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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Cherronesos |
|---|---|
| Year | 386 BC - 338 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Drachm |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Forepart of a lion advancing to right, head turned back to left in characteristic Chersonesian style, with open jaws and lolling tongue rendered in fine relief. The mane is elaborately detailed with layered, flowing locks radiating around the face and neck. The musculature of the chest and forelegs is rendered with confident die-cutting, conveying both power and dynamism. The design fills the flan with the leonine protome occupying the entire field, consistent with the standardized coinage type of Cherronesos throughout the Classical period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Chersonesos, the Thracian peninsula colony, produced these hemidrachms in enormous quantities over roughly five decades, making them one of the most widely circulated silver fractional coins in the ancient Aegean. Their ubiquity was functional — they served as the dominant small-denomination trade currency across the Black Sea route and into the Greek mainland markets. No other fractional type from a single Thracian issuer achieved comparable geographic reach during this period.
The consistent weight standard held remarkably close to 2.4–2.5g across the entire production run, suggesting disciplined mint oversight despite the absence of any magistrate signature or issuing authority mark on the coin itself.