Skip to Main Content

Stater: Head of Athena (obverse); Nike (reverse)

c. 325–275 BCE
(Cyprus)
gold
Diameter: 1.9 cm (3/4 in.)
Weight: 8.618 g (0.3 oz.)
Gift of J. H. Wade 1916.979
Location: not on view
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

Athena appears off-center on this coin’s obverse due to an error in the minting process.

Description

As the forces of Alexander III [the Great] advanced into Asia, the city-state of Salamis, on the island of Cyprus, voluntarily surrendered itself and its mint. Salamis began producing Macedonian-style coinage, adopting a helmeted Athena on the obverse and a winged Nike offering a laurel wreath on the reverse. The rudder in the left field is the distinguishing symbol of Salamis, a nod to the city’s longstanding maritime prominence.
Stater: Head of Athena (obverse); Nike (reverse)

Stater: Head of Athena (obverse); Nike (reverse)

c. 325–275 BCE

Greek, Macedonian, minted at Salamis (Cyprus)

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.