Phokis entered federal coinage relatively late, and the bronze issues of this period fall squarely within the shadow of the Third Sacred War — the conflict triggered in 356 BC when the Phokians seized Delphi and plundered its treasury to fund their mercenary armies. Whether this dichalkon predates that seizure or circulates alongside it remains debated, but the federal mint was operating under extraordinary political pressure throughout this decade.
The BCD collection reference places this among a tightly documented sequence. Phokian bronze of this period is underrepresented in major holdings relative to their silver.
Phokis entered federal coinage relatively late, and the bronze issues of this period fall squarely within the shadow of the Third Sacred War — the conflict triggered in 356 BC when the Phokians seized Delphi and plundered its treasury to fund their mercenary armies. Whether this dichalkon predates that seizure or circulates alongside it remains debated, but the federal mint was operating under extraordinary political pressure throughout this decade.
The BCD collection reference places this among a tightly documented sequence. Phokian bronze of this period is underrepresented in major holdings relative to their silver.