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Didrachm
| Issuer | Akragas |
|---|---|
| Year | 495 BC - 485 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Didrachm (10) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large crab rendered frontally in high incuse relief, its carapace dominating the central field with finely modelled surface detail. The two chelae are raised and extended upward symmetrically toward the upper field, while three pairs of walking legs spread outward to either side in characteristic archaic stylization. The entire design is set within a shallow incuse square, a technique emblematic of early Sicilian coinage of the late archaic period. No legend or inscription appears on the reverse. The bold, naturalistic treatment of the crab was the principal civic emblem of Akragas. |
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| Mint | Akragas (modern Agrigento, Sicily) |
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| Additional information |
Akragas — modern Agrigento — was among the wealthiest poleis in the Greek west during this period, its prosperity built largely on olive oil exports to Carthage. The city had been founded by Rhodian and Cretan colonists around 580 BC and by the late sixth century was minting with a confidence that matched its ambitions. This didrachm falls squarely within the tyranny of Theron, who seized power around 488 BC, though the opening of the date range pushes it possibly into the preceding oligarchic administration.
The SNG ANS and Lockett references place this piece within a well-documented but genuinely scarce early series.