This independent and sovereign city would soon become the typical form of Greek urban life. They were thought of as smaller independent countries that were characterized by their own type of rule. This way of life worked well within the natural topography of Greece with its various mountains and tremendous coastline. In this way, various people were able to preserve their own unique culture which would greatly influence the coinage they began to strike in the early sixth century B.C.
AEGINA
One such city-state was Aegina, located just 15 miles southeast of Athens. It was colonized by Dorians and became independent in the sixth century B.C. Maritime trade would lead to commercial prosperity, allowing Aegina to become a powerful city-state before the Persian War.
They would develop one of the earliest mints in Greece, striking the first reliable silver coins that traversed the Mediterranean. In addition to the silver obtained from trading, Aegina also possessed silver rich mines on the island of Siphnos. The highly consistent output of coins during this period resulted in many throughout Greece adopting their weight standard for coinage in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.
It is believed that the sea turtle image seen on their early coinage refers to their prowess at sea trading and was also the sacred animal of the goddess Aphrodite. The symbology on the coinage of Aegina did evolve over the years, most notably with the type of iconic turtle that was used on the obverse. Later types seem to exhibit a land tortoise with a much boxier shell, most likely referring to Aegina’s loss of independence to Athens in 458 B.C.
Esta historia es de la edición December - January 2023 de COINage Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December - January 2023 de COINage Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
13 Kenny Duncan Sr.
NUMISMATIST OF THE CENTURY
1935 Bank of Canada $500 English Text Boosts Heritage's World Paper Money Auction to Nearly $2M
Currency from Canada showed its might in the Heritage’s World Paper Money Signature Auction held earlier this year.
Central States Numismatic Society Honors Dennis Tucker
Publisher/author receives 2024 Q. David Bowers Award
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE HOBBYIST
JOINING THE NATIONAL COIN CLUB AND WATCHING GOLD
Dwight N. Manley
NUMISMATIST OF THE CENTURY
Len Augsburger
IN CHARGE OF DIGITIZING EVERYTHING NUMISMATIC
New Photo Guide to Grading Morgan Silver Dollars
SECRETS OF THE CAC GRADING SYSTEM
British Rarities Are Shining Star
AUCTION FEATURES PEH COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Coin Learning for Fun & Profit
ARE SUMMER SEMINARS THE FUTURE?
Canadian Coins Are Pretty COOL Eh?
Oh, Canada... The land of ice hockey, poutine, and Tim Horton's coffee has produced scores of beautiful coins that make collectors flip their toques.