Silver Tetradrachm, Acanthus, 470-430 BCE

Silver Tetradrachm, Acanthus, 470-430 BCE; Obverse: Lion attacking bull with rosette above and acanthus flower below.
Silver Tetradrachm, Acanthus, 470-430 BCE; Reverse: Four-part square incuse punch.
Unidentified Artist, Greek

Type/Object Name: Ob. Lion attacking bull with rosette above and acanthus flower below. | Re: Four-part square incuse punch.

Dates: 470-430 BCE

Medium: Silver, Tetradrachm

Dimensions: Diameter 27.8 mm, Weight 16.92 g

Credit Line: Courtesy of John Nebel

Notes: Acanthus is located in Chalcidice, a peninsula in northern Greece. The obverse of this coin shows a lion attacking a bull, with a rosette above and an acanthus leaf below. The acanthus leaf is a visual reference to the city’s name. The lion and bull motif is a traditional ancient Near Eastern representation of kingship and power. While Acanthus actively supported the Persian invasion in 480 BCE, by the time this coin was made the city was paying tribute to Athens. The reverse shows a four-part square incuse punch. 

Collection: Coin, John Nebel

Bibliography: Desneux G 48-68, SNG ANS 10, unrecorded.