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Nomos
| Issuer | Metapontion |
|---|---|
| Year | 340 BC - 330 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 7.89 g |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A prominent upright barley ear with a single leaf extending to the right, the ear finely striated to render individual grains, serving as the longstanding civic emblem of Metapontion. Above the leaf, a small bird is depicted facing left, and a coiled serpent appears below the leaf as an additional symbol. The partial ethnic legend META and the magistrate's or engraver's signature API appear in the field, the latter visible in the exergual area beneath the ear. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Metapontion's silver staters of this period were struck during a decades-long agricultural prosperity anchored in the city's grain production — the ear of barley was no civic accident but a direct reflection of the economic engine that kept the mint active and the coinage plentiful. The city had been a Achaean foundation since the eighth century and maintained remarkable monetary consistency even as neighboring Tarentum and Thurii competed for regional dominance.
HN Italy 1563 places this issue within a well-documented sequence; the SNG Lloyd and ANS concordances help pin individual die linkages that remain useful for distinguishing workshop groups within this decade.