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Stater
| Issuer | Aegina |
|---|---|
| Year | 550 BC - 525 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Deep incuse square divided into eight triangular segments by two intersecting diagonal lines and two perpendicular lines, creating a so-called 'Union Jack' or skew pattern. Several of the segments are partially filled with incuse relief, while others remain flat or recessed, a transitional feature characteristic of early Aeginetan staters. The incuse work is typical of the archaic hammered technique in which the reverse die created a pronounced negative impression. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (550 BC - 525 BC) |
| Additional information |
Aegina's silver staters were among the earliest struck coins to circulate across the Greek world, and the island's merchant fleet carried them as far as the Levant and Egypt well before Athens or Corinth had established comparable monetary systems. Herodotus singles out the Aiginetans as preeminent traders of the archaic period, and the archaeological record bears this out — hoards containing Aeginetan staters have been recovered from Mesopotamia to the western Mediterranean.
The "Aeginetan standard" of roughly 12.2 grams became a dominant weight convention across the Peloponnese and much of central Greece, adopted by cities that never minted their own coins simply because Aegina's pieces were already everywhere.