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Æ16
| Issuer | Thessaloniki |
|---|---|
| Year | 187 BC - 31 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | BMC Greek#1 |
| Obverse description | Laureate head of Zeus facing right, rendered in low relief with characteristic archaic stylization typical of Macedonian civic bronze coinage. The portrait shows a bearded male deity with flowing hair, set within a plain, unstruck field. The flan is irregular and somewhat thick, consistent with hand-struck provincial production. No visible legend on the obverse. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Thessaloniki was founded around 315 BC by Cassander, who named the city after his wife — Alexander the Great's half-sister. It rapidly became the dominant commercial hub of Macedonia, and its civic bronze coinage reflects sustained institutional confidence across a politically turbulent two-century span that saw the city pass from Antigonid control into the Roman provincial system after 168 BC. Roman hegemony did not immediately disrupt local bronze issues; municipally struck coinage continued under Roman oversight as a practical concession to regional trade.
BMC Greek 1 anchors the opening of the British Museum's Thessaloniki sequence — a cataloging position that reflects chronological priority rather than rarity.