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Octadrachm
| Issuer | Abdera (Thrace) |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 475 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | SNG Copenhagen 384; May, Abdera, Type IIIa |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A deep quadripartite incuse square dominates the reverse field, formed by two intersecting raised ridges dividing the depression into four triangular compartments of roughly equal size, each compartment presenting a slightly irregular, striated surface as a result of the hammered striking technique. The incuse is recessed deeply into the flan, as was characteristic of early Greek coinage of the late Archaic period, serving both as a functional countermark to secure the metal and as a decorative device. The overall impression is bold and geometric, with no inscriptions or additional devices present, consistent with the earliest issues of Abdera prior to the introduction of ethnic legends. |
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| Mintage | ND (500 BC - 475 BC) |
| Additional information |
Abdera's early coinage was made possible by the city's proximity to the silver-rich mines of the Thracian interior, the same resource base that would later make the region a prize worth fighting over during the Persian Wars. The city was reportedly refounded by Timesius of Clazomenae and then again by Teos colonists around 545 BC after the Persians overran Ionia — refugees bringing Greek monetary traditions directly into Thracian territory.
The octadrachm denomination itself is characteristic of northern Greek and Thracian minting conventions of the archaic period, where heavy silver pieces circulated in trade with inland Thracian populations accustomed to silver by weight rather than by denomination. May's typology places this squarely in the earliest phase of the Tean colonial mint.