Silver Tetradrachm, Leontini, 460 BCE

Silver Tetradrachm, Leontini, 460 BCE; Reverse: Lion’s head, barley grains, laurel leaf. Inscription ΛΕΟΝΤΙΝΟΝ (LEONTINON = “of Leontini”).
Unidentified Artist, Greek

Type/Object Name: Ob: Head of Apollo, wearing laurel wreath. | Re: Lion鈥檚 head, barley grains, laurel leaf. Inscription 螞螘螣螡韦螜螡螣螡 (LEONTINON = 鈥渙f Leontini鈥).

Dates: 460 BCE

Medium: Silver, Tetradrachm

Dimensions: Diameter 27.1 mm, Weight 17.1125 g

Credit Line: On loan to the 麻豆免费版下载Art Museum, courtesy of John Nebel

Notes: Powerful Art in a Tiny Format

The Sicilian city of Leontini was located in particularly fertile grain-growing territory. It portrayed its patron god Apollo on the obverse of its coin, here shown with a laurel wreath in his elaborate hair. The reverse is a visual reference to the city鈥檚 name: 鈥淟eon鈥 is Greek for lion. The lion鈥檚 head here with its spectacular wrinkled muzzle thus refers to the city just like the inscription, 鈥渙f Leontini.鈥 The grains refer to the city鈥檚 agricultural wealth, and some experts suggest the leaf behind the lion鈥檚 head on this coin may be a reference to the artist鈥檚 name.

Collection: Coin, John Nebel

Bibliography: Boehringer, Christof. 2002. Zur M眉nzgeschichte von Leontinoi in klassischer Zeit. In Studies in Greek Numismatics in memory of Martin Jessop Price, edited by Ashton, R. and S. Hurter. Page 49 and Plate 12 #53. London: Spink.