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Drachm
| Issuer | Gortyna |
|---|---|
| Year | 280 BC - 260 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6.80 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bull stands in left profile, rendered in high relief with careful anatomical detail, its head turned back to gaze behind it — a pose known in numismatic literature as 'regardant'. The Greek ethnic legend ΓOPTYNIΩN curves around the upper field, identifying the issuing city of Gortyna in Crete. The compact, powerful modeling of the animal reflects the accomplished die-cutting tradition of Cretan mints during the early Hellenistic period. The field below is plain, with no exergual line. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Gortyna was one of the dominant poleis of ancient Crete, and its coinage from this period reflects the city's independent monetary tradition at a moment when much of the Greek world was being pulled into the orbit of Macedonian successor kingdoms. This issue predates Gortyna's eventual absorption into the Cretan koinon, when the city still struck on its own authority and weight standard.
The Svoronos reference places this among a well-documented but relatively small group of Gortynian silver issues. Die studies have confirmed limited production runs for types in this sequence.