Islands off Attica, Stater, ca. 404-350 BC
Aegina - Silver - VF(30-35) - HGC:6-438
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Tortoise.
Incuse square with thin skew device.
A very interesting stater with perfect centering on the reverse. The turtle on the obverse is off-center to the left, but most of its body is still visible. Every scale on its legs and belly is visible, and its carapace, composed of large blocks, is well defined. The tail is drawn with a small oblique line to the right. A small die break is present in the right obverse field. The turtle iconography is not insignificant. It has been present on the silver coinage of Aegina since the middle of the 6th century B.C., some one hundred years after the creation of coinage as we know it. The first turtle depicted was a sea turtle. It symbolized the naval power of the city of Aegina. The motif remained present until the last third of the 5th century BC, when Aegina lost to Athens in the First Peloponnesian War. The city lost its power and was forced to join the League of Delos. Around 431 BC, at the start of the Peloponnesian War, the Aeginetes were expelled from their city and replaced by Athenians. However, they returned to Aegina around 404 BC, under Spartan rule. The turtle was then replaced by a tortoise. The symbol was retained, but modified accordingly. The staters of Aegina are all the more important as Aegina was the first city to issue silver coins. Thanks to its maritime power (both commercial and military), Aegina extended its standard to other parts of Greece and Crete. The Athenians in particular were inspired by it. The first true type of stater with a tortoise was minted around 445 B.C. and features a punch made of thick lines on the reverse. The reverses of the later second and third types feature thin lines, and, in the case of the latter, a word and symbols. The terrestrial tortoise thus appeared on Aeginetes staters up to 338 B.C. However, it is less common than the sea turtle, of which there are 12 types for this denomination. Two types, minted between 550-525 B.C. and 525-475 B.C. respectively, are referred to as “proto-tortoise”. The first is characterized by the blocks making up the carapace, as well as a reduction in the size of the legs and a neck with a thin line. The second type features the short, thick legs characteristic of tortoises, as well as a trefoiled collar. As for the punches, they foreshadow the definitive reverses that would appear later. Our example has therefore taken on the characteristics of the two obverse proto-types and refined the features of the punch on the reverse. The tortoise can then be distinguished from the sea turtle by its short, thick legs and the blocks on its carapace. A true testament to stylistic evolution, this coin is strongly linked to the complex political context of its minting period. BMC Attica 146-165; HGC 6, 438; SNG München 566-9 and SNG Delepierre 1545. Faune d'Argent Collection.
12.21 gr
Silver
Silver can fall into your pocket but also falls between copper and gold in group 11 of the periodic table. Three metals frequently used to mint coins. There are two good reasons for using silver: it is a precious metal and oxidizes little upon contact with air. Two advantages not to be taken for granted.
Here is thus a metal that won’t vanish into thin air.
It’s chemical symbol Ag is derived from the Latin word for silver (argentum), compare Ancient Greek ἄργυρος (árgyros). Silver has a white, shiny appearance and, to add a little bit of esotericism or polytheism to the mix, is traditionally dedicated to the Moon or the goddess Artemis (Diana to the Romans).
As a precious metal, just like gold, silver is used to mint coins with an intrinsic value, meaning their value is constituted by the material of which they are made. It should be noted that small quantities of other metals are frequently added to silver to make it harder, as it is naturally very malleable (you can’t have everything) and thus wears away rapidly.
The first silver coins probably date back to the end of the 7th century BC and were struck on the Greek island of Aegina. These little beauties can be recognized by the turtle featured on the reverse.
The patina of silver ranges from gray to black.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of silver included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ silver or 999 parts of silver per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
