Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse)

480–449 BC

Tetradrachm: Head of Athena (obverse); Owl (reverse), 480–449 BC. Greek, minted at Athens (Attica). Silver; overall: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Harold W. Parsons 1920.267 Incorporating the first three letters of the city name—ΑΘΕ—with then-iconic images of the patron goddess Athena and her owl, the Athenian tetradrachm was among the most widely traded and most recognizable coins of the ancient world. The olive leaves on Athena’s helmet and the small crescent moon behind the owl date this coin after the Persian Wars. The three letters on the reverse—ΑΘΕ—mark this as an Athenian coin.