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Tetradrachm
| Issuer | Uncertain Thraco-macedonian city |
|---|---|
| Year | 520 BC - 480 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tetradrachm (4) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Lion crouching left in the act of devouring its prey, rendered in archaic style with bold, confident lines characteristic of the early Thraco-Macedonian coinage tradition. A lotus flower appears in the upper field above the feline, while a circular ornamental device occupies the lower field beneath. The design is executed with considerable artistic detail, emphasizing the predatory vigor of the lion. No legend or inscription is present in the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Forepart of a winged boar advancing left, depicted in profile within a dotted square border, all set within a deep incuse square formed by the punch of the die. The winged boar motif is a distinctive and rare type associated with uncertain Thraco-Macedonian mint authorities of the early fifth century BC. The incuse technique is characteristic of early Greek coinage practice in this region. No legend or inscription accompanies the design. |
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| Additional information |
The Thraco-Macedonian region in the late archaic period was not a unified political entity but a patchwork of tribal minting authorities, Greek colonial settlements, and local dynasts who gained access to silver almost exclusively through the rich ore deposits of Mount Pangaion and the Strymon valley. Several issues from this zone remain unattributed after more than a century of scholarship — the BostonMFA#70 piece among them. Attribution attempts have cycled through Lete, Ichnai, and Tragilos without consensus.