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Tetradrachm
| Issuer | Gela |
|---|---|
| Year | 430 BC - 425 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A quadriga advances slowly to the right, driven by a bearded charioteer rendered in profile; the four horses are depicted in a measured, processional gait characteristic of Sicilian coinage of the period. Above the chariot group, a victor's wreath occupies the upper field, symbolising athletic triumph. A chariot wheel is prominently visible at lower left beneath the horses' hooves. The composition reflects the high-relief, naturalistic style associated with the Sicilian die-cutting tradition of the late fifth century BC. |
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| Reverse lettering | ϹΕΛΑΣ |
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| Additional information |
Gela, founded by Rhodian and Cretan colonists in the early seventh century, was among the most powerful cities in Sicily before Akragas and Syracuse eclipsed it. The tetradrachms of this precise period — roughly contemporary with Gelon's descendants losing their grip on regional dominance — were produced by engravers working in a tradition heavily influenced by Syracusan die-cutting, yet the Gelan series maintained a distinct local iconographic program that Jenkins catalogued with unusual care given the relatively small surviving corpus.
Jenkins 398–399 places these dies within a tight stylistic cluster. The city would be largely destroyed by Carthaginian forces in 405 BC.