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Drachm
| Issuer | Metapontion |
|---|---|
| Year | 540 BC - 510 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Ear of barley rendered in high relief, depicted upright and centrally positioned, bearing seven prominent grain kernels arranged symmetrically along the stalk, with short bracts splaying outward at the base. The stem terminates at the lower field with two diverging leaf-like bracts characteristic of early Metapontine coinage. The ethnic abbreviation MET is inscribed downward along the left field in archaic Greek lettering, serving as the civic identifier of the issuing polis. The overall composition is boldly struck with a naturalistic yet stylised rendering typical of the early Achaean incuse series of Magna Graecia. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Mint | Metapontion (Metaponto, Lucania) |
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| Additional information |
Metapontion was among the earliest Greek colonial mints in southern Italy to adopt the incuse technique, a striking innovation associated with the Pythagorean school's influence in Magna Graecia — though the precise connection between philosophical community and monetary reform remains debated. What is not debated is that around 550–510 BC, several neighboring Achaean colonies simultaneously adopted matching incuse reverses, suggesting a formal monetary agreement, possibly to facilitate interregional trade and reduce fraud.
Noe's die study remains the foundational reference for sequencing this series.