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Drachm
| Issuer | Aegina |
|---|---|
| Year | 404 BC - 338 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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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 |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Land tortoise (Testudo graeca) depicted in high relief from above, occupying the central field, its domed carapace rendered with a detailed segmented pattern of scutes arranged in characteristic rows. The head is visible at the top, with stubby limbs protruding at the sides and hindquarters visible below. The flan is irregular and the surrounding field is flat and undecorated, consistent with the hammered coinage tradition of Aegina. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Α ΙΓ |
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| Additional information |
Aegina's coinage holds a particular place in monetary history — the island's turtle and incuse punch system is among the earliest standardized coinages in the Greek world, predating Athenian owls by decades. By the time this later series was struck, Aegina had lost its naval dominance to Athens following the 457 BC subjugation, and the polis never fully recovered its commercial reach. The transition from sea turtle to land tortoise on Aeginetan drachms, which occurred around 404 BC, has been linked by scholars to this diminished maritime standing, though the precise motivation remains debated.