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Tetradrachm
| Issuer | Akanthos (Macedon) |
|---|---|
| Year | 430 BC - 390 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Lion passant to right, mauling a bull that kneels and collapses to the left; the scene is rendered with vigorous naturalistic energy characteristic of northern Greek coinage of the late fifth century BC. The letters ΔI appear in the upper field above the group, possibly representing a mint magistrate's initials or a control mark. A laurel branch is displayed in the exergue below the central design. The flan is irregular in form, as is typical of struck silver coinage of this period and region. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Akanthos was a Chalkidian colony on the eastern prong of the Chalkidike peninsula, and its tetradrachms were struck at a time when the city controlled enough silver-rich hinterland to sustain a significant autonomous coinage. The type circulated widely across the northern Aegean trade network, competing with issues from Macedonian dynasts and Thracian tribes in an economically active but politically volatile region.
By the early fourth century, Olynthian expansion under the Chalkidian League steadily eroded Akanthian independence. The city's coinage essentially ceases around 390 BC — not from economic collapse but from political absorption.