Silver Stater, Corcyra, 4th century BCE

Silver Stater, Corcyra, 4th century BCE; Obverse: Cow suckling calf.
Silver Stater, Corcyra, 4th century BCE; Reverse: Double stellate pattern inside square. Inscription KOR (KOR = “of the Corcyreans”).
Unidentified Artist, Greek

Type/Object Name: Ob:Cow suckling calf. | Re: Double stellate pattern inside square. Inscription KOR (KOR = “of the Corcyreans”). 

Dates: 4th century BCE

Medium: Silver, Stater

Dimensions: Weight 11.06g

Credit Line: Courtesy of John Nebel

Notes: Corcyra (modern Corfu) is an island colonized by Corinth in the 8th century BCE, located in the Ionian Sea a few miles off the coast. It is significant because it is the starting point for two main trade routes along the Illyrian coast to Italy and Sicily. The obverse shows a cow suckling a calf, an image that was very common in Egypt and Assyria. The reverse shows two star-like images. This could be a simple design, a shield decoration, or a reference to a local legend regarding lush gardens at the palace of the king Alcinous who once hosted the Greek hero Odysseus. 

Collection: Coin, John Nebel

Bibliography: SNG Thübingen 1527; SNG Stockholm II 1328.