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Obol
| Issuer | Phokaia |
|---|---|
| Year | 521 BC - 478 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Forepart of a griffin in left profile, rendered in bold archaic style filling the flan. The creature's large, prominent eye is depicted in high relief, with a hooked beak curving sharply downward. A small knob or horn projects from the top of the skull, and incised feather detailing is visible along the neck and ear area. The figure is set against a roughly textured field characteristic of early Phokaian electrum and silver coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Mint | Phokaia (Ionia) |
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| Additional information |
Phokaia was among the most adventurous of the Ionian Greek cities — its merchants established Massalia (modern Marseille) around 600 BC and pushed trade routes into the western Mediterranean decades before most Greek poleis looked that far. The city's coinage, including this obol, funded that network. When the Persians under Harpagus besieged Phokaia circa 545 BC, a significant portion of the population famously evacuated by sea rather than submit, taking their moveable wealth with them. Those who remained eventually reached an accommodation with Persia, and minting resumed under Achaemenid hegemony — which brackets the production window for this piece.