Drachm

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.