This ancient silver coin is round, but a bit misshaped. It shows an owl perched on a branch on one side. The owl has huge round eyes and spiky head feathers. Their body is turned to the right but his head is turned toward the viewer. The owl's beak is tucked into his chest. Their sturdy thin legs end in large talons that are wrapped around a branch that forms a horizontal form across the lower section of the coin. There are some stylized leaf forms at the upper left. To the owl'r right the letters "AOE" seem to be written. The other side of the coin shows the head and neck of a person in profile. Their headdress/hair takes up half the coin. They have a strong straight nose, small lips and a receding chin. The one eye that we can see is large and oversized. On the back side of the coin with the owl the items collection number "M18e47" is painted in yellow on the lip of the coin.
Greek, Athens
Drachma,
about 365 BCE - 359 BCE
Silver
,
1.5 x 0.5 cm (9/16 x 3/16 in.)
Object details
Accession number
M18e47
Primary Creator
Greek, Athens
Full title
Drachma
Creation Date
about 365 BCE - 359 BCE
Provenance
Gift from the philosopher Matthew Stewart Prichard (1865-1936) to Isabella Stewart Gardner at an unknown date.
Marks
Inscribed in relief (verso): alpha theta epsilon [translation: of the Athenians]
Dimensions
1.5 x 0.5 cm (9/16 x 3/16 in.)
Display Media
Silver
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Little Salon
Bibliography
J.N. Svoronos. Trésor des Monnaies d'Athens (Munich, 1923), pl. XVII, no. 26. (as Greek, Athens; dated 365-359 BCE) Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935). p. 146.
Rights and reproductions
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Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.