The Athenian Owl is an Essential Ancient Coin #silvercoin #Greece

You are looking at an Athenian Tetradrachm produced between 440 and 404 BCE. It is a silver coin that features the Goddess Athena on the obverse, seen here wearing her war helmet and an owl on the reverse. The Athenian owl is the most recognized of all of the ancient coins and its economic power along the Mediterranean trade routes rivaled only the military power of the mighty Athenian Navy. This coin was struck during the ages of Pericles and Cleon, Pericles a Greek general and politician, under whose leadership Athens thrived. He was a champion of democracy, art, and the pursued policies that benefited the poor and gave them access to public theater and political office. Pericles opposed war with Sparta, but after his passing Cleon took up the cause. Leading to the terrible Peloponnesian War - which Athens lost - stripping the city-state and its allies of their hegemony and ceding regional power to Sparta. A coin like this currently has a retail value of about $1,500- but it is an essential numismatic artifact- the Athenian Morgan dollar if you will. If you can add one to your collection, you should.