coin.

What kind of coin is the silver owl?

Athenian Owl Coins. Ask any group of coin enthusiasts what their favorite ancient coin to collect is, most will eagerly tell you that it is the Silver Owl Tetradrachm of Athens. This coin was well-known during Ancient times and still stands as a relic of Ancient Greece.

When did the Athenian owl tetradrachm come out?

Archaic Style Athenian Tetradrachm of 510-490 BCE. Image: Classical Numismatics Group. The Athenian Owl tetradrachm is arguably the most popular and recognized ancient coin. It represented about a week’s pay for ancient Greek soldiers.

When did the Owl of Athena become common?

The owl of Athena even became the common obverse of the Athenian tetradrachms after 510 BC and according to Philochorus, the Athenian tetradrachm was known as glaux (γλαύξ, little owl) throughout the ancient world and “owl” in present-day numismatics. They were not, however, used exclusively by them to represent Athena…