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Drachm - 105th Olympiad
| Issuer | Olympia |
|---|---|
| Year | 360 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | An eagle with closed wings stands to the right atop an Ionic column capital, a motif emblematic of Zeus and the sanctuary of Olympia. To the left of the column capital appears a kerykeion (caduceus). The entire design is encircled by a wreath of olive leaves, the sacred tree of Olympia and the symbol of victory at the Games. The field legend in Greek letters reads FA (digamma-alpha), representing the ethnic abbreviation for the Eleians. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Olympia functioned as a sanctuary, not a city-state, and its authority to strike coin was tied directly to the management of the Olympic Games and the vast wealth flowing through the sanctuary of Zeus. The 105th Olympiad fell in 360 BC, during a period when Elis controlled Olympia and administered the games — a control they had regained from Pisa only at the 104th Olympiad after a brief, violent disruption. These drachms were almost certainly struck to facilitate the enormous transactional activity surrounding the festival itself.
Sanctuary coinages of this type rarely circulated far. Most examples surface in find contexts close to the Alpheus valley.