copy, exhibit case layout
Object label written for the reinstallation of the Greek and Roman Galleries of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art.
Unknown artist, Greek
Four-drachma coin (tetradrachm), After ca. 460 BCE
Silver
The 6th-century Athenian ruler Peisistratus established the Panathenaea, a festival honoring the region’s patron goddess, Athena. At that time, Peisistratus minted what is thought to be the first two-sided coin in the world. Whereas earlier coins had one side in relief and the other “incuse,” or indented, these new coins had two uniquely engraved reliefs. Each featured imagery reflecting the Athenian pride in their city-state, from Athena’s Attic helmet to the sprigs of olive next to the region’s revered bird, with an inscription meaning “of the Athenians.” Variations of this coin type were used for centuries in Athens, and visitors to Greece today will recognize the owl on this coin from the Greek euro.