Silver Tetradrachm, Leontini, 460 BCE

Silver Tetradrachm, Leontini, 460 BCE; Reverse: Lion’s head, barley grains, laurel leaf. Inscription ΛΕΟΝΤΙΝΟΝ (LEONTINON = “of Leontini”).
Unidentified Artist, Greek

Type/Object Name: Ob: Head of Apollo, wearing laurel wreath. | Re: Lion’s head, barley grains, laurel leaf. Inscription ΛΕΟΝΤΙΝΟΝ (LEONTINON = “of Leontini”).

Dates: 460 BCE

Medium: Silver, Tetradrachm

Dimensions: Diameter 27.1 mm, Weight 17.1125 g

Credit Line: On loan to the CU Art Museum, courtesy of John Nebel

Notes: Powerful Art in a Tiny Format

The Sicilian city of Leontini was located in particularly fertile grain-growing territory. It portrayed its patron god Apollo on the obverse of its coin, here shown with a laurel wreath in his elaborate hair. The reverse is a visual reference to the city’s name: “Leon” is Greek for lion. The lion’s head here with its spectacular wrinkled muzzle thus refers to the city just like the inscription, “of Leontini.” The grains refer to the city’s agricultural wealth, and some experts suggest the leaf behind the lion’s head on this coin may be a reference to the artist’s name.

Collection: Coin, John Nebel

Bibliography: Boehringer, Christof. 2002. Zur Münzgeschichte von Leontinoi in klassischer Zeit. In Studies in Greek Numismatics in memory of Martin Jessop Price, edited by Ashton, R. and S. Hurter. Page 49 and Plate 12 #53. London: Spink.