Catalog
Drachm
| Issuer | Gortyna |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 270 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Europa facing right, her hair elegantly bound with grain leaves in allusion to her mythological association with Crete. She wears a pendant earring and a pearl necklace, rendered with fine detail characteristic of early Hellenistic Cretan die-cutting. The portrait is executed in three-quarter relief against a smooth, unadorned field, with no surrounding legend. The facial features display a serene, idealized quality consistent with the artistic conventions of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Gortyna was one of Crete's dominant poleis during this period, its authority over the Messara plain making it a natural locus for silver coinage serving inter-city trade and mercenary payments — Cretan soldiers were among the most sought-after hired fighters in the Greek world through the fourth and third centuries BC. The city's drachm coinage of this era is linked to a well-documented series catalogued by Svoronos, with the specific die groupings suggesting concentrated minting activity rather than a continuous sustained output.
The BMC Greek 38 reference places this squarely among the better-documented Cretan civic issues, though die links across the series remain incompletely mapped.