Metapontum - AE Obol
Obverse
Name/Title
Metapontum - AE ObolEntry/Object ID
C2017-G65-382Description
A coin issued by Metapontum displaying the city's emblem, an ear of barley.Context
Metapontum was an ancient Greek city-state established in southern Italy during the 7th century BCE, where it was among the first Greek city-states in Italy to mint coinage. The life of the city seems to have been dominated by agriculture, which is further reflected by the ear of grain that dominated their coinage. While many other cities of Magna Graecia chose to depict scenes from their foundation myths or principal cults on their coinage, Metapontum preferred to highlight their most prolific export: barley. The Greek geographer Strabo writes that the city was so prosperous from farming that it dedicated grain at Delphi repeatedly or even annually. Furthermore, the divinity represented on the obverse of this coin, Demeter, symbolized the fertility of the land, which was understood to be a gift from the goddess.Collection
Classical GreeceMintage
Mint
MetapontumDate made
350 BCE - 325 BCETime Period
ClassicalPlace of Origin
City
MetapontumRegion
Magna Graecia, SicilyCountry
ItalyManufacture Method
StruckCoin Details
Obverse
Description
Wreathed head of Demeter.Reverse
Description
Ear of barley, poppy head in right field.Transcription
[O](B)OΛOΣ in left fieldTranslation
ObolIssuing Authority
MetapontumDenomination
AE ObolEthnography
Cultural Region
Country
ItalyCulture/Tribe
Greek - Classical