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Drachm
| Issuer | Delphi |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | A kithara (lyre), the emblematic instrument of Apollo, depicted facing in the central field. The resonating body and upswept arms of the instrument are rendered in raised relief, with the crossbar and strings clearly articulated. A partial Greek legend surrounds the device in the field to the right, consistent with the Amphictyonic or civic ethnic of Delphi. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Two dolphins arranged back to back within a deeply impressed incuse square, one oriented upward and one downward, their bodies curving dynamically in opposite directions. The design is a hallmark type of the Delphic coinage, evoking the sacred dolphins of Apollo and the maritime traditions associated with the sanctuary. The incuse square is well-defined with a rough, granular surface typical of archaic and early classical hammered coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Delphi's civic coinage is among the rarest issued by any Greek sanctuary-state. The city's economic identity was inseparable from the Amphictyonic League and the revenues of the Pythian sanctuary, which meant Delphi rarely needed to assert independent monetary authority — most transactions in the sanctuary precinct were handled through widely accepted Aeginetan or Corinthian issues. When Delphi did strike in its own name, output was small and the occasions were specific, likely tied to festival distributions or administrative payments that required a locally identified coin.
The sanctuary was sacked by the Phocians in 356 BC, who melted down temple dedications to pay mercenaries during the Third Sacred War — a disruption that affected nearly every aspect of Delphic institutional life, coinage included.