Drachm

The Boeotian League's federal coinage was a deliberate political instrument, issued by a confederation that had survived Macedonian dominance, Roman pressure, and the catastrophic fallout of Theban hegemony. By the late 3rd century BC the League was navigating increasingly impossible diplomatic terrain between Rome and the Macedonian kingdom of Philip V. The federal mint continued striking through this period, though output fluctuated sharply with political crises.

In 171 BC — the terminus of this issue's range — Rome declared war on Perseus of Macedon. Most Boeotian cities sided with Macedon, a decision that proved fatal: after Pydna in 168 BC, Rome dissolved the League entirely.