Ancient CoinsAcquired June 1, 2026

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 454-404 BC. Tetradrachm.

Coin specifications

Classical Greece

Struck: 454 BCE – 404 BCE
Denomination: Tetradrachm
Metal: Silver
Weight: 17.21 g
Diameter: 28 mm
Die axis: 4 h
Mint: Athens

Athens' trusted trade currency across the Mediterranean; the owl tetradrachm financed the Delian League navy and everyday commerce.

GreeceAttica

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Catalog details

Gallery

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 454-404 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 28 mm, 17.21 g, 4 h). Head of Athena to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves and palmette, circular earring and necklace. Rev. AΘE Owl standing right, head facing; to left, olive sprig and crescent; all within incuse square. HGC 4, 1597. Kroll 8. Svoronos pls. 12-13 passim. Sharply struck and very well centered on a broad flan. Good extremely fine.

From the collection of J.-L. Rossignol, French amateur d’art Ex Roma E-Sale 76, 5 November 2020, 112. Ex Leu Numismatik Auction 21, 30 May 2026, 155.

Contemporary world

Major events happening around the time this piece was struck.

454 BCE – 404 BCE

Delian League treasury moved to Athens
454 BCE
Athens relocated the Delian League's treasury from Delos to the Acropolis, funding its navy and the owl tetradrachms that financed empire and trade.
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Peloponnesian War
431 BCE – 404 BCE
Athens and Sparta fought for dominance of the Greek world. The war drained Athenian wealth and reshaped the politics behind the owl coinage.
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End of classical Athenian owl tetradrachms
404 BCE
Athens' defeat ended its classical owl series. The trusted silver standard lived on in later imitations across the Mediterranean.
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