Lot 1864

Description

Attica, Aegina, (510-490 B.C.), silver drachm, (5.84 grams), obv. smoothed shell sea turtle with row of dots down dorsal spine, rev. incuse square, 'Union Jack' design with six sunken trianglar compartments, (cf.S.1852, Asyut Group III b 'thin collar' cf.439 (Stater), BMC 43). Very fine, uneven tone, broad flan and a very rare denomination.

Drachms are many times rarer than the staters, and one the earliest European archaic silver coins. This issue of drachms was probably confined to only local use and not for bullion trade as were the staters.