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Drachm
| Issuer | Mytilene |
|---|---|
| Year | 521 BC - 478 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Forepart of a winged bull advancing to the right, rendered in bold archaic relief. The creature displays prominent curved horns, a naturalistic bovine head turned slightly outward, and large spread wings with feathers rendered in a scalloped pattern. The muscular foreleg and chest are finely detailed, reflecting the accomplished die-cutting traditions of early Lesbian coinage. The design fills the flan with characteristic archaic dynamism, set against a plain silver field. |
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| Mintage | ND (521 BC - 478 BC) |
| Additional information |
Mytilene, the dominant polis of Lesbos, controlled enough of the eastern Aegean trade network during this period that its coinage circulated well beyond the island. The city's allegiance shifted critically during the Ionian Revolt against Persia — Mytilene contributed ships to the Greek fleet that was ultimately broken at the Battle of Lade in 494 BC, after which Persian pressure reshaped the entire monetary environment of the region. Issues from the decades immediately following that defeat are meaningfully harder to attribute with precision, making the SNG Copenhagen and BMC references anchoring points rather than settled conclusions.