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Hemidrachm
| Issuer | Federal Coinage of Phokis |
|---|---|
| Year | 457 BC - 446 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.63 g |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Head of Artemis or a nymph in profile facing right, hair elaborately dressed and bound with a taenia, rendered in fine archaic-to-early Classical style. Two small circular symbols appear in the field, one to the left and one to the right of the head. The ethnic inscription ΦΟΚΙ appears in Greek characters, identifying the issuing Phokian federal authority. The lower field is largely plain, consistent with the incuse technique employed on this series. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΦΟΚΙ |
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| Additional information |
The Federal Coinage of Phokis was produced by the Phokian League, a confederation of central Greek city-states whose political existence was repeatedly threatened by Thessalian aggression and Athenian interference. The precise window of this issue coincides with a period of acute pressure: Athens forced Phokis into alliance during the First Peloponnesian War, and Spartan intervention at the Battle of Tanagra in 457 BC directly destabilized the region. Federal coinage of this type is thought to have funded collective military obligations rather than everyday commerce — which explains why surviving specimens often show minimal wear despite the turbulence of the period.