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Tridrachm
| Issuer | Delphi |
|---|---|
| Year | 479 BC - 475 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Tridrachm (3) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Two ram heads facing forward in jugate arrangement, rendered in bold archaic relief, sharing a common neck; each head is adorned with a grape cluster motif between the horns, with pendant earrings visible below the ears. Above the heads, a dotted border frames a pair of upward-curving ram horns surmounted by a central leaf or palmette ornament. The composition is enclosed within a beaded outer border and exhibits the vigorous, slightly stylized modeling characteristic of early fifth-century Delphic coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Delphi's coinage is among the rarest civic issues of mainland Greece, and the tridrachm denomination itself was an unusual choice — most poleis defaulted to the didrachm or tetradrachm standard. This issue almost certainly relates to the sanctuary's role in managing the spoils from the Persian Wars; after Plataea in 479 BC, enormous quantities of Persian loot were dedicated to Apollo, and the Amphictyonic League administered redistribution through Delphi. Coinage struck in this window likely facilitated those transactions rather than serving any conventional civic economy.