The ancient coins of Greece represent the highest form of the coiner's art. Primarily produced as hammered coinage, Greekcoins were normally struck in very high relief. Greek coins have been collected as works of art and as a tangible link to the historical past. When coin collecting is referred to as the Hobby of Kings, it has been primarily Greek coins that kings have collected over the millennia.
Ancient Greek coins are generally classified into three categories based upon when they were minted. These are the archaic period, the classical period and the Hellenistic period. Roughly, the archaic period covers the beginnings through 479 BC and the Hellenistic period begins with Alexander the Great. The Classical period is in between.
Coins were minted in gold, electrum, silver, and bronze throughout Ancient Greece. A complex series of denominations were issued by different mints and at different periods, but as a rule the Stater was the unit for gold and electrum coins, the Drachm was the unit for silver coins, and the Onkia was the unit for Sicilian bronze coins. The bronze units of coins from other Greek states remain largely unknown.
In the early 20th century, The US PresidentTheodore Roosevelt was shown several examples of the ancient coiner's art. He was suitably impressed, and embarked on what many believe to be the greatest artistic reinterpretation of US coinage since the mint opened. He enlisted the help of sculptor Augustus St. Gaudins, in producing a new ten and twenty dollar gold piece. The twenty dollar gold piece was struck with three different depths, low relief, high relief and ultra high relief. In the ultra high relief version, the president’s vision of duplicating the artistic Greek coinage was realized. Many believe it to be the most beautiful coin ever struck in the United States.
To facilitate inter-city trade, however, the coins came increasingly to be of a standard value, although marked with the symbols of the issuing city (rather like today's Euro coins, which are recognisably from a particular country, but usable all over the Euro zone).
The use of coins for propaganda purposes was a Greek invention.
The best Greekcoins are rare and expensive and can only be seen in museums, of which the National Numismatic Museum in Athens is one of the finest.
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