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Obol
| Issuer | Selymbria |
|---|---|
| Year | 492 BC - 470 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Obol (⅙) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Cockerel depicted in profile, striding to right, with comb and wattle rendered in relief; the wing feathers are indicated by incised striations, and the tail feathers curve prominently upward. The bird's raised leg conveys a sense of forward motion. The type served as the civic emblem of Selymbria, a Megarian colony on the Propontis. The design fills the irregularly shaped flan with bold, archaic plasticity characteristic of early fifth-century BC Greek coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Selymbria sat on the northern shore of the Propontis, close enough to Byzantium to matter strategically but independent enough to strike its own silver throughout the early fifth century. The city's coinage is rare at any denomination. During the Persian Wars, Selymbrian territory fell within the operational zone of Xerxes' campaign — the royal road to the Hellespont passed near enough that Persian logistics directly affected the region between 480 and 479 BC, likely disrupting mint activity.
HGC 3.2 lists only a handful of confirmed specimens for this type.