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Stater
| Issuer | Abydos |
|---|---|
| Year | 411 BC - 387 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 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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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | GCV#4008, BMC Greek#9 |
| Obverse description | Nike depicted in three-quarter kneeling pose to left upon the back of a recumbent ram, her raised left hand gripping a sword with which she is poised to sacrifice the animal. The figure is rendered with fine archaic detail, her drapery falling naturally about her crouching form. The composition fills the flan with vigorous sculptural energy characteristic of late 5th-century Abydene coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Abydos held a strategically choking position at the narrowest point of the Hellespont, and control of the city changed hands repeatedly during the final decades of the Peloponnesian War. Spartan admiral Mindaros used it as a forward base before his defeat at Cyzicus in 410 BC, and Persian satrap Pharnabazus maintained heavy influence over the region throughout this coinage's lifespan. Gold issues from Abydos in this period are closely tied to Achaemenid financial backing of Sparta against Athens — Persian gold funding the very coins that helped end Athenian naval dominance.