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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Knossos |
|---|---|
| Year | 420 BC - 380 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 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 | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered, Incuse |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | An eight-rayed star of floral form occupying the centre of a double incuse square, with the intervening space between the inner and outer squares filled with diagonal parallel incuse lines, creating a distinctive meander-like decorative pattern. This geometric reverse type is characteristic of Knossian coinage of the period and serves as a civic symbol. The incuse treatment reflects the hammered technique standard for Greek silver coinage of this era. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Knossos retained surprising monetary independence well into the classical period despite Cretan cities rarely achieving the political prominence of mainland poleis. The hemidrachm denomination served interisland trade routes across the Aegean, where Cretan silver — sourced largely from local deposits rather than the massive Laurion mines that funded Athenian output — circulated on its own terms.
Svoronos's classification of this type places it among the earlier Knossian issues before the city's coinage came under stronger mainland stylistic influence in the mid-fourth century.