Greek tetradrachm from Athens, 5th century. BC

Description

Greek tetradrachm from Athens, 5th century. The obverse shows the head of Athena, who was the patron goddess and namesake of the city of Athens. The reverse shows an owl with an olive branch and the crescent moon (top left) . On the right the Greek letters AThE. The owl was considered a bird of wisdom and was the companion of Athena and therefore virtually the heraldic bird of Athens. These tetradrachms were then popularly known as “owls”. And since Athens was very rich, there were quite a few there. This is where the expression “carrying owls to Athens” comes from, which denotes a pointless thing. This saying was already born around 400 BC by the Greek poet Aristopanes and has survived to this day.

For an additional charge of 3 euros, I can also add a loop and eyelet to the coin as a pendant. Bitte bei der Bestellung anmerken.