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Obol
| Issuer | Abydos |
|---|---|
| Year | 480 BC - 450 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | 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 | Greek |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Facing Gorgoneion depicted en face within a shallow incuse square, exhibiting the apotropaic features standard to archaic Greek coinage: broad flat nose, protruding tongue, serpentine hair, and large round eyes. The deeply recessed incuse square frames the design sharply, a technique consistent with early classical hammered coinage from the Hellespont region. The relief is bold despite the small module of the flan. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Abydos controlled one of the most strategically critical points in the ancient world — the narrowest crossing of the Hellespont, roughly one kilometer wide — and its coinage reflects the wealth extracted from that position through tolls and trade. The city submitted to Persia before Xerxes' famous pontoon bridge crossing in 480 BC, placing this issue squarely in the shadow of that campaign and its aftermath, when Greek control of the straits became a recurring flashpoint.
At 0.6 g, the obol represents the smallest practical unit of the Abydene weight standard, likely produced for local market transactions rather than long-distance trade.