Metapontum, Silver Stater

Metapontum, Silver Stater

Metapontum, Lucania (Italy) Silver Stater, ca. 325-300 BCE.
OBVERSE: Head of Demeter, wearing necklace and triple-pendant earring and crowned by a wreath of three barley ears and two pairs of leaves, facing right. Signature under chin: “DA(I)”.
REVERSE: Seven-grained ear of barley in center with a leaf curving to the right. Above the leaf is a small plow, below it part of the mint supervisor's mark, “M(AX)”. In left field, inscription "META," abbreviation for METAPONTIWN (= Metapontion, "of the Metapontians"). There is a die flaw in the upper left awns of the ear of barley.

Metapontum (Greek: Metapontion) was an Achaean colony on the Italian coast. Located between two rivers, the area was famed for its rich croplands. They were even able to afford sending a “golden harvest,” probably golden replicas of sheaves of barley, to the sanctuary at Delphi (Strabo 6.264). Golden sheaves of barley, represented by the grain on the REVERSE of this coin, were symbolic for the city, signifying the wealth and richness of their grain. Accordingly, the grain acted both as the city’s badge and became the standard REVERSE illustration for coinage as early as the fifth century BCE.

Demeter, the grain goddess who also held domain over farming, was a very appropriate patron for the area and her bust often graced the OBVERSE of their coinage. This particular engraving may be inspired by the head of Arethusa engraved by Kimon in fifth century BCE Syracuse.

Gift of James and Aneta McIntyre, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem, OR. 2006.010.019

330-300 BCE

Hallie Ford Museum of Art

2.150 cm
7.700 gr

Greek

Coin

This item can be viewed on Hallie Ford Museum of Art's website.