500 Years of the Athenian "Owl": an Introduction
Channel: American Numismatic Society
Date: 2021-03-04

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In this video ANS Chief Curator Dr. Peter van Alfen reviews the long history of Athenian silver coinage, from its beginnings in the mid-sixth century BC under the tyrant Peisistratus to the culmination of Athenian silver coin production under Roman control in the first century BC.  

Search the ANS’s collection of Athenian coinage: http://numismatics.org/search/results?q=athens+AND+department_facet%3A%22Greek%22&lang=en

Coins seen in this video:

Wappenmünze with wheel, ca. 530 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24095

Wappenmünze with horse’s rear end, ca. 530 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24093

Gorgoneion, ca. 525 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24115

“Owl” tetradrachm, ca. 515–480 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1957.172.1038

“Owl” tetradrachm, ca. 460 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24171

“Owl” decadrachm, ca. 460 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1968.34.16

“Owl” tetradrachm, ca. 430 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1997.9.196

Syracusan tetradrachm, ca. 410 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1997.9.55

“Pi-style” owl tetradrachm, ca. 350 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24405

“Four-fingered” style owl tetradrachm, ca. 280 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24421

“New Style” owl tetradrachm, ca. 150 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24573

Roman-period owl tetradrachm, ca. 70 BC: http://numismatics.org/collection/1944.100.24908

For further reading:

The Athenian Empire: Using Coins as Sources: http://services.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/classical-studies/ancient-history/athenian-empire-using-coins-sources

See also Peter van Alfen’s overview of Athenian coinage in this volume:
https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195305746.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780195305746

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