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Hemidrachm Kleitor
| Issuer | Arcadian League |
|---|---|
| Year | 465 BC - 460 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.76 g |
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| Obverse description | Zeus advancing right in dynamic striding pose, nude, hurling a thunderbolt with his raised right arm while his left arm is extended forward; the god is depicted in the early Classical style with emphasis on muscular anatomy and vigorous movement. A small eagle appears to the left in the field, referencing Zeus's divine attribute. The flan is irregular and the relief is bold, characteristic of early Arcadian League coinage from the mint of Kleitor. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Head of a nymph or female deity facing left, wearing a close-fitting helmet or cap, rendered in the severe style typical of early Classical Peloponnesian coinage. The facial features are finely modeled with a straight nose and defined chin. The Arcadian federal legend in Greek letters is distributed around the portrait in the field, identifying the issuing authority. The flan is broad and slightly irregular, consistent with hand-struck silver coinage of the fifth century BC. |
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| Additional information |
The Arcadian League coinage of the early fifth century represents one of the first deliberate attempts in Greek history to issue federal currency — coins struck not in the name of a single polis but on behalf of a regional confederacy. Kleitor, a minor inland city in northern Arcadia, contributed to this shared monetary project during a period when the League was asserting collective identity against external pressures, particularly Spartan dominance over the Peloponnese following the Persian Wars.
The BCD Peloponnesos reference traces to the celebrated collection of a single anonymous scholar whose systematic acquisition of Peloponnesian bronzes and silvers remains the most comprehensive private holding ever assembled in this series.