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Tetradrachm
| Issuer | Akanthos (Macedon) |
|---|---|
| Year | 424 BC - 380 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 13.87 g |
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| Reverse description | A large incuse square dominates the reverse field, itself subdivided into a quadripartite arrangement by a raised cross, creating four recessed rectangular compartments whose surfaces bear a stippled or granular texture. Within the outer incuse border, the ethnic legend AKANΘΙΟΝ is distributed around the perimeter of the inner square, reading as the civic designation of the issuing city of Akanthos. The overall design is typical of early fifth- to fourth-century Macedonian silver coinage, wherein the reverse functions as a purely geometric mill-square impression derived from archaic incuse technique. |
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| Mint | Akanthos (Macedon) |
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| Additional information |
Akanthos was a Chalcidian colony on the Athos peninsula, and its silver came directly from the mines of the surrounding Thracian interior — the same regional ore sources that made this corner of Macedon commercially important long before Philip II arrived. The city minted aggressively during the late fifth and early fourth centuries, likely under pressure to pay tribute and conduct trade with both Athenian and Spartan interests competing for influence across Thrace following the Peloponnesian War.
The ANS series 6 specimens show notable die-link variation across the issue, suggesting production in discrete, intermittent batches rather than continuous output from a standing mint operation.