Drachmas Doubloons and Dollars: The History of Money
(Exhibition Home)
Ancient Greece and the Mediterranean World
Introduction
Early Greek Coins - Experimentation With Coinage - Coinage and Trade - Athenian Coinage - Everyday Coinage - Coinage and War - Alexander the Great - Hellenistic Portrait Coins
Athenian Coinage

Athens occupied a particularly important role in the history of Greek coinage. In the 5th century, the Athenians built an empire with allies that paid tribute to them annually. The silver mines at nearby Laurion also allowed the city to mint whenever coins were necessary.
Silver tetradrachmon (5th century BC) of Athens depicting Athena, minted at the height of the Athenian Empire. Tetradrachms, unchanged for almost two centuries, were used as far away as Afghanistan.
Silver dekadrachmon (470-460 BC) of Athens showing a facing owl. This unusually heavy coin was probably made for trade with the Near East where most specimens have been found.
Electrum stater of Cyzicus (late 5th century BC), with a head of Zeus Ammon. Wealthy Athenians kept staters as savings or used them to pay for expensive items.