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Hemiobol
| Issuer | Kleonai |
|---|---|
| Year | 470 BC - 420 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Hemiobol (1⁄12) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Within a recessed incuse square, a large capital Kappa (Κ) with curved arms serving as the primary civic badge of Kleonai. To the left of the Kappa, a tripartite arrangement consisting of a central triangle in relief flanked on either side by two sunken (incuse) triangles, forming a distinctive geometric pattern. The composition is tightly contained within the incuse square, a hallmark of archaic Peloponnesian fractional silver coinage. The overall design is bold and schematic, consistent with civic mint practice of the fifth century BC. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Kleonai sat between Corinth and Argos on the road through the northeastern Peloponnese, a position that gave it strategic value well beyond its modest size. The city is best known to ancient sources as the base from which Heracles allegedly set out to kill the Nemean lion — a mythological association that punched considerably above Kleonai's actual political weight. Its coinage reflects that modesty: issues are sparse, the hemiobol among the smallest denominations struck, likely serving local market exchange rather than any broader regional commerce.
The BCD collection reference here is significant — the Peloponnesos series assembled by that collector remains the definitive benchmark for attributing minor Argolid and Corinthiad issues precisely because so few institutional collections bothered to pursue them systematically.