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Stater
| Issuer | Aegina |
|---|---|
| Year | 530 BC - 510 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A sea turtle (Chelone) rendered in high relief dominates the central field, depicted in a schematic yet naturalistic archaic style with the carapace shown from above. The dorsal surface of the shell is articulated with a bold row of raised pellets arranged in a vertical median line flanked by lateral bosses, faithfully representing the scutes of the chelonian carapace. The head and stubby forelimbs are visible at the upper margin, while the hindquarters taper to a pointed tail at the base. The creature is shown viewed directly from above, filling the flan with commanding presence. No legend or inscription appears; the design is purely emblematic, serving as the iconic civic type of Aegina. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a deeply recessed incuse square of skewed, mill-sail or windmill pattern, divided into four asymmetrical triangular compartments by raised diagonal ridges meeting at the centre, characteristic of the early Aeginetan coinage technique. The incuse punch is irregular and roughly executed, consistent with archaic hammered coinage of the late 6th century BC. The recessed areas show an uneven, granular surface texture resulting from the hand-struck manufacturing process. No legend, symbol, or secondary type appears within the incuse. This simple incuse reverse type preceded the later divided square designs adopted on subsequent Aeginetan issues. |
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| Additional information |
Aegina's staters were among the earliest Greek silver coins to achieve wide international circulation, recognized across the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean by a weight standard — the Aeginetic stater at roughly 12.2g — that rivaled Athens and Corinth for commercial dominance. Herodotus singles out Aegina's trading reach, and hoards from Egypt to the Black Sea confirm it. The island's coinage was eventually suppressed after Athens expelled the Aeginetan population in 431 BC, making pre-expulsion issues like this one the entire surviving record of an independent mint.