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Drachm
| Issuer | Gortyna |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 270 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Drachm (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Forepart (protome) of a bull advancing to the right, the head turned slightly toward the viewer in a three-quarter perspective, a distinctive and accomplished artistic device. The powerful musculature of the neck and shoulders is rendered with vigorous, confident engraving, and the prominent curved horns frame the boldly modeled face. The eyes are large and expressive, and dewlap folds beneath the chin are carefully delineated. The field is plain with no inscription, the design filling the flan with considerable presence and energy typical of Gortynian coinage of this era. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Gortyna, Crete |
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| Additional information |
Gortyna was one of Crete's dominant poleis during this period, its authority over the Messara plain making it a natural locus for silver coinage serving inter-city trade and mercenary payments — Cretan soldiers were among the most sought-after hired fighters in the Greek world through the fourth and third centuries BC. The city's drachm coinage of this era is linked to a well-documented series catalogued by Svoronos, with the specific die groupings suggesting concentrated minting activity rather than a continuous sustained output.
The BMC Greek 38 reference places this squarely among the better-documented Cretan civic issues, though die links across the series remain incompletely mapped.