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Tetradrachm
| Issuer | Akragas |
|---|---|
| Year | 410 BC - 406 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | BMC Greek#54, Dewing#560, SNG Lloyd#820 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two eagles are depicted perched upon the carcass of a dead hare resting on a rocky outcrop; one eagle raises its head and screams triumphantly, while the other bows its head to feed. A cicada occupies the left field, serving as a secondary symbol. The ethnic legend AKPAΓANTINON frames the design, identifying the issuing city of Akragas. The scene, rendered with exceptional naturalistic detail and drama, is among the most celebrated reverse types in all of ancient Greek numismatics. |
| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
The tetradrachms of Akragas from this narrow window represent the final flowering of Sicilian Greek coinage before the city's total destruction by Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Mago in 406 BC. The sack was catastrophic and deliberate — the population was expelled, the temples looted, and the city burned. No significant coinage followed for decades.
These late issues are attributed to a period of intense artistic competition among Sicilian mints, when engravers were signing their dies. The BMC and Dewing specimens are among the benchmarks for the type's die study.