More on Ancient Greek COINAGE

Here's a lovely image of three of  the famous Athenian Silver Owl Coins showing how the design was refined over the centuries along with a modern equivalent!

#coinage #silverowl #atheniancoin #athena #euro

I've often wondered why the Athenians associated Athena with Owls.

Perhaps because owls hunted mice and in a country that had to import grain predators that preyed on vermin were valued?

The oldest coins?

The oldest #coins in the Hellenic / Aegean cultural area were probably these lion designs on coins from #Lydia used to pay Greek mercenaries.

The irregular shape is probably due to users shaving bits of gold off the coin later and that practice was the origin of the term defacing the coin.

The idea of a standard weight shape and shape and alloy standard rapidly spread to Ionia to the mainland but before there were Athenian silver owls and other currencies the lion roared first!