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Octadrachm
| Issuer | Abdera (Thrace) |
|---|---|
| Year | 500 BC - 475 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | A deeply struck quadripartite incuse square dominates the reverse, divided into four recessed compartments by two perpendicular raised ridges meeting at the center, a hallmark of early Greek coinage technique derived from the punch used to drive the blank into the obverse die. The four triangular fields alternate between deeply recessed and slightly raised planes, creating a windmill or skew pattern characteristic of the transitional archaic period. The surface within the compartments is rough and uneven, as is typical of hammer-struck silver issues of this era. The incuse square is well-centered on the broad flan with no additional legend or device. This reverse type is consistent with the earliest coinage of Abdera, prior to the introduction of more elaborate reverse designs. |
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| Additional information |
Abdera was founded twice — the first attempt by Timesius of Clazomenae ended in expulsion by the Thracian Cicones, and the city was only successfully established in the mid-sixth century by colonists from Teos, fleeing the Persian advance under Harpagus. These early silver octadrachms belong to the generation immediately following that resettlement, struck when the colony was still consolidating its position on a coastline contested by both indigenous Thracian tribes and expanding Persian influence. The Pangaion silver mines nearby made heavy denominations commercially viable from the outset.