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Obol
| Issuer | Mantinea |
|---|---|
| Year | 420 BC - 385 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large, bold Greek letter Mu (Μ) occupies the central field, rendered in an archaic incuse-style with broad strokes. Beneath the Mu, the abbreviated ethnic inscription ΜΑΝ appears in archaic Greek characters, identifying the issuing city of Mantinea. The design fills the flan with minimal surrounding field, consistent with the compact format of small silver fractional coinage. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΜΑΝ |
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| Additional information |
Mantinea's coinage history is inseparable from its political history. The city was destroyed by Sparta in 385 BC and its population forcibly dispersed into four villages — an act of punishment for Mantinea's alliance with Argos and its refusal to demolish its walls on Spartan orders. All minting ceased at that moment, making the terminal date on this issue not a monetary decision but a military one. The city would not be refounded until 371 BC, after Leuctra broke Spartan power permanently.