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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Samos |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 482 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 11 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Lion's head facing left, depicted with an open jaw and mane rendered in schematic archaic convention, set within a square dotted border. The entire design is contained within a recessed incuse punch of square form, a hallmark of early Greek silver coinage production. The dotted square border frames the lion's head symmetrically, and the surrounding field within the incuse shows the characteristic granular texture of the hammer strike. No legend is present. |
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| Mint | Samos |
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| Additional information |
Samos in this period was one of the wealthiest poleis in the Aegean, its prosperity built on maritime trade and a powerful navy. The city's coinage followed the Samian standard, lighter than the Attic, reflecting independent monetary traditions that persisted even as Athenian commercial influence spread across the region. The terminal date of 482 BC is not accidental — Persian pressure on Ionian cities intensified sharply in the years following the Ionian Revolt's collapse at Lade in 494 BC, and local minting activity contracted accordingly.