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Obol
| Issuer | Massalia |
|---|---|
| Year | 450 BC - 400 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Phocaean Drachm |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A plain wheel with four spokes radiating from a central pellet boss, all contained within a shallow incuse square with slightly concave sides, a design characteristic of early Massalian bronze and silver coinage. The spokes divide the field into four equal quadrants and are rendered with clean, straight lines meeting at the central hub. A raised circular rim or border encloses the wheel device. The overall composition is geometric and unadorned, reflecting the archaic civic iconography of the Greek colony of Massalia. No legend or exergual inscription is present. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Massalia (modern Marseille, France) |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Massalia — modern Marseille — was founded around 600 BC by Phocaean Greeks and became the dominant Greek commercial presence in the western Mediterranean. Its coinage circulated widely among indigenous Gaulish tribes, who eventually began producing imitative issues of their own. This obol belongs to the archaic series predating those imitations, struck when the colony was aggressively expanding trade relationships up the Rhône corridor.
The Phocaean weight standard underlying this piece differs subtly from Attic norms — a deliberate choice reflecting Massalia's commercial independence from Athens.