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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Cherronesos |
|---|---|
| Year | 400 BC - 350 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quadripartite incuse square divided into four triangular compartments by diagonal lines meeting at the center, creating a windmill or skew pattern characteristic of Cherronesean coinage. Two opposing lowered quadrants contain a pellet and an ivy leaf respectively as secondary devices, while the remaining two quadrants are plain. The incuse is deeply struck with sharp, well-defined borders. |
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| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (400 BC - 350 BC) |
| Additional information |
Chersonesos, the Thracian peninsula city, produced these hemidrachms in enormous quantities over roughly two centuries, making them one of the most widely circulated silver types in the ancient Aegean. Their longevity as a trusted trade coin meant they were accepted far beyond Thrace — hoards containing them have turned up across the Black Sea littoral and into Asia Minor. The sheer volume struck has long puzzled scholars, with some arguing the city acted as a de facto regional mint serving merchants who needed a reliable, small-denomination silver unit when Athenian owls were too large for routine transactions.
McClean 4082 falls within the middle of the issue's long production span, distinguished from related dies by the specific incuse quarter arrangement on the reverse.