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Obol
| Issuer | Federal Coinage of Phokis |
|---|---|
| Year | 478 BC - 460 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Obol (⅙) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Φ – O |
| Reverse description | Forepart of a wild boar advancing to the right, depicted with a bristled dorsal ridge rendered in fine parallel incised lines and a prominently snout-forward head. The figure is set within a shallow incuse square, a hallmark of early Greek hammered coinage technique. The musculature of the boar's chest and forelegs is modelled with confident archaising relief. The incuse square border is clearly defined, contrasting the raised animal device against the recessed field. No legend is present on the reverse. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Phokis entered the federal coinage tradition relatively late, and the impetus was almost certainly the aftermath of the Persian Wars — specifically the need to fund regional defense and participate in the broader Greek monetary economy after Xerxes' forces had sacked Delphi's surrounding territory in 480 BC. The federal structure meant no single polis controlled the mint, an unusual arrangement that makes attributing die sequences to specific towns within the federation genuinely difficult.
Williams' die study remains the foundational reference for this series, identifying significant die linkages across denominations that suggest concentrated, episodic production rather than continuous minting.