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Drachm
| Issuer | Gortyna |
|---|---|
| Year | 300 BC - 270 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Forepart (protome) of a bull facing to the right, the head turned slightly toward the viewer in a three-quarter frontal aspect, rendered in bold high relief. The animal's muscular neck and shoulders are depicted with accomplished naturalism characteristic of Cretan die engraving. A beaded diadem or fillet is visible across the top of the bull's head, and the curved horns frame the composition. The field is plain and unlettered. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (300 BC - 270 BC) |
| Additional information |
Gortyna was one of Crete's most powerful poleis, and its independent silver coinage reflects a city that controlled fertile agricultural land in the Mesara plain and had no need to defer to Knossos or any Aegean overlord. The Svoronos Cr#44 designation places this drachm within a well-catalogued Cretan series, though die linkage studies have shown that Gortyna's output during this period was modest — consistent with a city-state economy rather than a major trading hub.
The weight standard hovers close to the Aeginetan, which Cretan cities favored long after mainland Greeks had shifted elsewhere.