ATTICA. Aegina. Stater (Circa 480-457 BC).

Obv: Sea turtle, head in profile, with ‘T-back’ design on shell.
Rev: Square incuse with large skew pattern.

SNG Copenhagen 507; SNG Delepierre 1522-6; HGC 6, 435.

Aegina's coinage was very important in the Greek world. According to Ephorus, historian from Cyme, it was the first city to mint silver coinage to facilitate the mercantile practices of its inhabitants, who engaged in trade to make up for the poverty of the agricultural soil. Aegina's coinage is certainly among the oldest and played a leading role among the Aegean islands, which adopted its weight for their own coinage. Very widespread is the diffusion of early Staters from the mid-6th century BC, with the sea turtle type remaining a constant throughout production. The only variation is the change to land tortoise that occurred after the defeat suffered against the Athenians in 431, at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War.

Condition: Very fine.

Weight: 12.25 g.
Diameter: 21 mm.