Macedon. Terone. 490-480 BC. AR Didrachm (7.61g). Hardwick 53 (this coin); Classical Numismatic Group 2017 (106) lot 152. Old cabinet tone. Perfectly centered and struck on a broad flan. The 2nd and finest specimen known. Slightly crystallized surfaces, otherwise, choice extremely fine. From a private collection; Giessener Münzhandlung 1989 (46) lot 94

"If there is no wine, there is no love" said Euripides. In classical Greek culture, wine was the staple around which philosophy, art, poetry, music, religion and political life revolved. The most common wine in ancient Greece was sweet and aromatic though drier wines were also produced. Color ranged from dark, inky black to tawny to nearly clear. Oxidation was difficult to control, a common wine fault that meant many wines did not retain their quality beyond the next vintage; well-stored and aged wines were therefore highly prized.