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Stater 128th-132nd Olympiad
| Issuer | Olympia (Elis) |
|---|---|
| Year | 268 BC - 252 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Stater (2) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate head of Zeus facing right, rendered in fine high relief with voluminous curling hair and a full flowing beard, the face displaying strong, majestic features characteristic of the Pheidian tradition. A wreath of olive leaves — sacred to Zeus and emblematic of Olympia — crowns the head, its individual leaves rendered with exceptional naturalistic precision. The modelling of the flesh and musculature of the neck exhibits the accomplished artistry of the Elean mint at its zenith. The field is plain, with no legend or exergual inscription. The irregular flan is typical of hand-struck Elean silver coinage of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
These staters were struck by the sanctuary authorities at Olympia specifically for the quadrennial festival cycle, not for general commerce. The Eleans controlled the mint at Olympia and issued coins in tight, Games-aligned batches — a production rhythm with almost no parallel in the Greek world. The window covering the 128th through 132nd Olympiads coincides with a period when Macedonian power under Antigonus II Gonatas was reshaping political alignments across the Peloponnese, yet Elis maintained its traditional role as guardian of the sanctuary with remarkable continuity.
Seltman's die study remains the foundational reference for sequencing these issues, his temple series numbering still the standard despite subsequent revisions by later scholars.