Ancient Coin of the Day: A quick thread today, as I'm still sleepy! But an opportunity to look at some beautiful coins from Magna Graecia, starting with this silver stater of Caulonia, ca. 530-510 BC. #ACOTD #MagnaGraecia

Image: ANS 1941.153.172. Link - http://numismatics.org/collection/1941.153.172

The coins of Magna Graecia in the Archaic period are among some of the most beautiful and innovative in the Mediterranean, seemingly developing in parallel with an increasing complexity in intra- and inter-state relations.

This was matched by a move towards more ambitious numismatic designs, leaving behind earlier and more simplistic numismatic emblemata and beginning to incorporate the human face and figure into the design of the issues.

The Obverse of this stater shows a nude Apollo, carrying a branch (perhaps of laurel), with a small running figure on his outstretched left arm. The pose of the figure, with one leg advanced, evokes the Kouros type statues of the period, although the pose is more animated.

The Reverse is the incuse representation of the scene. The inclusion of Apollo in the design is evocative of the role that Delphian Apollo played in the colonies of Magna Graecia. The scene itself has been interpreted as referring to Apollo bringing laurel branches from the...

...Vale of Tempe to Delphi, following an act of purification (see Oeconomides 1991: 278). But Caulonia was not alone in ambitious human figure coin designs.

A similar design was issued by Poseidonia, appropriately enough showing a striding - yet beardless - Poseidon wearing a chlamys and carrying a raised trident.

Image: ANS 1957.172.313. Link - http://numismatics.org/collection/1957.172.313

For more on the use of the human figure on coinage, see:

OECONOMIDES, MANDO. “The Human Figure in Archaic Greek Coinage.” Studies in the History of Art, vol. 32, 1991, pp. 272–283.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/42620670 

#ACOTD #MagnaGraecia