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Hemidrachm - 107th-108th Olympiad
| Issuer | Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia |
|---|---|
| Year | 352 BC - 348 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Eagle standing right, head turned back over its left shoulder, perched upon an Ionic column capital rendered in detail with volutes visible at the base. The ethnic abbreviation F-A (digamma-alpha, for FALIA or ELIS) appears in the field to left and right of the eagle respectively, in archaic Greek characters. The composition is boldly struck within an irregularly shaped flan, characteristic of Elean hemidrachms issued during the Olympiad festivals. |
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| Reverse lettering | F A |
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| Additional information |
The Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia issued coinage not as a civic authority but as a religious institution managing one of the ancient world's most significant pilgrimage sites — a rare arrangement in the Greek world. These hemidrachms were almost certainly produced to facilitate transactions at the Olympian Games themselves, struck in the four-year window bracketing the 107th and 108th Olympiads. The sanctuary controlled considerable wealth through votive offerings and dedications, and small silver denominations like this would have passed through the hands of visitors from across the Greek-speaking Mediterranean.