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Tetradrachm - Areus I
| Issuer | Lakedaimon (Lakonia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 267 BC - 265 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of Heracles in right profile, wearing the Nemean lion's skin headdress, with the scalp and jaws rendered in fine detail over the crown and forehead. The hero's strong facial features — prominent brow, straight nose, and parted lips — are executed in the Hellenistic portrait tradition derived from Lysippan models. Curling locks of hair emerge from beneath the lion's mane at the nape of the neck and behind the ear. The field is plain, and the design is framed by a fine dotted border around the periphery. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Areus I was the first Spartan king to present himself in the manner of a Hellenistic monarch, openly courting the Ptolemaic court and styling himself in ways that would have been unthinkable to earlier Spartan leaders. These tetradrachms were struck in connection with his ambitions during the Chremonidean War, the coalition effort against Macedonian dominance backed by Ptolemy II — an alliance that ultimately collapsed when the Spartan relief force was stopped before it could reach Athens. Areus himself was killed at the Isthmus in 265 BC, and the coinage effectively died with him.
Sparta had no prior tradition of silver coinage at this scale. The issue is rare.