Hemidrachm 78th-82nd Olympiads

Elis controlled the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and issued coinage almost exclusively in connection with the quadrennial Games — one of the most restricted and purpose-driven minting programs in the Greek world. Issues corresponding to the 78th through 82nd Olympiads span roughly the decades following the Persian Wars, a period when pan-Hellenic prestige at Olympia was at its political height and dedications to the sanctuary were flowing in from across the Greek world.

The mint operated in short bursts tied to festival cycles, which accounts for the episodic die sequences catalogued across Delepierre and BCD.